I stopped here because I noticed the historical marker and then took the time to walk the property. The Historical Society was founded in 1986 and they operate a museum inside the Okeechobee City Hall. Here, they have preserved there fabulous buildings. The marker reads, "The first school in the region north of Lake Okeechobee, known as "The Bend," was a thatched-roof structure built around 1897. Homesteader Peter Raulerson and family did not have enough children old enough to support a school, and were forced to bring in five students from nearby Platt's Bluff. The children and the first teacher, Dr. George M. Hubbard, boarded with the Raulersons. In 1902, the area was renamed Tantie in honor of another local schoolteacher, Tantie Huckabee. A new one-room schoolhouse was built in 1909 by Peter's son, Lewis, for the contract price of $500 and located on the west side of Parrott Avenue. The white frame building was designated School #14 by the St. Lucie County School Board and Hubbard became the first teacher of its 36 students. Due to population growth, a one-room addition was built in 1914. A second addition was constructed in 1915, but the school was so crowded by the fall that a tent was set up for the overflow. Construction began in 1916 on the Okeechobee Public School, and classes moved to the new building. Following the purchase of School #14 by the Okeechobee Historical Society, it was relocated to this site in 1976. The society restored the building to serve as a museum." It is marker number F-926 and it was erected in 2016 by the Okeechobee Historical Society, Okeechobee County School System, Okeechobee County Board of County Commissioners, Okeechobee Retired Educators Association and the Florida Department of State. Stop by, look in the windows, check out some history. [Review 447 of 2025 - 2090 in Florida - 24009 overall] read more

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