The Brindle School, Farmer Township

From the Bryan Press - August 6, 1925

 "The Story of the Old Brindle School.

The third reunion Saturday, Aug. 1st of the pupils and teachers of the old Brindle school west of Farmer, which was first used as a school building in 1852, and until a building for school purposes was built in the little town to the east, called Farmer Center, all the children for many miles around learned the 'A,B, C's' and the 'Three R's' in this same little frame building, which supplanted the log structure, which stood in the field where the township cemetery now lies, and which was the very first house dedicated to the training of the young idea in these parts.

The first Brindle house, so called because of the nondescript color of the paint used upon it, was burned during the Christmas vacation about the time the first school was started in Farmer, but was at once rebuilt, as it made too far for many of the youngsters to walk to come into town.  It held forth there until just  50 years ago when the last of the term was taught by Mrs. Eva Johnson, nee Stone, then only 16 years of age, teaching her first term.

About half a hundred are still alive, who at one time attended this building as pupil or teacher, scattered from coast to coast, one teacher, George Ensign, living in San Francisco, and Will Richardson, a prominent lawyer in New York City, on the corner of whose father's farm, the school was located.

The oldest known pupil living is Mrs. Laura V. Maugel, aged 84, and the youngest, Darius Allen, who is now living in the school building remodeled into a dwelling house and removed on to his farm about 1/2 mile east of the former location.  It is rather unusual to be living in the first place you went to school.

There were 18 old pupils and one teacher, P. P. Culler, present at the gathering, Saturday, August 1, as follows:
Mrs. Laura Maugel, Mrs. Anna Allen, O. L. Wilder, Oscar Blair, H. O. Hopkins, John and Ella Fritz, A. O. Hastings, and E. E. Martin, living in this vicinity, Mrs. Sarah Weldler of Waterloo, Ind., Mrs. Nettie Swayne (Nettie Gilchrist) of Ft. Wayne, John Wilder of Elkhart, Ind., F. L. Stone of Toledo, Mrs. Bercaw of Edgerton, Mrs. Deane of Melbern, Sam Reynolds of Toledo, and G. F. Martin of Bryan.  Much of the success of these yearly gatherings is due to the work of the president, E. E. Martin and his good wife."

Note:  The first log school was built about 1840 and burned in 1852.