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DRIVE-IT YOURSELF TOUR OF THE COUNTRY SCHOOLS OF THE

CARTHAGE CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT

Over time, buildings change, disappear or are moved from their locations. This is true with our country schools as they became homes, building lots or sometimes, foundations are all that remain. It has been our hope to be as accurate as we could, but there are still some unknowns. If we have made a mistake, please let us know. The trip will take between three to four hours. May you enjoy your driving adventure in locating the country schools of the Carthage Central School District.

Starting point is the Carthage Central School, Martin Street Road. Turn right onto Martin Street Road and proceed to the light (1.1 m) at the intersection. Turn left and proceed to Madison Street where you turn right onto Madison Street and proceed until you see the school on the left (.4 m) and go through the driveway to Site 1 - West Carthage: The first West Carthage School was on the corner of Jefferson and Vincent Streets. The school later moved to the block of Madison between Vincent and High streets. In 1954, a fire destroyed the High School wing of the building. In 2001, a new elementary building was built on Cole Road a short distance beyond the bus garage.

Turn right and proceed on Jefferson Street to Bridge Street, turn left and go across the bridge to Carthage. At the second signal light (.9 m) turn left onto North School Street. Go to the intersection of North School and Fulton Street (.1 m) to *Site 2 – Carthage Elementary and High Schools (now the Elks Club). Over the years, there have been several schools on this site; the wooden structure destroyed in the 1884 fire, the Gothic elementary building that replaced it, the large brick High School that educated many people until 1957 and the red brick elementary school that challenged the youth of Carthage until the new building was erected on Beaver Lane.

Proceed to Alexandria Street and turn right. Go 1.8 miles to Site 3 District #9, The Little Red Schoolhouse is situated on the west side of the road; surrounded by a grove of small trees and brush, the immediate area about is being mostly low. The traditional name, "Little Red Schoolhouse" was bestowed upon the District 9 building because it was painted bright red many years ago. It is currently the home of Robin and Lonnie Arndt. Alexandria Street is a dead end so turn and head back to North School Street (there is a turnaround area at the end of the road), turn left and proceed to the light at the intersection.

Turn left onto State Street and turn right onto South James Street by the Methodist Church (.1m), this takes you to Route 126 (River Road). *Site 4: District No. 14, Riverbank School (2.4 m), was located in the town of Croghan and partly in the town of Wilna, with its schoolhouse situated in the town of Croghan on the River road leading from Carthage to Naumburg. It was locally known as the "Squash Hole" School because of its proximity to a small creek that enters the Black River just north of the schoolhouse. The River Road crosses this stream on a small bridge now; but many years ago, before the road was improved for autos, the spot was a dreaded morass to cross with horses, especially during the wet season. A short distance south of the Squash Hole School, the old State road joins the River Road from the east. The Black River detours away from the River Road in a wide arc near the school site, approaching the highway again at the "squash hole". Today there is a trailer on the former schoolhouse lot.

Go about .3 miles to the Old State Road, turn left and proceed 2.7 miles. Just after you pass the Branagan Road on the left, the road enters a cleft in the rocks, and a paved crossroad turns south (Station Can Corners). Perched on the north side of the road, barely beyond this intersection, was *Site 5: District #6, Number Six School, also known as the Rockbound School The building was set on a shelf of rock scarcely large enough to hold it, with a cliff rising on one side and a drop-off of 10 feet on the other. There are saplings growing up where the school existed, only foundation rocks remaining, but from this vantage point, looking west, you have a commanding view of Croghan farming country.

Turn around and proceed back on the Old State Road to Route 126, and turn right. Go one mile to the Strickland Road where you again turn right. After 1.2 m, the Strickland Road becomes the Wrape Road. Proceed to the intersection of the Wrape Road and Texas Road (1.8 m). Turn left and travel 9/10 of a mile until you come to the Rogers Crossing Road where you turn right: *Site 6 District #13 - The Castle School was located on the Rogers Crossing Road, on the left, just past the junction of the Texas Road. In an arc, the North Croghan Road bends from the east to the northeast and on the inner side of this bend is the school lot. Approaching from Carthage, one first notices the row of willow trees along the southerly side of the grounds, indicative of the bountiful supply of water to be found on the lot. Across the road from the school is the site of the Castle homestead, its buildings gone. The District 13 School took its name from this and from the fact that Peter Castles built the new school. Peter Castles was the father of Mrs. Cyril McDonald, who is the fourth generation of her family to live in this district.

