School House #1

Originally called the Oswego Bitters Schoolhouse and located at Bennetts Corner Road and Bitters Road, School House #1 now resides at Gillie Lake Park. The land at Bennetts Corner and Bitters Road was purchased for $50 on January 12, 1855, and it usually served 20 students grades 1-8 in a one-mile radius of the schoolhouse. The school operated from 1855 to 1942 and was relocated to Gillie Lake in 1999 to become a museum.

Address: 6016 Gillie Brook Road, Memphis

Hours: Park is open dawn to dusk daily

School life at School House #1

Each day started with the Pledge of Allegiance, learning reading, writing, and arithmetic throughout the day. Each grade took their turn sitting at the front of the classroom and a popular punishment was the stool in the corner. Everyone drank from the same dipper and water bucket and played kick the can, hide and seek, and softball during recess.