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A Rural Education

Judy Jesse.

The Door County Historical Society will present a program focused on the educational opportunities provided by early education in a one-room schoolhouse. “Education in the Rural Schools” will be offered on July 13 at 2 pm, and July 17 at 6 pm. Both presentations will be held in the Vignes School on the grounds of the Heritage Village at Big Creek.

The rural, one-room schoolhouse was built by the community members to provide education for their children. Over time, however, the one-room schoolhouse began disappearing and few remain intact today. Thanks to the Door County Historical Society and people like Judy Jesse, two in particular have been restored: the Vignes Schoolhouse and the Waniger School.

Following her retirement from teaching, Jesse initiated a project to archive the history of Southern Door Schools through photographs, stories, and artifacts. In character as Theresa Waniger, the first teacher at Southern Door’s one-room schoolhouse, she is pleased to share some of that history at the Heritage Village at Big Creek.

Heritage Village at Big Creek, located at 2041 Michigan St., Sturgeon Bay, is open daily from 1:30 – 3:30 pm. Parking is available on-site. Admission to the Village is free, but as this is a donor-sponsored facility, donations are appreciated and welcomed. Group tours are welcome by reservation for a nominal fee. For more information visit historicalvillage.doorcountyhistoricalsociety.org, call 920.421.2332, or find them on Facebook.