The following portrays of the first school in Mason City, started in 1856, is from Edith Rule's book, "Little Stories of Mason City's Past."

It was not yet light when Melissa's mother shook her gently out of a sound sleep. The little girl opened unseeing brown eyes and let them flutter closed again as she burrowed deeper under the fur robes, then consciousness coming back slowly, she forced herself wide awake and sat up in her trundle bed. The room's chill bit at her icily as she jumped out on to the dirt floor and over to the fireplace where a big log was just beginning to be wrapped with the scarlet flames of the crackling kindling.

Hastily the child pulled on her knitted stockings, her copper-toed store shoes, her flannel underthings and the over that her dark little homespun dress. Melissa was almost eight but she was small for her age and the tight bodice of the dress made her slight waist look scarcely strong enough to uphold the volumious-gathered folds of her skirts. There was a brief and chilling wash and then the combing out of her curls. That couldn't take long for, though ma did like you to look neat, she liked you to hurry and help with breakfast, fix your own and James' lunch and help get him dressed for school, James being only six. Then sometimes the baby needed tending.

Melissa made up her trundle bed and slipped it under the big bed in the corner. Then, as soon as breakfast was eaten, she helped James struggle into his coat cut down from one of pa's and wound the comforter around his neck, and saw that his mittens were on. Then similarly dressed herself, her little coat also cut down from pa's, she clutched her small brother's hand and they were off on the way to school. They trudged the two miles through a powdery snow that had fallen the night before, the first of the year and scuffled merrily through it up to the Long house built for school.

James was unwrapped from the swathing comforter and swung up on to the slab seat. Then Melissa removed her wraps, folded them neatly and sat down next to her small brother just as Mrs. Thompson rang the bell to show that school was ready to start. Mrs. Thompson was tall and Melissa worshipped her for her sleek hair, because she was young and because she wore dressed made of real factory cloth.

She could remember when Mrs. Lizzie Thompson had come to Masonville that summer. She remembered particulary when pa and Judge [John Barrett] Long had been so pleased about it. Pa had said, "Now, there's a young missus who'll take the school. A. M. [Albert Mason Thompson] says she taught in Keene, New Hampshire, before he married her and she looks real bright. Besides she hasn't young ones to keep her busy." And then Judge Long had said, "If she'll do it, I'll build the school."

Melissa had been excited and hopeful and her dream had come true. She and James were learning letters and words and numbers. She could read some now and some day she would be a teacher like Mrs. Thompson and perhaps even wear factory cloth dresses, too, like she did.

Lessons droned on for James and he wiggled uncomfortably. Melissa never got tired of reading and spelling, though numbers would often mix her up. Geography she loved when Mrs. Thompson told her stories about back east. Even the teacher got fidgety sometimes. Melissa knew, for she got down from her three-legged stool in front of the room and walked up and down, and one fearful day she brought her hickory down on Melissa's hands when she whispered something to Emma next to her.

Finally the long school morning, lunch time and afternoon were over and she and James started back home. They rushed home, for ma was making soap and she had to help. There was dinner to get and then her knitting to do. She was making stockings for James while ma sewed. All this before beds could be trundled out again for the night.

NOTE: A. M. [Adelbert Mason] Thompson, the son of Benjamin Jr. and Lucena (Gibbs) Thompson, was born in 1834, Gilsum, New Hampshire. He was elected Cerro Gordo County Sheiff in October of 1867. He married, in New Hampshire, Elizabeth "Lizzie" Boyton who in 1856 taught at the Long School, Mason City's first school. A. M. died December 7, 1899, Mason City. Lizzie was born in Cheshire County, New Hampshire on October 6, 1836, and died in Mason City on June 12, 1884. They were interred at Elmwood Cemetery, Mason City, Iowa.

The Long School was erected in 1856.