Proceed on the Rogers Crossing Road until you come to the Mylady Road** (1.7 m) turn right on the Mylady Road and travel 7/10 of a mile to the end of this road, which intersects with the Texas Road. Just across from the Mylady Road is *Site 7 District #11 - Rogers Crossing. District 11, towns of Croghan and Diana, had its schoolhouse on the Texas Road in the town of Croghan. The schoolhouse could be seen plainly from the Crossing. The outlook on the northerly side of the school site is somewhat bleak, being mostly low ground, covered with brush and some woods.

**(Note: There are two roads with two different spellings - Mylady Road and Milady Road. Be sure to go on road with the spelling Mylady.)

Sites 8 and 9 are located on dirt roads.

If you prefer not to travel the dirt roads to see Sites 8 and 9 today, turn around and go back on the Mylady Road, turn right on the Rogers Crossing Road (which turns into the Hickey Road). Travel 3.2 m to the intersection with the Avery Road. Just across the road, on the North Croghan Road, you will see Site 10 - *Keyes School: (North Croghan) This district was located partly in the town of Wilna and partly in the town of Croghan, with its schoolhouse located near the county line in the town of Wilna. Here you will see a foundation of the District #10 school on the right just past the North Croghan Road. About one-quarter mile east of the school, just across the county line, lie the tracks of the Adirondack branch of the New York Central railroad. The school lot itself is on an acre of low ground, belying the fact that this is the highest school site in the town of Wilna, at an elevation of 860 feet. Now turn left from Hickey Road unto the Avery Road to Site 11.

(depending on the road conditions) you can turn left on the Texas Road and proceed past the Aspen Hollow Truck Road and to the left before you reach the Swiss creek, there can still be seen the steps to *Site 8 District #23 - The Texas Road School was no longer in existence when the Carthage Central School district was formed. Its site is presented here, however, since former District No. 11 (the Rogers Crossing School) received most of the Texas district when the latter was dissolved. Located on the north side of the road, just west of the bridge where the Texas road crosses Swiss creek, the site of the Texas Road School is enclosed in a narrow valley between granite ridges.

Proceed on the Texas road until you come to the Beartown Road. Turn left onto this road and proceed until you see the schoolhouse on the left - Site 9 - Beartown. School District No. 13 of the towns of Croghan and Diana was located at the easternmost extremity of the Carthage Central area. This district, traversed by only the Beartown Road and the Texas Road, is perhaps the most remote schoolhouse in the Central District, with only two means of access to it via the Texas Road or North Croghan. Sadly, today the roof has fallen in.

Proceed on the Avery Road until you see Site 11 District #7, Sarvay Schoolhouse, (1.6 m) located in the northeast corner formed by the junction of the Hogsback or Ridge Road (Natural Bridge) and the Avery Road (which becomes the Fargo) or North Croghan. This junction is a short distance east of Devois Corners, where West Street meets the Avery Road and another crossroad leads northerly to Route 3. A small tributary of Black Creek crosses the Avery Road below and east of the schoolhouse. Perched on a steep-sided knoll (a retaining wall is used on the east side of the lot) the school is crowded closely upon the little Fulton Cemetery. The school building is parallel with the Avery Road with its entrance facing westerly; twin lilac bushes framed the entrance to the faded white building. Today this schoolhouse is the Grau home, and is a lovely blue.

Turn right; proceed on County Route 41 (Ridge Road) to Natural Bridge (3.3 m), turn left on Route 3 and go about one block (.1 m) where Site 12, Natural Bridge School, is located in the middle of the community. Disaster struck District No. 4 in March 1931. Kent Pierce who was principal at the time, related that the dull routine of another school day suddenly was interrupted when someone rushed in to exclaim, "Don't you know the school is on fire?" The school was destroyed; it was over two years until it was rebuilt on the same spot. It is currently a housing unit.

