Clayton co IAGenWeb - School Records

History of the Emerson School
by Charlene Barnhart
published in the Guttenberg Press, Wednesday, July 12, 2006

We don't know much about Emerson School, which stood across the road from the Blaker farm on Skip Level, but we do know that the first Emerson school was destroyed, we assume by fire.

This school also went by several names, depending on who lived where - it was Emerson, White or Blaker School. But Emerson was the name given on the records.

When I researched the history on this school several years ago, one of my sources for information was Gusta (Blaker) Tomkins, who at that time was 92 years of age (this was in 1990). she told how she and her siblings had all attended this school, and the location as to where it had been. Since this was one of the first rural schools to close after the consolidation of Colesburg High School in December of 1915, we only had the words of those who attended or the records found in homes or at the AEA office in Elkader.

We do know that after 1915 it was bought by a neighbor, Charlie Harbaugh, and moved to his farm to be used for the home of Bill & Hazel Harbaugh. In later years Roy Smith bought it from Harbaugh and used it as a con crib, until Pat Holthaus of Colesburg bought it and moved it into town, to be remodeled. Charles and Virginia Conners, Anna Kurrelmeyer, Inez Barnhart, and now the Schenke brothers have owned it.

Some of the oldest records were found in the possession of Leland Miller, whose grandfather, Marion Miller, had at one time been a director of this school. Some of the many teachers who taught there, did so for more than one term or year. The starting wage was $22 a month in 1880, and before they closed, the wage had risen as high as $47 a month. The fewest number of students taught in one term was 25, and the most was 45. Not only did they teach grades 1-8, but the teachers had to come early to build a fire, carry water from a local creek, plus all the janitor work that was done.

Note: the photo below, of Emmerson school children, taken ca1912, accompanied this article. It did not reproduce well on microfilm.

1910
Margaret Gabbett, teacher
John A. Smith, Director
A.C. Smith, Secretary
John Moser, Treasurer
L.A. Oldham, President

~contributed by Chris McDowell, granddaughter
of George Franks. The booklet with the pupil
names, teacher, etc. belonged to George.

Pupils
Edith Miller
Myrtle Dodge
Floyd Livingston
Gusta Blaker
Glenn Dodge
Merrill Smith
Coral Smith
George Blaker
Harold Harris
Mary Walters
Mark Miller
Hazel Porter
Merle Porter
Dale Blaker

Eva Blaker
Dale Walters
Earl Franks
Helen Franks
Fern Dodge
Hildred Barnhart
Elsie Desotel
Gilbert DesotelErma Bolsinger
Gusta Berger
Willie Berger
George Franks
Clyde Smith
Howard Desotel
Pearl Brown
Ethel Brown