Ringgold County Normal School

ASKREN, PIPER, HARKNESS, PARRISH, RIDER

Posted By: Sharon R Becker (email)
Date: 6/8/2010 at 09:16:54

RINGGOLD COUNTY NORMAL SCHOOL

In 1872, R. F. ASKREN, county superintendent, started a one-week summer institutute for the good of the teachers with Professor PIPER, superintendent of Manchester, Delaware County [IA] schools, as the teacher. Later a four-weeks normal, and Professor HARKNESS of Garden Grove and Professor PARRISH of Leon were hired.

Much good was done for Ringgold County teachers and consequently to the schools while Mr. HARKNESS was teacher in the normal school, which continued until about 1910.

When Miss RIDER changed the four-weeks normal to a two-week summer school, it continued until the state established extension schools in different cities over Iowa, in about 1915. Since that time, the county superintendents have held a two-day institute in the fall soon after school begins in September.

The early normals took about all the money the poor school teachers could lay up from their year's teaching, and it seemed we always had to have it in the hottest part of the year, from the next week after the Fourth of July, for four long weeks, with examinations at the end.

SOURCE:
LESAN, Mrs. B. M. Early History of Ringgold County: 1844 - 1937 p. 79. Blair Pub. House. Lamoni IA. 1937.

Transcriptions by Sharon R. Becker, May & June of 2010