...in May, 1927.

Do you remember this school violence? (Bet you don't!)

[size=4]Hell Comes to Bath: America's Worst School Violence Ever[/size=4]

[b]The Rage Builds[/b]

[b]Bath Consolidated School[/b]

In Michigan during this era, elementary and secondary school education in rural areas followed a standard pattern for most people. There were many small, one-room schools scattered across the countryside. Different grades shared the same classroom and the same teacher. There was a widespread belief that the children would receive a better and more complete education if students could attend a single school at one location. The grades could be divided into classes, as it should be, and the facility could be of a higher quality. After years of debate and dedication, the district built a new school, the Bath Consolidated School. Taxes were raised to pay for the project and as a result, landowners, like Andrew Kehoe, had to foot the bill.

Kehoe argued against the school and complained constantly about the increase in taxes. Although he was an intelligent man, Kehoe was intolerant of other’s opinions. He was respectful toward other board members but could be a bitter enemy. He was the type of man who carried a grudge. He complained loudly to anyone who would listen about the increase in taxes that he saw as illegal and unfair. He blamed the board president, Emory E. Huyck, for his influence over the other members.  He became obsessed with school board politics, Superintendent Huyck and the injustice of taxes, which he saw as the ruination of his life. [b]Sometime during the summer of 1926, Kehoe plunged into the depths of insanity.[/b]

During the winter of 1926, the board appointed Kehoe to perform maintenance in the Bath Consolidated School. Kehoe was a talented handyman and knew his way around electricity. He was mechanically adept and often fixed his neighbors’ machinery. As the school handyman, Kehoe had free access to the building. His presence was never questioned. But unknown to anyone, Kehoe had accumulated over a ton of a high explosive called Pyrotol in his home. He made periodic purchases of the explosive in different stores in the Lansing area during the previous months. In November of 1926, Kehoe drove to Lansing where he purchased two boxes of dynamite at a sporting goods store. Pyrotol was a World War I surplus explosive that was used by farmers for excavation and other chores. Kehoe made similar purchases that were recorded and preserved.  He couldn’t buy the large amount that he needed at one time. It would arouse too much suspicion. So he spread out his purchases over the previous few months. And for those that did take notice, he had an explanation already prepared. He became known in the community as a dynamite farmer. It was routine to hear explosions on his farm. He told his neighbors that he used the dynamite to remove tree stumps and excavate for his crops.

See remainder of story at:[url]http://www.crimelibrary.com/serial7/bath/3.htm[/url]

Go read the next chapters, for the rest of the story!

Why didn't this tragedy receive more attention than it did?  Look at the date - the story broke the same week as Lindbergh's crossing the Atlantic.

Eric The(Historical)Hun[>]:)]

Considering my age, I obviously have no firsthand knowledge.  I do live about 20 miles from Bath.  I remember when school violence was the hot topic and the local paper dug up this story and showed pictures of the aftermath.  

Dear God.  I can't believe I never heard of this before.  I don't even know how to feel about it... [pissed]

You lose.

Growing up in the area, it was fairly common knowledge.

[b]fight4yourrights[/b], you're way older than I thought![:D]

Eric The(No,ActuallyIDidn'tMeanItThatWay.ILose)Hun[>]:)]

I firmly believe that the reason behind the lack of discussion over incidents such as this, and the night club fire in Harlem that was started by a jilted boyfriend, is simply because firearms were [u]not[/u] involved!

How else can you explain five the celebrity of lousy criminals being gunned down by other criminals on Valentine's Day in Chicago, but the deaths of 43 innocent children and adults is almost unheard of in the media?

It's the guns, folks, it's those nasty evil guns that are the sole source of parents' heartache in the nation.

Trust me, if Kehoe had used a rifle, or an easily-available Thompson submachine gun, back in those days, we would never stop hearing about it from the media today!

Eric The(OfCourseTheNFA,WithoutAnyExemptions,WouldHavePassedIn1928!)Hun[>]:)]

right after columbine, the history channel aired a very good documentary on this explosion/bombing. the pictures were very powerful.

btw, eric...hell is in another part of michigan...i rode there, from toledo, ohio, on my bicycle...and yes...i received a patch that says: "i bicycled to hell and back"!!!

Nope, born in 1965

Just heard about it from my folks & my wife's folks, who must have heard it from others.

Ever do DalMac?

I was just kidding you, [b]fight4yourrights[/b]!

I meant it exactly the way you thought I did!

I lost, fair and square.

Eric The(Don'tY'allEverReadMySigLines?)Hun[>]:)]

f4yr...dalmac? never heard of that one. from where to where?

i rode that tour in 1972. it started in sylvania (suburb of toledo) and made its' way north thru the irish hills region. beautiful countryside in the spring! iirc, it went to some stockade looking camp...maybe near tecumseh or jackson???

been awhile...can ya tell! and for the life of me, i can't recall the name of that tour...no...wait! it was the i.h.t., irish hills tours. the ride patch is a shamrock shaped, green one.

Lansing to Mackinaw, ride across the bridge (the only way to do it, that I'm aware of).

Straight route, about 65 miles per day, or you can do a Quad Century (4 days, 100 miles per day).

It's a BIG ride.  Thousands of riders.

[b][url=http://www.voyager.net/TCBA/DALMAC/dframe.html]DALMAC 2002[/url][/b]



[img]http://www.nscl.msu.edu/~baumann/pictures/crossing97.jpg[/img]

ah...similar to tosrv (over 9000 riders at its' peak). i've done tosrv 27 times...how's THAT for being old!?! heheh.

now that you mention it, i have heard of the ride that went over the mak bridge. sorta like ragbrai in iowa.

meanwhile, we interrupt our depressing school explosion story with lighthearted cycling stories!

back to you, eric!

Another reason you may not have heard about it:  Lindbergh made his famous flight across the Atlantic a couple of days later, forcing the Bath story from the front page.

BTW: I used to shoot at the Rose Lake Wildlife area (DNR run range) which is just down the road from Bath.