Rathbone School - Eagle Harbor, MI, USA
N 47° 27.439 W 088° 09.773
16T E 412348 N 5256641
On Sunday, June 15, 1986, formal ceremonies began at 1PM, in Eagle Harbor to re-dedicate the building, as a historical museum for the display and preservation of artifacts relating to the school and the Knights of Pythias.
Waymark Code: WM2532
Location: Michigan, United States
Date Posted: 09/05/2007
Views: 44
Justus H. Rathbone, a New York state native - born in Deerfield, reared in Utica - came to Michigan's Upper Peninsula when he was 18 years old. He arrived in the Keweenaw, in the spring of 1858.
He taught first at the Central Mine school and then at the Copper Falls location. In the fall of 1859 he taught at Eagle Harbor. The country school teacher had a flair for the stage. He read the story of Damon and Pythias and reread it. It gripped his imagination. From the inspiration of this story came his ritual for the Knights of Pythias, that spread from this tiny forest-locked little hamlet to embrace tens of thousands of members in every section of the United States and Canada. Justus H. Rathbone was the teacher-author of the ritual and father of the order.
It was during his 1859-1860 off-hours from teaching that he wrote the ritual.
Fame came to the 24 by 24 foot schoolhouse after the Knights of Pythias organization grew to an impressive strength of about 1,000,000. Use of the building as a schoolhouse was discontinued in the fall of 1872 when a newer two-story building in the village opened its doors to the community's children.
Several original objects, numerous Knights of Pythias uniforms, and artifacts are on display.
Initials carved into the desks by students who pored over their books, give special character to the classroom.
Address:
Center St.
Eagle Harbor, MI USA
49950
Web Site: [Web Link]
|
Visit Instructions:
To post a log, you may include a photo of yourself at the former school, or a photo of the school, but it is NOT necessary. Please indicate the number of people who visited the waymark with you.