Students in four Core I classes hiked over the river and through the woods on Tuesday, Oct. 18 to rediscover the once-strong ties Lakeland had with the village of Franklin. The village was the original home of the college when it was simply known as a mission school during the middle part of the 19th century. Early classes—predating the college’s founding—took place in a Franklin home, about a mile southwest of Old Main Hall.

Missionhaus—and later, Lakeland—students had a close relationship with Franklin and its historic Franklin Hous tavern throughout the 1970s, before the communities grew apart. Now, most students know almost nothing of the village.

Unofficially called the “Trek to the Tavern,” the event, it is hoped, helped to re-establish earlier ties and introduce the Core I students to some residents of the local area.