Nichols, Iowa Centennial Book
Nichols - Our Town - 1984
RURAL SCHOOLS OF PIKE TOWNSHIP
Nichols, Iowa Centennial Book 1884-1984, pages 66-69
By Alberta Wieskamp BekkerThe early rural schools were the centers of education for each rural community, and they were also the social center for the particular area in which they were located. Students practiced endlessly on playlets, recitations, songs and tableaus under the direction of their teacher to present a program at Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas or Washington’s birthday. Parents furnished sandwiches, pie and coffee which were sold to the audience at the end of the production. The money could be used to buy something special for the school, such as science equipment, art supplies, library books or perhaps new curtains. Other activities such as spelling bees, potluck suppers, plays by the adults of the neighborhood or last day picnics were enjoyed by pupils and adults. Everyone joined in the fun.
Prospective teachers could earn a certificate by attending an “institute” in Muscatine. Later a Normal Training course was offered at West Liberty for students in their senior year. Then by passing tests over the subjects to be taught, a certificate was issued. These tests included reading, spelling, arithmetic, history, geography, civics, physiology and agriculture. Later it was necessary to attend college.
The teacher was hired by the director of the school, an area farmer. It was his responsibility to see that the weeds in the schoolyard were mowed before the first day, the school building and outhouses clean, the coal bin filled and a supply of corn cobs for kindling were on hand, and any necessary repairs done throughout the term.
It was the teacher’s job to see that the coal was carried in, ashes were carried out, the fire was built, the water supply from the outdoor pump was on hand, snow shoveled and sweeping and dusting done. Sometimes there were older students who were willing to help with those chores. In later years some of the schools had an indoor coal bin and a furnace instead of the stove, and an indoor pump, but none had indoor restrooms.
Teachers’ salaries were sometimes as low as $30 per month. When they received more than $50, it was quite a thrill. Usually the teacher boarded with a nearby family. Even though her parents’ home was sometimes only a few miles away, she did not have an auto or if she did, the roads were impassable much of the time. She was usually treated royally by the host family, and the cost was not prohibitive.
Enrollment in each school might vary from less than 10 to over 30. Sometimes there would be only one child in a grade – sometimes none. The teacher had only 10 to 15 minutes for a class, so the children learned to take the responsibility to do much of their work on their own. Also, they learned by listening to each other.
When a student reached 8th grade, he or she was required to take county exams at Muscatine in all subjects before he could pass into high school. The questions in these exams covered a wide scope, so hours and hours of extra drill after school, before school or at home were required. It was a big day when the ruling came through that the 8th graders no longer were required to take these exams and could pass into high school with the same requirements as the Nichols 8th graders.
School work from all the rural schools in the county was exhibited at the West Liberty Fair every summer. Students and teachers spent much time on compositions, crafts and projects. What a thrill to receive a blue ribbon on your poem booklet or your free hand map!
At recesses the children all played together and the teacher joined in the games of Red Rover, Steal Sticks or Run Sheep Run. In the warm months the children were barefoot and carried their lunch. Most of the children walked in every kind of weather – cold, snow or mud. A family living a distance might have a horse to ride.
It was a sad day when the rural schools were closed and the children were bussed to the Nichols school. That was called ‘Progress.’
The rural schools were closed in the middle and later 1940s. Not all were closed the same year.
ADAMS
Adams School, near the intersection of Highways 22 and 70, always had a large enrollment. After it was closed, it was moved to the farm of Don Meyers and Marilyn Meyers, where it was remodeled into their attractive residence.
Some of the teachers were Miss DuPrez, Fern Morrison, Edna Hummel, Felicitas Mills Braun, Maude Smith, Freeman Reid. Families whose children attended Adams included Stalkfleet, Mills, Grimm, Schmitt, Kruse, Meyers, Bixby, Christofferson, Schaapveld.
Athens
Athens School, sometimes called Mudhole, was north and west of Nichols on a corner which is almost across from the Bernard Kline farm. It was moved to the H. L. Brugman farm, where Gene Brugman and Dorothy Brugman live now [1984]. It was in Wapsie Township, but when the Nichols School consolidated, the boundary line was drawn to include it in the Nichols District.
Teachers included Elsie Swanson, Hazel Meyers, Amanda Mumm, Geneva Lorber Salemink, Edna Rummells TeStrake, Evelyn James, Marie Milder Kaalberg, Alberta Wieskamp Bekker, Violet Conklin. Families attending Athens were the Bekkers, Brugmans, Kaalbergs, Kaspers, Kirchners, Christoffersons, Wieskamp, Hazens, Pike, Ogren, Babbits, Crawfords.
Buffalo Bluff
Buffalo Bluff School, located west of Nichols and then south, was used for a residence after it was closed in the mid-forties. It burned down.
Teachers there were Lillian Fox Earl, Lenora Fox, Lola Hummel, Clifford Hesser, Laura Nash Loeb, Maude Smith Mills, Julia Gabel, Mike Nugent, Gladys Hedemann, Elizabeth Kirkpatrick, Dorothy Flater Carey. Families whose children attended included Braun, Johnston, Brenneman, Kirkpatrick, Hahn, Ryan.
