By John T. Ryan
Frederick W. Lyons purchased the Lyon Street School on September 9, 1939 for the sum of $1.00. Seventy-one years later the Town of Peru may also be purchasing the school for the same sum. The Peru Town Council voted to purchase the school at its October 25th meeting. The owners, Al and Marion Dixon, have offered to turn the building and the 68 foot x 100 foot property over to the Town for $1.00. (Click here for more photos)
Peru Town Historian Ron Allen is in favor of the purchase. He said that in 1869 there were nineteen one-room schools in the town. Allen explained, “There are others still standing, but they’re in horrible condition.” This school house located at the corner of the Lyons and Rock Roads is in relatively good condition. It has a few broken windows and some minor water damage. The foundation is slightly sunken at one end. Ron Allen isn’t sure when the building was constructed, but he says the school’s name appeared in the 1866 Beer’s Atlas of Clinton County. Allen summed up his feelings, “We feel fortunate to be able to receive it.” He envisions the school qualifying for placement on the National Register of Historic Places. If and when that happens the Town should be able to restore the building through grants and with the help of volunteer labor. Allen would like more information about the school especially the year it was constructed.
Al and Marion Dixon live in the home where Marion was raised which is about five-hundred feet from the school. They have the original school house bell. Frederick Lyons who purchased the property in 1939 was Marion Dixon’s father. While Marion didn’t attend the school she says, “I remember children from the school coming over to our house to get water. My Aunt Josephine Lyons and Uncle John Lyons taught in the school and several of my relatives were students there.” After purchasing the school, Frederick Lyons used the building to store hay.
Arnold Wells, age eighty-eight of the Laphams Mills Road, attended the Lyon Street School. Wells says, “I went there through the eighth grade. Josephine Lyons and a Mrs. O’Rourke were teachers at that time.” Wells hasn’t been in the building since completing eighth grade in about 1936.
Al and Marion have a school graduation program which was handed out for the school year 1901-1902. Alberta Martin was the teacher. C. V. Lyon, Jason Witherwax and Peter Lyons were officers and Herbert McCasland was Superintendent.
The Lyon and Lyons families were well represented in the student body. Marion Lyons Dixon recalls that generally the Lyon family was Protestant while the Lyons family was Catholic. The thirty-five students in the order listed in the program were:
Hattie Ducat, Josie Lyons, Valerie Lyons, Queenie Lyon, Ethel Lyon, Jennie Lyon, Bessie Witherwax, Effa Witherwax, Iva Carpenter, Julia Patno, Louisa Ogden, Olive Witherwax, Stella Lyon, Carthe Lyon, Isaac Lyon, Henry Lyon, Ernest Lyon, Russell Lyon, Leslie Witherwax, Leon Witherwax, Daniel Nelson, Frankie Nelson, Bennie Tyrell, Ernest White, Erwin White, James Annis, George Annis, Fred Lyons, Harley Lyons, Leo Lyons, Bert Carpenter, Otis Watson, Earnest Watson, George Lyon and Guy Lyon.
