Snapshots of History by Mike Avitt

By Editor | October 7, 2026 |

Last week, I was visiting with my friend Bill Powell while he was dismantling the house at 605 South Fillmore St. I mentioned this house used to be a rural schoolhouse. Bill said he thought the house next door was a former rural school building. I did some research and it turned out we were both correct. I’ll tell you about my research source.
In 1997, Bob and Kay Sickels put together a three-ring binder with information and photos of known rural schoolhouses, their locations and current purpose. This binder is housed in the basement of the Mount Ayr Public Library, in the Genealogy Room. It took me some time to find it as it had been moved from its original location.
Many of you know that when a schoolhouse was abandoned, the school district often put the building up for sale at a public auction. The buyer then removed the building and re-purposed it as a dwelling, storage unit or work shop. The newspaper always announced the auction but seldom identified the buyer. But, I have a few names.
In July 1959, a large number of rural schools went up for sale; Gary McCullough bought four of them. I located one of them so far that being Liberty No. 3, Eureka School, now sitting at 603 S. Fillmore St. I believe Don and Fay Sickels lived here for decades. That’s one of the houses Bill and I discussed. We also know, from Bob and Kay’s book, that 605 was a rural school, as well, but we don’t know which one. So, two former schoolhouses side by side. Where else do we see that? Well, on N. Cass Street. That brings the number to four. Unfortunately, I don’t have info on what schools those are at 404 and 406 North Cass or who put them there.
Also at that July 1959 auction, Doyle Baker bought Liberty Center No. 5 and moved it to the location I know as “Bakerville.” The school sits in the back row, second house south of the fairgrounds.
An auction held September 26, 1955 saw the Cottonwood School, Jefferson No. 7, sold and moved to 300 E. Jackson St. in Mount Ayr. Charles (Joker) Mickael and family lived here when I was a kid. The house is gone now.
The rural schoolhouse at Lesanville, next to the highway, was Liberty No. 7, Mountain Brush. According to Bob and Kay’s book, this building was located at 500 West Columbus in Mount Ayr before being moved to Lesanville. The original Lesanville school was later located and moved to Lesanville as a reception center. It is the one-story building on the east side of the road.
There are two houses west of the west ball diamond at Judge Lewis Park. I know for a fact at least one of them is a former school building. There are more rural schools converted into homes, but I don’t have that info in front of me.
Recently, the tavern at Ellston was demolished, but, from what I saw, the rear addition was left intact. That rear section was formerly Tingley No. 6, Willow Shade School. It was moved to Ellston about 1949 to act as a pool room for the tavern. I have spent many hours in the newspapers looking for specifics, but came up empty.
The restored schoolhouse at the Ringgold County Fairgrounds was built as Monroe No. 8, Jackson Hill. Classes were discontinued in 1954 and the building was moved to a nearby farm. Bob and Kay Sickels took possession of the former school and Bob engineered the move to the fairgrounds in 1992.
There are former schoolhouses all over Ringgold County in various stages of modification. I’d say the number is well over 25. The last year Ringgold County had operating rural schools was the 1959-60 school year. Poe No. 6, Lotts Creek No. 2 and 5 were the last ones.
This week’s photo was taken in 1997 by Bob and Kay Sickels and the location is 605 South Fillmore St.

Posted in Snapshot of History by Mike Avitt