- - - FINNEGAN SCHOOL - - -

Sharon Twp., Richland Co., School District # 6

 

 

(Courtesy of Mrs Paul Gosser)

 

Finnegan School

(Built 1881-1882, closed in 1917, and recycled in 1972)

 

 

School Location and Early Neighboring Landowners

 

1873 Map <------         1896 Map ------>

Location: East of Finnegan Road, and North of the Intersection with Kemp Road - (gone).

 

Finnegan School History

 

The northwest corner of the Northwest Quarter of Section 36 in Sharon Twp., is

the location chosen for the District #6 school house. This property was originally

sold by the goverment to Samuel Strohm (from Wayne Co., Ohio) in 1832.

 

By 1859, the school lot property was owned by George Koch (Cook) Sr. who had

arrived from the area of Heidelberg, Germany in 1838. In 1877, George and

Elizabeth Schumann / Koch formally sold a portion of their land that contained

the school lot and school house to the Sharon Twp. Board of Education. Possibly

for that reason and the fact that they had owned the land the school was on

for about 40 years, the school in this district was referred to as the

Cook's School in 1877.

 

F. Brucker & Sons began construction of a new brick Finnegan schoolhouse in

the summer of 1881 and completed it by March of 1882 at a the cost of $1459.00.

Charles Kaler removed the old frame Finnegan schoolhouse to a new location.

A new schoolhouse bell, costing $9.00, was supplied by John W. Wirtz.

Hershiser and May built the school water box for $1.00. Bricks for the school

well were supplied by Tucker Bros. for $7.00. (The bricks from the Finnegan

Schoolhouse were used again in 1972 for the construction of a home that is

located on the former site of the school.)

 

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The Finnegan School was eventually named for the family of John Finnegan

/Fionnagan, who owned the property immediately to the north of where the

schools (log, frame and later brick) were built.

 

John Finnegan was born in County Monaghan, Ireland in 1823. His parents,

probably Thomas (born ca. 1788) and Mary (born ca. 1790) Finnegan, came to

this country in ca. 1839.

 

John married Ellen Brannon / Brennen sometime prior to 1850, probably in

Richland County, Ohio. The Brannon Family is also among the early settlers in

this part of Sharon Township. John and Ellen were the parents of at least 8 and

possibly 9 children:

 

Mary Ann?, John Jr., Richard, James, Mary E., Thomas, Margaret A., Matilda B.,

and William B.

 

Through the years, many members of the Finnegan Family were involved with the

District # 6 school. John Finnegan was elected to be one of the School District # 6

local directors during much of the period of 1860 - 1870. He also provided fuel

and maintanence for those early (probable log) school buildings.

 

His descendants followed his example. Sons Richard and Thomas continued to

provide schoolhouse fuel and maintanence for many years prior to, and after, the

building of the brick school house in 1881 - 1882.

 

John's grand-daughters (Richard's oldest daughters), Estella and Rena were

teachers during the late 1890s and early 1900s, in the Finnegan School District.

 

To complete the picture, in 1929, Howard Finnegan bought the schoolhouse and

lot from the Sharon Twp. Board of Education after it had been decided that due to

consolidation the Finnegan School would no longer be needed. In 1972, some of the

Finnegan Schoolhouse bricks were used to construct a home for the Finnegan family.

 

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Finnegan School Class - 1908

Photo - courtesy of Mrs Paul Gosser

(Click for a larger view)

 

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Class Members:

Standing - extreme back (left to right):

Unknown, Henry Kurtzman, Unknown, Rena Finnegan - teacher, Steve Fry,

Steve Heiland, Steve Keller

 

Front - standing and seated (left to right):

Reuben Glauer, Sevilla Fike, Earl Fike, Elmer Glauer, Riblet Glauer, Maggie Gearheart

 

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Finnegan School Class - 1910

Photo - courtesy of Mrs Paul Gosser

(Click for a larger view)

 

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Class Members:

Standing - extreme back (left to right):

Howard Finnegan, Steve Fry, Henry Kurtzman, Steve Keller, Ed Brown

 

3rd row (left to right):

