Finding the old Inlet Country school

Recently a friend and fellow photographer, Bill Alber, clued me in to a series of abandoned country schools over in Lee county. So last week I took advantage of a break in the weather to grab Lil' Nick and Tom Anderson to go out in search of them. We got lost! Twice! but ended up not only finding the schools but discovering a few other things along  the way.

But in the end we got our bearings and discovered the long abandoned Inlet country school. It sits a few miles outside the village of Lee Center along a stretch of abandoned highway now used as a frontage road.  The story is that when the school closed a gentleman bought the property and used it as a house, adding out buildings to it over the years in a haphazard fashion right up until his death.

As we were photographing the property the man next door came out to talk to us and gave us some additional information. Mr. Gail Dallum had known the previous owner for many years, and when the man died he bought the property on either side of the school, eventually buying the school building itself when it came up for auction. He says that over the years people have stopped by to look at the old school, take photo's and reminisce about when they had attended.  I'd like to extend a big Thank You to Mr. Dallum for his information and also for kindly allowing us to photograph the original school bell that is now in a place of honor next to his house.