Community was vital to the pioneers who settled in the wilderness that is now Carmel. Soon after their arrival, neighbors banded together to clear the woods, build homes and cut roads. Over several decades, they transformed the forest and prairies into vast rural landscapes. The neighborhoods that developed were centered on churches and schools. These institutions structured society and gave communities a sense of identity. The Quakers who settled in Clay Township and West Delaware founded the town of Carmel and built one of the earliest high schools in the state. This is the history of Carmel’s schools, churches and forgotten places.