- 1900—First mention of “deer” i.e. BUCKS in article recalling teaching in winter of 1860 by B. Chamberlain:
“The first school I taught was in a District near Buchanan in the winter of 1860. Some things that were done in those days would seem quite strange now. It was in a small school house and nearby grew giant forest trees. There was about 40 pupils enrolled. My salary was #12 a month, the amount to be raised by a Rate Bill, that is, each patron paid according to the number of day’s sent to school. I boarded around, built the fires, swept the room and cut part of the wood from saplings that were drawn up for that purpose. One day during the noon intermission I went with some of the older boys and cut a large tree … one beautiful morning: when the sun was glistening on the snow a find drove of deer passed along near the school house. It was interesting to watch their beautiful forms and graceful movements, and they cleared the nigh fences as though nothing was in the way. Such scenes were not uncommon in those days, but with the removal of the forests the wild animals mostly all disappeared.” [Berrien County Record, 18 Jan 1900]
- In 1903 Buchanan High School received accreditation by the State Normal School. The following year BHS was accredited by University of Michigan, Cornell, University of Chicago, University of Wisconsin, and The Ohio State University without further exams needed. The University of Michigan became a leader in establishing curriculum standards for high school graduates under President Angell decades earlier. By 1908 Purdue University also accredited Buchanan High School.
- Buchanan received sealed bids for heating and ventilation for the original high school in 1904.
- By 1907 passing grades became more rigid when they increased from 70% to 80% to be accredited. Educators continuously assess the best way to grade students’ work and progress.