Once on Route 3, travel towards Carthage past the Sand Hill Cemetery located on the left side of the road to a sand bank (.5 m) where *Site 13, Sand Hill School once stood. It is across from the Weaver Road, which is on the Fort Drum Military Reservation. During World War II, a phone was installed in the school (which had closed several years before) and it was used as an airplane spotting post.

Proceed to Fargo. The actual location of *Site 14 - District #3, Fargo School was in the area of the Fargo Inn. The Fargo schoolhouse, town of Wilna, was located at the intersection of roads known throughout the area as "Fargo's". The road which passed by its door, is an historic one, which, as the St. Lawrence Turnpike, was rated as one of the most important arteries of transportation to the first settlements in the Black River valley. It was a profitable business to operate an inn at strategic points on this road; and Lewis Fargo did so, adjacent to the District No. 3 schoolhouse, giving it his name. There was also a young ladies seminary in this general vicinity.

When you arrive at the signal light at Fargo's, (3.4 m) turn right on 3A, proceed to Munns Corners (4.1 m.) and make a left on County Route 37. Travel 1.1 miles to Route 3. Turn left and proceed on Route 3 to Herrings. *Site 15, District #8, Herrings is now a playground in memory of Carlton (Bucky) MacCue. District No. 8 was created in 1828, one of the original districts of the town of Wilna. In June of 1907, it was voted to build a new schoolhouse (two rooms with single seats). The old school house was moved once more, this time onto the mill property, where it was used as a utility room by the mill. The school ran until 1964, when the grade school children went to Deferiet and the school was demolished several years later.

Turn around and proceed back on Route 3 to Deferiet. Turn into the Village of Deferiet (.8 m) and sandwiched between Anderson Road and Riverside Drive is Site 16, Deferiet School. The new District 17 was formed in 1901 and on Aug 28, 1901, St. Regis sold 74/100 of an acre to the district for one dollar, and a wood building was erected. About 1921, the capacity of the school was doubled by the addition of a brick structure; its appearance has changed little since. The seventh and eighth grades left in January 1958 to join the other students of the Junior-Senior High School. Then, in 1973, overcrowded classrooms at CCS led to the sixth graders of the district attending the newly created Carthage Middle School. In June of 1978, Deferiet forever ended its proud career as a school and has become an attractive apartment building.

You can proceed through the Village of Deferiet and come back to Route 3. Turn right and proceed to the entrance of Jackson II Road (.5 m) where Burkey’s (formerly The Whistle Stop) is located. Across this road is *Site 17, District #5. The site of the Old Stone School was located on Route 3, between the villages of Great Bend and Deferiet, not far from the western bank of the Black River where Route 3 crosses it. Situated on the north side of the road, the site is opposite the lower entrance to Johnnycake Road (Jackson II Road) which leads up the western side of the Black River. A large portion of District No. 5 is encircled by the river known as the great bend, where it turns from the northerly course and swings west. A short, dead-end road leads into this area, leaving Route 3 near the Old Stone School site. The school building itself was located on a small rise, with a sharp drop-off behind it. The adjacent area was built up quite thickly in the fifties, being part of the thriving Deferiet village expansion

Proceed to the light at Great Bend (1.1 m) and turn right toward the bridge to the 4 Rivers Historical Society property, where you make a right turn. Located here (.1 m) is the Site 21, District #1 school that was moved from Champion. When the 1806 school on the Green burned down, the next elementary building was erected across the gulf on the Great Bend near the cemetery. After the church was brought down from the Green, the school on the Great Bend was taken down, and a new one built next to the church. This school is the one moved to Black River in 1993, then again by the 4 Rivers Historical Society to its historical complex at Great Bend. It has been restored so students can come and learn how a one-room schoolhouse functioned.

