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Students attended Lakeville until 1958

The former Lakeville School is located at the intersection of Lakeville Road and Ridge Road southeast of the village of Walworth. The school was on the northeast corner of the intersection.

(Read all of this week's stories from Walworth County Sunday HERE. )

According to school records, this school was named for the Lake family on whose land the school was built. However, it is interesting to look at the various plat books and discover the school was pictured in the 1873 book, surrounded by land owned by C.W. Crumb.

The Lake family came to Walworth in 1839. P.W. and his wife, Rebecca, bought 640 acres in sections 34 and 35 in the town of Walworth. P.W. was a Baptist minister. They had eight children: Beardsley, Levi, Rebecca, Waldo, Mary and Sarah. Two apparently died in infancy.

The 1857, 1873 and 1891 plat books show owners of property in those sections as Beardsley and P.W. Jr. The 1907 and 1921 books indicate an owner of property in those sections as J. Lake. In 1930 it was listed as James Lake Estate.

The owners of the property surrounding the former school were listed in both 1966 and 1982 as Neil and Leona Tesser. In 2010, this property was part of the Kidwell Subdivision.

The first school house building was constructed in 1868 and was 25 feet long, 19 feet wide and 9 feet high. Another building was built in 1934, after the old frame one was burned.

Rhur Maxon, the teacher in 1909-’10, received $35 a month for teaching 14 pupils; she had one year of experience. Of one student in the primary grade, age 15, she reports ... “almost impossible for her to learn....” She continues her report with the condition of the building: “Some desks are cut and rough. Windows were clean when school opened but are not now. Otherwise in fairly good condition in regard to cleanliness. Doors are cracked and ill fitting. Great cracks about and under windows.” 

Anna Junghen was the last teacher at this school. She was there from 1947 until 1958.

On July 1, 1958, the district attached itself to the Walworth grade school district. The old school was purchased with the intention of restoring it and perhaps making it into a private home. However, the structure was found to be unstable and the building remains were removed.