The first school in the village of Bath was built in 1858 and known as school #4. It was built out of logs and located near the site of the consolidated school. In 1873 the building was replaced by a new 2-story, brick building. The bricks used to build the school were made by the Bath Brick and Tile Company. This school had 10 grade levels as opposed to other country school houses that only offered 8 grade levels. The first floor was used for elementary students and the second floor was for high school students.
In 1922, an addition was added onto the above build creating the Bath Consolidated School. The purpose of the addition was to add the 12 grade education system.
The Bath Consolidated School was one of the most modern schools in the Mid-Michigan area. Over the next 5 years, Superintendant Emory E. Huyck worked to get the Bath Consolidated School accredited through the University of Michigan. After meeting strict requirements, the school earned accreditation. The push for accreditation was fueled by the ability to apply for federal state aid for the school. With the new school came higher taxes. Most in the village agreed the taxes were in the best interest of the village, but others disagreed.
On May 18, 1927, the last day of the school year the unthinkable happened, a day that would change Bath, Michigan forever. It was a beautiful spring day in Bath, Michigan. Students were taking their final exams, seniors were at the Bath United Methodist Church preparing for graduation and the smell of Lilacs filled the air.
At approximately 8:45 am the students in the northwest wing of the school said it went silent. Students recalled rising off the seat of their desks, then hitting the floor and getting covered with debris. The northwest corner of the school had been blown up. Towns folks rushed toward the sound to see what just happened. They were aghast to discover their beautiful school was in pieces.
The explosion caused 45 deaths that day, 38 were children. There were many heroes that day. Mothers, Fathers, friends and families all helping each other make their way through the mess.
But this isn’t the end for Bath. The folks that stuck around were determined to rebuild. With a massive outreach to the citizens of Michigan and a generous donation from Senator James Couzens, the school was rebuilt.
The story does not end there, stay tuned as we update the story…