Since the very beginning both settlements of Ceresco and Ripon valued education.
The first school in the Ripon area was a one-room stone building located in Ceresco, built in 1845. Twelve years later Ceresco built a second school which was a unique octagon-shaped building structure with two floors and used as a school until 1891. This building was razed in 1939. Ceresco had its own school district as did Ripon, but eventually the two districts combined.
Ripon’s first public school was the Little White Schoolhouse. Built in 1853 this one room frame school was listed on the State and National Registry of Historic Places in 1974. It has also been designated a National Landmark as it is known as the birthplace of the Republican Party.
Alice Callan School, originally known as Longfellow School was built in1928. Now a residence it was listed on the State and National Registry of Historic Places in 1997.
Ripon is still known for its quality of education and boasts new school buildings.
The Society holds archival records and artifacts from the various schools which were found in and around Ripon.
Alice Callan came to Ripon in 1908 and was a constant educator for 41 years. She was noted for perfect attendance and dissuaded from retiring however was tragically killed in the Grand View Hotel fire in 1949.