School Archives1864–1865
The first school in Forsyth
Forsyth’s first school building was erected in 1864. At the time, the district was considerably larger than the village itself and included several sections of surrounding land.
Rufus Crossman taught the winter term of 1864–1865 and was followed by Miss Ellen McCann for the spring term. Many families prominent in the young community were represented among the first pupils, including the Durfees, Walkers, Stewarts, Songers, Risers, Ghers, McKinleys, Lehmans, and Rays.
Miss Laura Plank and Miss Mary Parkhurst also conducted a private school during one summer.
In the classroom: Students studied arithmetic, reading, writing, grammar, history, geography, and spelling. Crossman’s monthly salary varied with enrollment, ranging from $20 to $40 during the first term.
1928–2009
The second Forsyth school
A new Forsyth Grade School opened at 137 South Grant Street in the fall of 1928. At the building’s dedication on August 24, 1928, Maud M. Benton read a history of Forsyth’s schools, connecting the new facility with the community’s earlier one-room schoolhouse.
The Grant Street building served generations of Forsyth students through the spring of 2009. The Forsyth Public Library’s local-history collection preserves hundreds of class photographs and other records documenting the school and its students throughout those years.
Explore the Forsyth Public Library collection