Source: Ruth M. Brubaker, THE HISTORY OF PLEASANT TOWNSHIP SCHOOLS 1835-1962 (1979), pp. 448-9.

BERRY SCHOOL (DISTRICT 16)

The history of this school was taken from what was written in 1898-99 by Nellie Day, Eliza and Frank Cunningham.

Their parents and some of their grandparents went to what was then called the Garrison school, which was several miles from the present schoolhouse. After walking to and from school each day they had to do a great deal of work at home. This privilege, although it scarcely seems a privilege to us, only lasted a few months of each year.

After a time there were more boys and girls in the neighborhood. The people saw the great need of education, which caused them to build a schoolhouse in the district in 1867. It was a very rude structure about the size of the present one. There were twenty pupils the first year.

In 1871-72 the school consisted of thirty boys and no girls. Two teachers were employed to teach the boys and "keep them from whispering to the girls (?)". The principal studies were "readin', writin' and figgerin'." The teacher refused to treat at Christmas and the boys locked him out of the schoolhouse. He was obliged to do without his hat and coat for two weeks, which was the length of the vacation.

In the meantime this schoolhouse became unsafe and was cold during the severe winter. Part of the material was used for a building or dwelling that stood near the schoolhouse. A comfortable brick building was then built which took the place of the old one.

They also had done some changes in the studies for in 1898-99 they had arithmetic, physiology, grammar, orthography, history, geography, and music. Instead of the old maxim "No lickin', no larnin'", the one "Do right because it is right."

They did not think the only great importance of school life was to prepare them for the future, but it was a part of their real life and they wished to make it as pleasant as they could.

It is felt that this school closed in about 1905-06, as there would be only eleven pupils in the school. The pupils were sent to other schools close by. It is felt most of them went to Ijamsville.

This schoolhouse is still standing and is presently owned by Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Zobrosky. It has been used for storage for a number of years.

In the spring of 1978, it was afraid it might not be there much longer as Mr. Zobrosky was burning weeds and one went up the side of the building. This caught fire and went up the side catching some of the wood on fire. But with the help of the Laketon Fire Department it was soon taken care of and the building was not hurt very much.