Murray Lake Elementary School first graders tour historic Fallasburg Village
By Emma Palova - Contributing Writer
13 June 2025
On a sunny Friday morning, first graders from Murray Lake Elementary School flocked to the one-room schoolhouse in Fallasburg, tins with snacks dangling in their hands.
The annual field trip, which marks the end of the school year, has become a tradition over the past 20 years. The students gathered on the front porch for an unforgettable memory, a group photo of 75 kids with their teachers, Denise Washburn, Nancy Breuker, and Leighan Kohl. Inside the school, docent, Tom Vaughan, was waiting to talk to the students about what it was like to be a student in the one-room schoolhouse until its closing in 1961.
For many of these kids, the trip to Fallasburg is their first one, according to past president and FHS volunteer, Ken Tamke. “The field trip aspect is huge.”
Divided in groups, led by Tamke, they headed down the Covered Bridge Road for a walking tour of the 1830s historic village, founded by John Wesley Fallas. At the entrance to the North Country National Scenic Trail, the kids were amazed to learn that the trail stretches an impressive 4,800 miles, parts of it in the Fallasburg Village, with its national headquarters located right in the heart of downtown Lowell. The trail extends in one direction toward McPherson Road and in the other toward Lowell.
Tamke pointed out a foundation, overgrown with grass, by the 2014 Barn of the Year and let the kids guess what was once on it. A silo, of course, filled with feed for sheep, was the answer. “Where are the animals? Did they die?” The kids wanted to know. “No, they were led off the Tower Farm to a different farm,” Tamke explained.
The Orlin Douglass Tower Farm was built in 1850; with its addition for the two sister-in-laws, Tower and Steketee, it is a lopsided structure, leaning to the south.
After briefly stopping at the site of an invisible fence (the recruiting fence is now inside the museum), the location of a Civil War cavalry recruiter, the kids toured the John Fallas House, home to John and Phoebe Fallas. “Be careful on those steps upstairs,” Tamke said. “Look at the size of the bedrooms.” Another kid, stepping out of the house said, “This is haunted.”
Next door, the Blackmer Cottage served as quarters for the postmaster. The village even had a hotel, the Stagecoach House, 1859, with a blacksmith shop behind it, and a sawmill on the Flat River. The group stopped inside the Misner House, which houses the museum artifacts and collections in a climate-controlled environment.
After running across the Covered Bridge, the kids were symbolically “fined” for crossing the bridge at a speed faster than walking. Tamke prompted the kids to run across the bridge and then showed them the sign in the gable of the bridge: “$5 Fine for Riding or Driving on This Bridge Faster Than a Walk.”
This is the fourth or the fifth Covered Bridge structure; the first bridge across the Flat River was not covered, and it got jammed by ice floating on the river. Since then, all the bridges leading to the historic village have been covered with a roof. The bridge also provided an awesome photo opportunity for the students posing with tour guide, Tamke.
On the way back to the one-room schoolhouse for lunch, Tamke pointed out the 1847 Beckwith Tavern. “Fallasburg was a complete village with a school, post office, saw mill, hotel, and a bar,” he said.
“The tour gets much-needed exposure and visitors to the village,” Tamke said. “The kids, teachers, and parent chaperones get a slice of local history. It seems like every year, the parents comment that even though they live close by to Fallasburg, they have never visited.”
Many of these kids, if not all, were born and are being raised in proximity to the Village. The history of settlers’ migration from the East to the Midwest is fascinating. Their ancestors’ journey, for many, began in Europe. For some kids, it will be amusing. For others, it will introduce them to the joy of learning about history, which may carry them through college and professional careers.
“Sharing the history of Fallasburg is my passion,” Tamke said. Tamke’s passion dates back to his grandparents, Clarence (Brad) and Stella Bradshaw, who lived at the end of Beckwith Drive overlooking the Covered Bridge. Stella was a founding member of the West Central Michigan Historical Society (WCMHS), which later became FHS. Stella was also the organizer/interviewer/assembler of “Vergennes Township Living History” in the early 1980s. Tamke gave copies of “Vergennes Township Living History” to the teachers for reference.
At the end of the day, Washburn said the kids loved ringing the bell, checking out the water pump, and running across the bridge. “This field trip fits our Social Studies Curriculum, Learning about Past, Present, and Future,” she said. “Kids develop an appreciation for the history in our community.”
