Chattanooga School Photo, circa 1913

Below is a wonderful photo of the Chattanooga, Ohio, School, circa 1913, compliments of Doug Roebuck. Best of all, most of the children in the photo are identified.

Chattanooga School School No. 3 was located in Section 8 of Liberty Township, Mercer County, on the southeast corner of State Route 49 and Schaadt Road. It was built before 1876.

During the local oil boom in the late 1800s, a second school house was built next to the first schoolhouse to house the additional pupils. There were four grades in each building. The north building was a little smaller and there was a pump between the two buildings. 

Going by the birth dates of the younger children in the photo, who were probably in the first grade, the photo was likely taken about 1913-14. First graders were about 6 years old and the eighth graders in the back would have been about 14 years old.  

Chatt School, c1913

Front row: Ray Smith, Floyd Bader, Dorsey Gries, Gerald Baber, Victor Baker, Orval Gibbons, Leo Slusser, ____, Glen Schott, Harold Hoffmann, ___ Baber, Vic Andrews, Floyd Bauer.

Row 2: Hugo Kuhn, Carol Andrews, Walter Becher, Herb Huhn, Maynard Slusser, Clar Kuhn, Harold Bauer, Roscoe Kuhn, Clarence Fickert, Basil Felver, Odas Becker, Luther Heffner.

Row 3: Mildred Leininger, Wilbur Kuhn, Rosan Hoffman, ___ ___, Dewey Kuhn, Vernon Heffner, Walter Martin, Murl Smith, Leslie Becher, Vernon Gibbons, Gary Kessler, Lloyd Kuhn, Tony Slusser.

Row 4: Mabel Fickert, Martha Smith, Louelle Martin, Erna Leininger, Marie Reisen, Bertha Becker, Brace Hoffman, Lucille Bollenbacher Branstetter, Evelyn Duff, Bertha Kuhn. 

Row 5: Goldie Koch Stetler, Inez Leininger Zeringer, Matilda Becher, Bertha Morehead, Lenore Reisen, Vivian Gibbons Carr, Clista Baker Fahncke, Lucille Hoffman, Elnora Weiman, Lucille Becher, Louise Becher, Edith Kuhn, Leah Schott, Martha Becher.

Row 6: Teacher Grace Lane, Mabel Fickert, Freda Becher, Elaora Reisen, Barbara Reisen, Leah Leininger, Marguerite Heffner, Lucy Slusser, Vera Michael, Maria Becher, Clara Hoffman, Edith Fickert.

Back Row: Rosan Becher, Dewey Gibbons, Roman “Pate” Heffner, Teacher Howard Michael.

What a large number of students!

Perhaps some of these students were your relatives or maybe you knew some of them. I remember some of them.

I was told that this old building was one of those Chattanooga Schools.

Former Chattanooga School

The Chattanooga School closed in 1939 and the students were bussed to Willshire.