As you leave the 4 Rivers Historical Society property, turn left, then right (3 West) and go straight across Route 3 to Great Bend-Champion Road, Route 197. Across from the Carthage Central District Offices (.3 m) Site 18 - District #9, Great Bend School is located. In 1949, it was voted to make plans for a new school and to purchase more land. The idea of centralizing was voted down at that time. Construction was begun on the new school in August of 1950. It consisted of two classrooms and gymnasium auditorium with a kitchen, office, locker and shower rooms. In July of 1951, there was a proposition to add to the new school and to accept federal funds. Because of Camp Drum pupils, Great Bend was a "hardship district"; the total cost was $264,839. The new addition was constructed in 1953, enlarging the two-room school to seven classrooms, with a cafeteria and additional utility rooms. This building currently houses the District Offices.

Proceed on Route 197, turn right at intersection and go past Sunnyside Cemetery until you come to the Pennock Road (2.1 m). Turn left onto this road and travel to the intersection of Route 43, Pennock and Taylor Road. You can spot the Old Church School - Site 19, as it appeared when it was running. The schoolhouse of Champion District No. 4 is located on a four corners, the junction of the east-west Felts Mills road and the north-south Pennock road. These roads are paved except for the southwest continuation of the Pennock road, a gravel roadway that shortly crosses White creek within sight of the school. (This creek is variously called White, Deerlick and Felts Mills Creek). On the southwestern quarter of the four corners is the Old Church School, its entrance facing north, buildings of the Floyd Taylor farm are close to the lot which is surrounded by open farmland. A short distance to the south you can see the tower of WWNY-TV. This school became known as the "Old Church" School because of its proximity of the old Methodist meetinghouse, which also stood near the four-corners.

From the Pennock Road turn left onto Route 43 (.9 m) and travel towards Great Bend. When you come to Route 47, turn right and travel to Champion Huddle and turn right at the Hall Road. (1.2 m) The first grey house on the right is *Site 20, District #8. Champion Huddle is an historic place on the road between Champion village and Great Bend. Now only a collection of a few houses, in years past, it was of much more importance, although never attaining the prominence attached to the neighboring villages. In this little hamlet was located the District No. 8 schoolhouse, situated in the corner formed by the Champion-Great Bend road and a cross-road leading north-west toward Rutland Hollow. The site is part way down the hill over which Deerlick creek comes bounding, passing under the main road near the school. In close proximity to the bridge is a spring on the south bank of the creek, with a stone retaining wall around it. This is now the site of the home of Mr. and Mrs. Jim Wilton. The actual school was destroyed to build the present home.

Turn around on Hall Road and continue right on Route 47 until you come to Champion, bear left and next to the Grange Hall (1.4 m) is Site 21, District #1, Champion School. This schoolhouse was moved twice. It is now located at the 4 Rivers Historical Society Property in Great Bend.

Turn around at the Champion Town Barn and proceed on (.2 m) Lamb Road. Travel the Lamb Road 2.5 miles until you reach the intersection of Eddy Road and Card Road. As you approach this intersection, you can see Site 22, District #10, Hadsall School, now the home of Mr. and Mrs. Nelson Eddy. The first move to close the Hadsall School came in 1938 and the motion was defeated. In 1940, it was voted to contract the high school pupils to West Carthage. It was voted to wire the school for electricity in 1946. District No. 10 went to its grave with the formation of the central district, but the Hadsall school did not close its doors until 1956 when Mrs. George Chisholm walked out the door, bringing to an end the 140 year line of teachers. In October of that year, the building was sold at auction to John T. Eddy for $1100.

Turn right from the Lamb Road onto the Rutland Hollow Road (.4 m), bear right on the Card Road to Route 144 (Staplin Road). Turn right and go straight at the first stop sign and turn left at the second stop sign. After 4.8 miles from the Rutland Hollow Road, you will see a square cement block building with a square tower rising above it on your left. This is Site 23, Felts Mills School. The tower, with its subdued brown coloring, dominates the village in a reserved sort of way. The structure occupies a small plot between two dwellings, leaving a few feet for a lawn graced by a flagpole at the front. Another lot at the rear provided room for a playground; beyond that, there is a fringe of woods, mixed with evergreens. The schoolhouse itself is not large - two stories with a total of four rooms (plus utility rooms) and a little gymnasium in the basement. It is currently an apartment building. Continue to the intersection with Route 3 and turn left.

