The Fulton County Historical Society has recently acquired a first known photograph of the Society’s historic township hall and former Lutz School House #8.
The daughter of one of the Lutz school house #8 students shown in the photograph contacted the Fulton County Museum and has sent the story of her immigrant grandmother, who sent 9 of her children to the little one-room school.
“29 year old widow Caroline Klorer and her 6 children emigrated from St. Nicklous South Baden Breisach, Germany on the La Bretagne to her brother’s home in Toledo OH in 1901. There, she fell in love and married 69 year old John Perl from Swan Creek Township in 1904, Fulton County, OH. On their 70 acre farm in section 33, Caroline gave birth to three more children. Two of these children are listed in the 1923 Lutz School records donated to the historical society in 2011 by the Swan Creek Township trustees.
Many of the children in the photograph were neighbors of the Klorers and eventually married into the family. The Nash family, for example, owned 40 acres in Section 34 which was just across County Road 4 (Utah Alley) and directly west of the Lutz school on Road D (Archbold-Lutz Road). Charles William Nash and Louise Klorer were married 9 years after she was photographed in this picture and purchased part of his father’s farm. Mr. Nash ended up only attending 4 years at the little white school house and is not in the 1907 photograph. Charlie Krauss, who was from the Lutz School, also ended up marrying one of Caroline’s daughters—Marie.
Charles and Louise Nash raised 12 children in Fulton County. Only two survive—Chuck Nash (88) and Irene Vanscoder (81). Irene lived on the Nash Family farm until she married in 1952. When Irene was 7 and entering first grade in Liberty Center, the Lutz School had recently closed and moved west down the road to become a township hall and voting precinct.”
The Lutz School is now restored and located on the grounds of the Fulton County Fair. For more information on the Lutz School, visit http://www.fultoncountyhs.org. Township Trustees will be present for tours during the fair from August 29 through September 4, 2014.
The Museum is open from 10am-4pm Tuesday through Friday and 10am-2pm on Saturdays. Admission is $4 for adults, $3 for seniors, $2 for students, Members are free. For more information, contact the Historical Society at (419)337-7922 or visit http://www.fultoncountyhs.org/. You can also stay connected by signing up for text or email message through the “Notify Me” option on the Fulton County website at http://fultoncountyoh.com/list.aspx.