Copper Country Trail
Rathbone School, MI

Two blocks west of the swimming beach, this one-room school house served the community of Eagle Harbor from 1853 to 1872. More than just a place where children learned reading, writing, and arithmetic, the Rathbone School is named for Justus H. Rathbone, who came to the school as a teacher in 1860. Here, Rathbone conceived the idea for the Knights of Pythias, a fraternal society which he founded. Dedicated to ideals of peace through understanding, the society is an interdenominational brotherhood that continues to conduct charitable work across North America to this day.

Acquired by the Keweenaw County Historical Society in 1982, the school house has been extensively restored and refurbished to appear as it did in the days it served the community as a school. Visitors can find exhibits about the Knights of Pythias inside, as well as a granite monument to Justus H. Rathbone nearby.