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Oakwood School District Assessor’s Book

 Collection
Identifier: RH-A-3398

Scope and Contents

The first school opened for School District #2 in Kalamazoo Township around 1833.Nicknamed, “Toad Hollow,” it was located at the corner of Parkview and Knox Avenues in what is now known as the Oakwood neighborhood. In 1884, the school moved to the present site of the Public Safety station for the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety on Parkview Avenue between Laird and Barnard Streets. At that time the school became known as Lake View and in 1908 renamed Oakwood Park School.From 1908 until 1917 it was part of the rural education training program run by Western State Normal School. In 1920,an addition was added to the school and in 1924 both early buildings were gone, replaced by a new building. The school only went to grade 8 and students would go either to Kalamazoo Central or Western’s Training School for high school with tuition paid for by the school district. A new Oakwood Junior High School opened on Oakland Drive near White’s Road in September, 1952. In 1956 voters approved the annexation of the school district into the Kalamazoo Public Schools which occurred in June of 1957.

Dates

  • Creation: 1865-1920

Creator

Extent

.25 Cubic Feet

Language of Materials

English

Physical Description

The collection amounts to .25 cubic feet and is composed of one ledger, 13 ½” x 8 ½” x 1”.On the spine are the words, “School Assessor’s Book” in gold print. The book is from School District Number 2 in Kalamazoo Township located in Oakwood and includes receipts and expenditures from 1865 until 1920. On one side are receipts, mostly from the Town Treasurer and the other side include payments to teachers and to individuals for supplies and services. The information is written in black, brown and red pen and pencil and there are several blank pages. The year 1919 is the last time expenditure for teachers are noted; there are none listed for 1920. The back pages have information for the years 1884 and 1885. The ledger is in fairly good condition.The cover is worn especially along the edges. The spine is loose on the inside and several of the first pages are unattached. There were a few separate items in the ledger that are included in the collection.

General

Items found in ledger McDonald Brodie, 1942 (photograph)Teacher Contract, Nina Hall Lacks, 1929 Certificates for Oakwood Parent-Teacher Association, 1938; 1940-1941; 1943-1944 Oakwood Junior High School open house book and invitation, October 24, 1955 Certificate for Oakwood P.T.A., 1938; also information on Child Study Activities, an Insurance Invoice, 1934;Pass to get into class, n.d.

Title
Oakwood School District Assessor’s Book Finding Aid
Author
Lynn Houghton
Date
2011-06-08
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
Undetermined
Script of description
Code for undetermined script
Language of description note
English

Repository Details

Part of the Western Michigan University Archives & Regional History Collections Repository

Contact:
Charles C. and Lynn L. Zhang Legacy Collections Center
1650 Oakland Drive
Kalamazoo MI 49008-5307 US
(269) 387-8490