The Sagola Township Board had a special meeting Monday to gauge public interest on whether to continue to maintain the small former schoolhouse at W8555 M-95, directly across County Road 607 from the Randville Bar & Grill.

“I take it you all would like to keep the hall,” Supervisor Don Minerick asked the roughly 10 people who attended.

No decision was expected Monday. Instead, the board looked for guidance on going forward to determine what the cost might be to restore the hall to decent condition.

“That’s going to take some time,” board member Terry McDonald said of calculating the cost, estimating it will take through the end of the winter.

A monument on the hall grounds details the history of Thomas “Wildcat” King, a Chippewa Indian and early Randville resident who is the person behind Tom King’s Creek in the area.

Use of the Randville Hall has dwindled in recent years. In July 2020, the township ceased having a polling place at the site, shifting voting to the Sagola Community Building, 306 First St. in Sagola, about 7 miles to the north.

But for the occasional rummage sale, few now ask to host events in the hall, though township officials admit they don’t know who has keys to the building so might not be completely aware of actual use.

The site, however, is not expensive to fund for heat and electricity, about $200 a month, officials said. So keeping it has not been a major issue.

But the building, thought to be at least a century old, has not surprisingly degraded over time. An engineer who recently inspected the site noted the hall requires work on the roof, basement — a central post is needed to prop up a sagging floor — and handicapped-access ramp made of deteriorating plywood. Most every window has a crack, said Dan Begarowicz, who handles maintenance for the township.

“We’re going to have to sink some money (into it),” Begarowicz said.

SAGOLA TOWNSHIP A few years ago built this community building at 306 First St. in Sagola that has become a popular venue in the township for gatherings, as it has open space both on the main floor and in the basement. The main floor also has a full kitchen. It is available to rent for weddings, parties and other events, with rates based on number of days needed and whether the renter is a township resident. For more information on renting the hall, contact Jennie Hruska at 906-542-3301 or 906-282-4916.

Others noted Monday that water flow on the property doesn’t always drain into nearby culverts and ditches but can pool toward the building, though township officials said a sump pump has been installed.

While at least one person Monday suggested selling the building to a private party to fix up rather than have it done at taxpayers’ expense, township officials pointed out it is on a small, roughly half-acre lot, bordered by M-95, CR 607 and railroad tracks, so right-of-way obligations would make it almost impossible to expand the building.

Minerick added that no record can be found for now on a deed, sale or other document on the property, another complication if the township decided to sell.

“It’s almost unbuildable by somebody else,” Minerick said.

Though little used now, board and audience members predicted it would see more activity if in better condition.

Begarowicz also noted an Eagle Scout, with help from Champion Concrete in Iron Mountain, plans as a project to upgrade the Thomas “Wildcat” King monument behind the Randville Hall, including adding a pavilion.

King lived from 1830 to 1910 and was the last chief of the Badwater Band of Chippewa Indians. An early Dickinson County pioneer, he delivered mail for the U.S. Postal Service on foot between Green Bay, Wis., and Copper Harbor at the tip of the Keweenaw Peninsula, later operated a boarding house and ferry at the Twin Falls area of the Menominee River between what is now Breitung Township and Florence County in Wisconsin, worked for a time at the Groveland Mine in the Felch Township area and ultimately settled at his farm in Randville along the creek that now bears his name about a half-mile from the monument.

The consensus Monday was it’s worth further investigating the potential costs of repairs and upgrades to keep the Randville Hall in place.

Minerick said once they have the estimates, the board will set another meeting — “see how you feel about it” — before making any decisions on how to proceed.

Betsy Bloom can be reached at 906-774-2772, ext. 240, or bbloom@ironmountaindailynews.com.