This continues a series adapted from the book, “A Port Oneida Collection,” Volume 1 of the twopart set, “Oral History, Photographs, and Maps from the Sleeping Bear Region,” produced by Tom Van Zoeren in partnership with Preserve Historic Sleeping Bear. Here we conclude a look at the North Unity School, along M-22 on Lake Narada.
Laura Basch: “At our schoolhouse we had a ball. And we’d throw it — we had so many on one side of the school and so many on the other. And then we would throw it over the schoolhouse, from one to the other. And if they caught the ball they could come around and try to get as many as they could off that group for their own. They had to tag ‘em.
“. . . We usually all went outdoors in the summertime and sat on the banks somewhere to eat when it was spring and fall. But otherwise we was in the schoolhouse. And we did have the most beautiful — I wish I knew where that was or wish they’d have kept it! But they’d have to pump the water and bring it in for us to get a drink. And it was the most beautiful little fountain. It held about, probably, five gallons; and it was so decorative! And then we had our cup. We didn’t think about having all separate cups, we just had something, a dipper, to drink out of. Everybody shared the same.
