
Ever wonder about the history of education on the Old Mission Peninsula? Before there was the current Old Mission Peninsula School we all know and love, there were several one-room schoolhouses scattered about the Peninsula.
Here’s a photo of the kids at Old Mission School (north of the Old Mission General Store) in 1908.
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At this week’s meeting of the Old Mission Peninsula Historical Society – Thursday, March 5, 2020 – Karen Rieser will give a presentation on the topic. Karen is an expert on all things related to OMP education and wrote the book, “The History of Education on Old Mission Peninsula.” Check out her books on Amazon.
Karen also recently made the news over at Up North Live for both that book and “Aiden’s Tree.” Inspired by her grandson, this book tells the story of a Michigan fir tree that journeys from a seedling to a Christmas tree to a marker on the ice near the Mackinac Bridge.
As mentioned, the OMP Historical Society meeting is this Thursday, March 5, 2020, in the community room at Peninsula Community Library. The business meeting will take place at 6 p.m., and Karen’s presentation will take place at 6:30 p.m. The library is located at 2893 Island View Road (on the corner of Center Road).
On a related note, here’s my dad’s (Walter Johnson) 8th grade diploma from the Mapleton School, dated May 19, 1936. He went on to complete high school in Traverse City, and then studied mechanical engineering at Northwestern University, where he met my mom.

Upcoming presentations and gatherings of the OMP Historical Society meetings include:
- April 2: “Experiences in Researching, Cleaning and Providing Memorial Headstones,” Scott Schwander, Memorial Officer for the Sons of Union Veterans, Presenter.
- May 7: “Abraham Lincoln Through the Eyes of Political Cartoons,” Dr. Stephen Siciliano, Presenter.
- June 4: Potluck and Annual Meeting at the American Legion Hall.
- June 28: Log Cabin Day (stay tuned to the Gazette for more info).
Consider joining the OMP Historical Society and staying “in the know” on all things related to OMP history. For more info, check out their website here.
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