The original Maple Grove Elementary school bell was re-dedicated on Wednesday, September 25, 2024 in a student-led event, complete with special guests from the Northwest High School Class of 1972.
It all started with a phone call to Northwest School District Director of Facilities Kasey Schaffer in January. The caller, Northwest alum Mark Nelson, asked Schaffer if Northwest would be interested in a Northwest artifact: the old school bell from the original Maple Grove Elementary School.
Schaffer, a history buff, excitedly told Nelson that Northwest would love to have the old bell. When asked about the history of the bell, Nelson emailed Schaffer a fascinating look into the history of the Dittmer area, the original Maple Grove Elementary school, and how the bell was used to notify the community about a historic moment in world history. Nelson writes,
"St. Martin's Evangelical Church—later to become St. Martin's United Church of Christ of Dittmer was formed in 1857. It is one of the first churches to have been established in the region. Shortly after the Church's formation, the Congregation established a school. It was a German school, with the German language, and German cultural heritage at its foundation. It is worth pointing out that larger homogeneous groups naturally tend to more strongly resist assimilation, a lesson the country still hasn't grasped. As the “Non-German” population of the community grew, so did the desire for an English speaking school. A group of people approached St. Martin's inquiring about the interest in transitioning the school into a more inclusive place of education, and the idea was very quickly squelched. As a result, a separate English language school was created and located in a nearby grove of Maple trees. The St. Martin's German School competed head to head with the Maple Grove School for a good number of years, In 1900 or thereabouts, a fire destroyed the Maple Grove School. And it was quickly replaced with a new vastly improved building. The new school even had a raised teacher's platform. By 1905 and the coming of age of the next generation, enough assimilation had occurred within the community to allow for the integration of the two area schools. In 1915 a bell tower was added to the Maple Grove School Building. It would contain a #22 Cast Steel Alloy School Bell from the C.S. Bell Company in Hillsboro, Ohio. Students from as far away as 3 miles would know that classes were about to commence. In only a few short years later the bell would be tested, as according to local stories. The school's current teacher, Herman Roglin, continuously tolled the bell for 30 minutes to announce and celebrate the glad tidings of peace found by the ending of The First World War. The community continued to grow, and the school continued to accommodate as best it could. Then during the Great Depression, the U.S. Government formed the Works Progress Administration, or the WPA. The WPA put nearly eight and a half million Americans to work, building hospitals, roads, utility systems, and schools. WPA projects included LaGuardia Airport, The new Maple Grove School would be one such project. It was completed and opened in 1941. The new building had not one, but two classrooms. It had a library and a coat room. There was also a kitchen /auditorium, indoor restrooms, and a supply closet. The old Maple Grove school, having done its share for the community, was sold for the sum of $600 and was converted into a private residence. It still serves in that fashion today. At the time of the new Maple Grove School's opening, school bells were not a thing of fashion.”
The medium-sized bell, approximately 24 inches tall and 30 inches round, is deceptively heavy. Made of thick cast steel, the well-worn piece of history had been left outside with a bit of rust. With a lot of elbow grease and a few power tools, the bell’s look was improved up to a point by Northwest maintenance staff members. Schaffer said that they decided to not go all the way to original steel, but to leave the patina on the bell. It gives the bell a rugged and worn look, but as tested in the shop, the bell is still as loud as the day it was made by the C.S. Bell Company in Hillsboro, Ohio. In addition to the restoration of the bell, the maintenance staff gave the bell a new rope and constructed a steel frame to mount the bell.
Nelson detailed the history of the bell’s whereabouts since the “new” Maple Grove Elementary opened.
“The old bell was saved from the scrap heap by the current Cedar Hill School Principal, Mrs. Carol M. Buxton. By the way this lady would serve as principal for both schools for a time. Mrs. Buxton's Maple Grove School Bell would become the property of her son, Mr. James Buxton, an R1 educator himself, upon the passing of his mother. As both the bell and Mr. Buxton gathered both age and patina, James began to think about the long term future of the bell. He rightfully wanted it back in the school to remind people of the bell's and the school's past, present, and future. A few Reunion Committee members of the Class of 1972 were in attendance at an “Early Years” Alumni meeting when the conversation shifted in the direction of the bell. The Class of 1972 Committee was given the honor of making sure the bell's future would be assured.”
It was at this point that Schaffer was contacted about the bell. Nelson concludes by writing,
“It is a great reminder of all of the rich history found in the people of the R1 District..”
Thanks to Carol Buxton, James Buxton, and Mark Nelson, the Maple Grove Elementary school bell has made its way back home. It now stands as a permanent fixture at Maple Grove Elementary School, serving as a lasting reminder of the school's and Dittmer area's history for generations to come.