My View from the Pilot house By Mike Boys Pilot News Consultant
Hey, we’re getting educational again. While doing research on county schools, I touched on West Townhip School in my column of April 30, 2009 but didn’t give any in-depth information. But, I discovered one thing: Now, keep in mind when I chose West Township School to write about –  it was because at that time there wasn’t any town or city to support it – just the township. Polk Township has Tyner and Teegarden and Tippecanoe Township has Tippecanoe, but West Township has no community, so that’s why I wanted to focus on this school. It had quite a history and still has its famous “flowing spring.”

 When it became a high school, its teams were called the “West High Bulldogs” and the school newspaper was named the “Bulldog Bark” and the yearbook was entitled “Whelp.”
 In Marshall County, it all began in 1833 when most townships built one-room log cabin schools. Primitive, yes by today’s standards, but served its purpose by educating students. Some pupils became famous, like Daniel McDonald, who was educated in a Union Township log cabin school. He served on a school board, wrote the first history of Marshall County, owned a Plymouth newspaper, elected to the State Senate and was responsible for the Chief Menominee statue.   West Township had 12 one- and two-room schools scattered throughout the township, namely: Bechtel, Brick, Butts, Donaldson, Fertig, Sligo, Snyder, String Town, Stringer, Thompson, Twin Lakes and West.
 The first school was built in 1889 on the site where West High School once stood. It was a frame structure and was used as an elementary school until 1907 when it was decided to build a high school in a central location of West Township. The two-story, four-room brick building was finished in 1910 and the first class graduated three students in 1911.
 
WEST HIGH CONTINUED TO GROW
In 1922 the trustee and advisory board added another two-story, four-room structure to the south side of the building.  Then, in 1939, they added the gymnasium and four classrooms to the east side of the structure and in 1957 the trustees added five classrooms.
 
JOINS PLYMOUTH SCHOOL SYSTEM
In 1962 by a public referendum, West Township and Center Township joined the City of Plymouth and formed the Plymouth Community School system.
 
LAST SENIOR CLASS IN 1965
1965 was the last senior class to graduate from West High School.  Those seniors were: Donald R. Bottorff Jr., Patricia Jane Baum, Leroy A. Carlson, James W. Day, Diane Lyn Barnard, Mary Ann Baumann, Gregory Wayne Harmon, James Barnes Haug, Darlene Ruth Dill, Patricia Ann Feece, Johathon Daniel Hawkins, Earl David Hayn, Carolyn Marie Haeck, Dianne Kay Grossman, Michael Henry Heet, Herbert Wayne Henderickson Jr., Marcia Lynn Ketcham, Nancy N. Morlock, Kenneth Paul Johnson, Thomas J. McGee, Dorothy J. Riemenschneider, Janet Gail Salisbury, Michael O. Malovina, Robert, M. Newberg, Donna Jean Samuels, Beverly Jean Taylor, Jerry Allen Reichard, Jerry B. Samuelson, Judith Ann Warner, Leonard Paul Steen, Richard William Stettler, Dennis D. Stiles, John F. Williams.  The ever popular Margaret L. Samuelson was the class sponsor.
 
Members of the last West High basketball team who finished with a 10 – 11 record were: Ken Johnson, Herb Hendrickson, John Williams, Jim Day, Dick Stettler, Jerry Samuseslon, Dave Overmyer, Dennis Stiles and Ed Trump.  The team was coached by Hugh Salisbury.
 
There is so much history about West High School that I couldn’t put into my column. I just highlighted a few items of interest.  I know that each class that graduated from West has its own memories and stories to tell –  and that’s great to ponder them and keep in your heart forever.  One last thought:  “GO BULLDOGS”!
 
POP QUIZ: More Indiana History:  Zerna Sharp, born in 1889 was the “mother” of what popular book series that helped children learn to read?”
 
ANSWER TO LAST WEEK’S POP QUIZ: The question was: Founded in 1884 the nation’s largest manufacturer of coffins is in which city? ANSWER: BATESVILLE, Indiana. The Batesville Casket Company makes 1,000 caskets a day. 
 
Well, that’s it for now . . . so until next time. . . this is my view from the Pilot house.

Mike Boys is a lifelong Marshall County resident, former newspaper owner and former public officeholder. The dictionary defines a Pilot House as “an enclosed area on the bridge of a ship, from which the vessel is guided.”  His views, opinions and news appear Thursday on the Pilot News Opinion page.