Pike School History

The Pike School District was located out on Westboro & St. Martin Pike (now U.S. 68) south of Westboro toward the Brown County line and St. Rte 251 at the intersection of Stewart Road.  The Clinton County Courthouse supplies this information about the beginnings of Pike School. 

"The land for the school was acquired from John & Mary Ann Garner for $50.00, to the Jefferson Township Board of Education, 1 acre in Survey 2790 on Westboro & St. Martin Pike.  Dated May 12, 1872; recorded August 9, 1873."

According to former Westboro resident, Harold E. Fisher who in 1975 wrote his reminiscences about “Westboro & Pike School District” There was a lane to the school called Chamberlin's lane.  It was, according to Fisher, most likely given by Taylors or Smith for use.  It was their eastern outlet to the pike and the way the Taylor children and Harold would go to the creek to fish.  "Later, I can recall, it was no longer used and was fenced right down the middle." Harold goes on to say, "We all studied pretty well and played hard in all kinds of weather. Some of the games they played were baseball and shinny, which was a rough game.” 

Besides the pack peddlers traveling on foot, moat wagons from Martinsville and Midland, hucksters from Midland, chair wagons with straight chairs and rockers...” Then there were great caravans of gypsies.  Pike School grounds had its share of them. It was ideal for them to camp there with 2 outhouses they could use, an excellent well of water, fresh and handy, and an abundance of good pasture for their livestock, and raids for chickens, eggs, and pigs, garden things and clothes lines. It just about took several men brandishing shot guns to get them to move on, but they always seemed to know where they were going when they did get going.”