Travel on Route 3 to the Village of Black River. When you come to the traffic light (2.2 m), turn right onto South Main Street. At the corner of South Main and Remington Street on the right is Site 24, Black River School (.1 m). For $6,943, George Walcott contracted to build the school, which was to contain six rooms for the grades and high school. It was ready for use on January 8, 1900. The old school lots were disposed of. On Aug. 1904, Black River became a full-fledged high school charted to grant diplomas. The school experienced growing pains between 1900 and1929, the year Black River High School was built. The faculty increased from five to 13 teachers. Some rooms had to be divided in two and an outside building was rented to accommodate the student load. Today this gracious building is an apartment complex.

Turn around and proceed back to the traffic light intersection. Go straight across the intersection (.5 m) to the Middleton Road (South Main Street). Travel to the intersection of Rutland Hollow Road (Rt 49) and turn right. On the corner of the Rutland Hollow Road and Miser Road is *Site 25, District #9, Rutland Hollow (1.6 m). A house is located on the site of the former school. "Deep down in the Hollow, about midway, a road comes spiraling down, crosses the Hollow road (not a four-corners; the roads intersect a few hundred yards apart) and abruptly "stands on end" as it struggles out of the valley toward the village of Black River. At this intersection is the Rutland Hollow schoolhouse, a white building with a cement porch and three trees in the yard: two maples and an elm. Behind the school is the narrow, flat floor of the Hollow, about an eighth of a mile wide, with farms strung along it like beads on a string. A small creek winds along; above it, to the south, the valley wall rises 300 feet in half a mile, literally rising to the sky." Description by Lyle Raymond, Jr.

Proceed up the Miser Road to Route 126 (2.1 m). Turn left and travel 4.4 miles past the WWNY TV transmitter station to the Bach Road. Turn right on the Bach Road and travel to the first house on the right (.2 m) - Site 26, District #6, Harris School. Attendance at the public school varied from 1 to 20 pupils. Drinking water for the pupils was procured from a nearby spring, until a well was drilled. There was a woodhouse, but the Harris School never had inside toilets, the outside ones being used until the day it closed. In 1934, the trustee was instructed to build a new chimney on the south side of the school from the ground up. Harris school was closed in 1951. The pupils were contracted to the West Carthage School for $1,200, with $300 extra to bring the kindergarten children home at noon. This is now the home of Mr. and Mrs. Don Rohr.

Turn around, turning right onto Route 126, travel 1.8 mile through Champion to the Line School Road where you turn right. Travel to the intersection of North Lake Road and Line School Road. Across from the North Lake Road (2.0 m) is Site 27, Champion School District No. 11, a joint district in the towns of Champion and Denmark, encompasses what is commonly known as the "Pleasant Lake" section. Lake Creek, outlet to the lake, bisects the district. About midway through the district, the creek cascades gently into a little valley. The hills of Champion and Denmark ring the valley, watching over the little schoolhouse at the intersection of roads. Several houses keep each other company in a small cluster around the school site. Straight as a string, the town line passes through, forming one boundary of the school lot; hence the name "Line School". The Tripp family currently occupies Line School.

When you enter the Town of Denmark, the Line School Road becomes the Old State Road. Travel the Old State Road until its end, turn left on Deer River Road (1.6 m) to Foy Insurance Agency located on the left (2.2 m). This is *Site 28, District #6, Deer River. 1959 was Mrs. Sauter's 12th year at the Deer River School and the school was still very much alive, having successfully become a part of the huge Carthage Central District. Kindergarten and the first three grades were taught here, with a total attendance of 27 pupils. A visit to the school would have revealed an attractively decorated, well-furnished, well-lighted school-house, with flush toilets about to be installed. Unfortunately, that fall a letter from the State Education Department said that a recent investigation revealed the building "did not meet the minimum requirements of the commissioner of education for school buildings in regard to sanitation, water supply and fire safety." The school was closed, the Foy Agency acquired the building, but after they moved it to build a new office complex, the original building was burned.