Maggie Gearheart, Stella Finnegan - teacher, Unknown

 

2nd row (left to right):

Elynor Glauer, Sevilla Fike, Mary Gearheart, Alice Finnegan, Steve Heiland

 

1st row (left to right):

Riblet Glauer, Rosella Hook, Margaret Cronenwitt, Alvena Hook, Albert Trick,

Vic Horning (behind Albert)

 

 

1910 Finnegan School Class Souvenior

Class Souvenir - courtesy of Mrs Paul Gosser

 

 

 

Finnegan School Teachers

 

1853 - 1854	.
1854 - 1855	Clara C. Calister
1855 - 1856	.
1856 - 1857	Robert Cowden
1857 - 1858	John Brandt
1858 - 1859	William Brown
1859 - 1860	David Kerr
1860 - 1861	Robert Conder / Amy J. Buckingham
1861 - 1862	Amy J. Buckingham - d/o Christopher & Nancy
1862 - 1863	Rebecca Will - d/o Valentine & Elizabeth
1863 - 1864	John Brandt
1864 - 1865	Martha P. Woods / A. M. Wherey
1865 - 1866
1866 - 1867
1876 - 1877	Miss Susie Crall - d/o David & Mary
1877 - 1878	.
1878 - 1879	Philip J. Menges
1879 - 1880	Frances L. Cole / Susan M. Carroll
1880 - 1881	Susan M. Carroll / Alvah Myers
1881 - 1882	Mary Gregory / Elmer A. Williams
1882 - 1883	John L. Lee
1883 - 1884	Philander B. Rogers
1884 - 1885	Susan M. Carroll
1885 - 1886	Frank A. Williams
1886 - 1887	Frances L. Cole
1887 - 1888	Frances L. Cole
1888 - 1889	John W. Cook / Ella W. Bowman
1889 - 1890	John W. Cook / Ella Bowman
1890 - 1891	Clara V. Cattey / Ella Bowman
1891 - 1892	Ella M. Bowman / Nora Esterline
1892 - 1893	Nora Esterline / Charlotte Gundrum
1893 - 1894	Lottie Gundrum / Frances L. Cole
1894 - 1895	Frances L. Cole / Clara Cattey
1895 - 1896	Ida Hutchinson
1896 - 1897	Lottie Gundrum
1897 - 1898	George Coble / M. J. Strough /Bennett Cattey
1898 - 1899	Bennett Cattey / M. J. Strough
1899 - 1900	Charles W. Smith / M. J. Strough / Rena Finnegan
1900 - 1901	Charles W. Smith / Rena Finnegan
1901 - 1902	Rena Finnegan - d/o Richard & Sarah
1902 - 1903	Rena Finnegan
1903 - 1904	Stella Finnegan - d/o Richard & Sarah
1904 - 1905	Stella Finnegan
1905 - 1906	Mamie Rogers d/o - Andrew J. & Mary
1906 - 1907	Rena Finnegan
1907 - 1908	Rena Finnegan
1908 - 1909	Rena Finnegan
1909 - 1910	Stella Finnegan
1910 - 1911	Stella Finnegan
1911 - 1912	Stella Finnegan
1912 - 1913	Alma Riddle
1913 - 1914	Oliva Stine - d/o Joseph
1914 - 1915	Oliva Stine *
1915 - 1916	Oliva Stine & Alice Stephens (Music) * *
1916 - 1917	Oliva Stine * * *

 

* In August of 1914, the six Sharon Township Schools were consolidated. Finnegan

School received the students from the suspended Vernon and Will Schools.

 

* * A route was established to transport pupils to and from Finnegan School.

 

* * * After the 1916-1917 school year, Finnegan School was suspended indefinitely and

it's students were sent to the reopened Will School.

 

 

School pictures and identification - courtesy of Mrs. Paul Gosser.

If you have questions for Mrs. Gosser, please email them to us below.

 

Do you have a picture of the Finnegan school house? If you have additional information

that you would like to add to this page, or if you can identify any of the unknowns in

the photos or add to the list of teachers, we would like to hear from you.

Please email us !!

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