Ray Center School

School Name: Ray Center

District Number: 6, fractional district

Location: Originally located on the northwest corner of 29 Mile Road and Hartway. Currently located on the south side of 29 Mile Road east of Indian Trail.

Year School Was Built: 1834

Years of Operation: 1834 to 1953

Grades: Kindergarten through eighth grades

Property History: According to plat maps, the school was located on the northwest corner of 29 Mile Road and Hartway on the property of Myron Thompson in 1859. By 1875, the schoolhouse is located on the south side of 29 Mile Road about a quarter mile east of Hartway on the property of S. Tewksbury. In 1895 and 1910, R. Hazelton owns the property. In 1916, the school was located on property owned by the Broughton family.

Building Architecture:

Current Status: The school building was rotated on the property so the west side of the building would face 29 Mile Road and it was extensively remodeled into a private residence. Today, it continues to serve in that capacity.

Former Teachers: 1914 Mary H. Furlon, 1919 Kathryn Kitchemaster; 1921 Katherine Kunstman; 1924 Marcus J. Smith; 1934 Mable Crull taught at the school until the school closed and children began attending classes in New Haven.

Former Students: 1914-1924 Joseph Jr., Mary, Norman, & Romwald Ballor; Lucy & ? Barkamska; Jacob, Josepoh Jr., Minnie, Sophia, & William Baumstark; Hilda Bettcher; Della, Dilbert, & George Blakeley; Carl, Elizabeth, & Emma Bloohm or Bluhm; Grace & Jessie Broughton; Edna, Frances, Jessie, & Minnie Cambell or Campbell; Carl Chubb; Genieve & John Cieslak; Sarah Crassfriola; Anna, Daniel, John, & Paul Deman; Anna, Ferdinand, Hannah or Herman, Julius, Martha, Minnie, Rosa, & William Eichbrecht; Baetrice, Carl, Clark, Dorothy, Ellen, Glenn, Howard, Murial, Ray, & Roy Eisenhardt; Emma & Francis Fink; Ethel & Howard Flue or Fluge; Dora Gallup; Peter Girolama; Helen & Lucille Greaner; Carl, Fred, Gilbert, Katherine, Lillian, Marie, Nellie, Russell, & Toni or Tomie Gurzik; Edward & Emma Hammond; Harvey, Larry, Lawrence, Stanley, & Thelma Hartway; James Harveylink, Bertha Jachimowicz; Bertha, Bessie, Delia or Della, James Jr., & Ruth Jewell; Chester, Frank, John, Joseph, Sophia Kalaczynski; Harry & Harvey Kaster; Martha & Walter Kitchenmaster or Kuschenmeister; Glen & Ivah Livermore; Frank, Helen, & Julius Martinko; Earl, Elmer, Phoebe, & William Nieman; Florine & Lee Newbury; Fred & Nora Nique; Roy O’Donnell; Annie, Clara, Clare, Domineck, Evylin, Frances, Lewis, Mamie, & Mammie Pedro; Allen, Eloise, Milton & Norman Penzien; Roy Stechow or Stichow; Frank, John & William Probst; Joseph Ranjak; Charles, Edna, Laura, Mattie, Mildred, & William Richards; Anna, Emma, Hannah Roewe or Rowa; Jennie, Mary & Masson Stawzylak; Herbert, Irvin, Russell, & Walter Steinbrink; Daniel, George, Nicholas, & Olla Stoinaski; Allie, Daniel, & Nick Strianowski or Storanowski; Belinda or Valinda, Ella, Elmer, Helda or Fulton, & Irvin Teller; Vincent & Viola Taechow or Terchow; Curt, Lillian, & Paul Voland; Edward & Lloyd Weaver; Mary & Otto Wederman; Locardo Wicks; Anna, G?, Gilbert, & ? Yossef

Memorable Moments: On August 31, 1953, the Macomb County Board of Education made a boundary alteration to detaching School District No. 6 (Ray Center) from the Township of Ray and attaching it to School District No. 2 (Armada Rural Agricultural Schools of the Townships of Armada.

Compiled: May 2010
By: T. Goike, C. Firestine, D. & R. Heldt