Proceed to the intersection of Route 26 and turn left. The general location of *Site 29, District #4, Denmark School was located across from the former Bezanilla farm. (1.9 m) The site of the Denmark School Number Four is located about midway between West Carthage and Deer River, on Route 26. An easterly-facing bluff extends along the east side of the road for a short distance there and it was on top of this rise, across from the former Bezanilla farm, that the schoolhouse stood. The Black River, slightly over a mile away and the village of Carthage, a short way to the north is clearly visible. The building itself was probably built about 1880. The building was parallel with the road, with the entrance at the south end, facing the road. There was also a woodhouse, and the drinking water was procured from a neighbor's well. The last year the school was run, 1940-1941, there were three pupils and Elizabeth Garrett (later Mrs. Donald Warren) was the teacher. About 1947, the district began renting the school building as a dwelling. On Feb. 1949, the structure caught fire from an overheated stovepipe and burned to the ground: a total loss. The district collected its insurance, which resulted in reduced taxes the following year.

Travel towards West Carthage, pass through the first traffic light and at the second traffic light, turn left onto Route 126. *Site 30, District #7, (formerly District #13) Manchester School was located on low ground, near the entrance to the Sayre Road. (3.1 m) “The site of the Manchester School was easily missed: traveling from West Carthage to Champion village, going up Draper Hill and on to the right turn to Champion Huddle, there may be a glimpse of a schoolhouse as you crest the small hill. It appeared unexpectedly at the foot of the rise, perched on the right side of the road. Weather-beaten and old, with the customary coat of white paint, in 1959 it was framed against a backdrop of evergreens, into which flows the northward bound, wet-season stream that passes by the schoolhouse.” Description by Lyle Raymond, Jr. Today, there is just a clump of aspen in a low swampy area.

Proceed to Sayre Road, turn right and travel to the Cole Road where you turn right (1.5 m) and you travel to the end at the intersection of the Martin Street Road. Turn left and Site 31, Martin Street School is three buildings from the corner. (.3 m) Open farmland and numerous farm dwellings surround the plot. A short distance away flows the Black River and the Champion hills rise in the southwest. The earliest District No. 12 composed of elements from former Districts 2 and 3, was created May 15, 1819. About 1849, the district was dissolved temporarily and most of its territory was given to Champion No. 2 (West Carthage). The school had 31 pupils at the time.

Travel to the location of Jackson II Road intersection (1.5 m) and Site 32, Lower Martin Street School is located on the left side of the hill going towards Great Bend. It is the home of Mr. and Mrs. Chuck Knight. The Lower Martin Street School derived its name from the fact that its district was farther downriver of the two Martin Street districts between West Carthage and Great Bend. The schoolhouse was built on a hill rising 80 feet above the Black River and 40 feet above the surrounding lands. Martin Street passes over the hill and by the schoolhouse; a connecting road leads directly to the shore of the Black River and joins Johnnycake Road, which parallels the river's western bank.

Turn around and proceed back to Carthage Central School or to your home destination.

Key:

*The school is no longer standing.

m = mile

You may have noticed the interesting fact that many times when a road crosses a town line, its name changes; this is just to keep the weary traveler on his/her toes.

If you have any comments or corrections, please contact Mary Sweeney at 346-6201 or Lynn Thornton at 493-3213.

During the week of May 16 through May 23, markers will be located at all the country school sites on the driving tour.

Many thanks to the people who helped with this project: Gerald and Margaret Marilley, Lyle Raymond, Jr., Town or Wilna Historian; Laura Prievo, Town of Croghan Historian; Jack Sweeney, Julie and Don Rohr, Diane and Chuck Knight, Mr. Grau, Fritz Metzger, Robin and Lonnie Arndt, Chris Vargalick, Alice Phillips, Richard Webber.

Old Church School

Hadsall School

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