Lacey
Lacey School was east of Nichols and then south. It became the Grange Hall for the area. It was named Lacey for the first post office, called Lacey, which was housed in the home of Samuel Nichols.
Among those who taught at Lacey are Jessie Mills Lenz, Aleta Singleton Rummells, Bernice Nash Hadley, Frances Smith, Teresa Ryan Longstreth, Jessie Christofferson Ulch, Hazel Thompson, Mildred Hummel. Families whose children attended include Thompson, Stephens, Lord, Wilkerson, Reiland, Oostendorp, Fred Mills, Porter, Stolley, Ulch, VanDe Maat, Hadley, Ritter, Yedlik, Bonebrake, Carter, Beverlin, Sissel, Fox.
Amanda Rummells Shannon reports that “my grandfather, Alexander Coyner; my mother, Della Mae Coyner Rummells; myself, my brothers, Harolde J. Rummells and Howard Rummells, and my sister, Helen Rummells Borchardt, all taught at Lacey School in Pike Township at various times.”
Pike
Pike School, south of Nichols, was moved to Nichols and became the classroom addition to the Christian Church.
Teachers at Pike were Helen Tatge, Ortha Neff, Lola Hummel, Walter Foor, Grace Elder, Fay Hummel, Mary Elder, Mildred Baker, Marie Babbit, Mildred Smith, Myrtle Main. Children attended from the following families: Neff, Tomfeld, Longstreth, Moran, Finley, Call, Lorber, Mills, Billick, Meeker.
Poole
Poole School was located one mile east and three miles north of Nichols. It was moved to the Anton Ogren farm where Harry Lee Christofferson and Joan Christofferson live.
Teaching at Poole were Jeanette James, Mina Hargis, Alberta Bekker, Edna Hummel, Ruth Phillips. Children from the families of Park, Harder, Chelf, Collison, Wolford, Zinkula, Gregg, Oxley, Reynolds, McMahon families attended.
Willow Grove
Willow Grove School was south of Nichols and was moved to a farm south of town and remodeled into a home.
Teachers there were Elsie Stolley Swanson, Frances Elder Billick, Doris Green Heath, Margaret Schlichting, DeEtta Abbott Hankins, Mary Kirk, Mary Peterson. Children who attended there were from the families of Hanft, Lowe, Vetter, Rathjen, Dean.
Wild Rose
Wild Rose School, located west and north of Nichols, was moved to town and remodeled into a duplex at the corner of Nichols Avenue and Broadway.
Teachers at Wild Rose include Frances Wieskamp Lindle, Margaret Lorber Kaalberg, Nell Kelsey Schmitt, Bernice McMahon Schmitt, Bertha Enderle Milder, Catherine Meade, Evelyn Schaapveld. Children attending were from the families of Hahn, Schmitt, Schaapveld, O’Toole, Milder, Salemink, McMichael, Ruess, Reynolds, Hanks, Perkins.Photos:
~ Adams School, dedicated 22 November 1929. – page 66.
~ Buffalo Bluff School House, 1945-46. – page 67.
~ Buffalo Bluff School Students, 1945-46. – page 67.
Back row, left to right, Marilyn Braun, Joyce Brenneman, Vera Knoll, Lola Brenneman, Shirley Braun, Mary Knoll, Dick Knoll. Front row, Virgil Braun, Jane Knoll, Carol Braun, Loretta Brennean.
~ Lacey School. – page 67.
New building and old building about 1929, now Pike Grange Hall.
~ Lacey School, 1938, Jessie Mills Lenz, teacher and students. – page 67.
Front row, left to right, Helene Porter, Mervin Mills, Robert Oostendorp, P. Van de Maat, Kenton Mils. Second row, Jeane Porter, LaVon Bonebrake, Mary Jane Porter, Belva June Mills, Warren Porter. Third row, Marion Wilkerson, Ray Porter, John Porter, Frances Bonebrake.
~ Pike School boys ball players. – page 68.
Left to right, Frantz, Steve Bauch, Maurice Lorber, Frank Yedlik, George Brookhart.
~ Poole School, 1938. - page 68.
Back, Floyd Parks, Donald Chelf, Earl Workman, Letha Reynolds. Front, Mildred Zinkula, Dorothy Chelf, Dona Collison.
~ Willow Grove School 1943. – page 68.
~ Willow Grove School 1945. – page 68.
Front row, left to right, John Swanson, Darrell Swanson; second row, Barbara Jo Hanft ills, Mary Lou Swanson Whitehorn; third row, Kathleen Hanft Salemink, Loretta Longstreth MacKenzie (teacher) Dorothy Lowe Mills.
~ Wild Rose School students, 1937. – page 69.
Left to right, Norma Schmitt, Mary Kaalberg, Loretta Utley, Pat Kaalberg, Charlotte Ehler.
~ Wild Rose School students, 1937. – page 69.
Lleft to right, John Crawford, Jack Salemink, Robert Kaalberg, Harold Utley, Chester Utley, Donald Utley.
Buffalo Bluff School Pupils Find
Hot School Lunch Is Satisfactory
Nichols, Iowa Centennial Book 1884-1984, pages 69-70.This story with pictures was printed in the Muscatine Journal dated Wednesday, 10 February 1943.
Miss Lois Orr, teacher of the Buffalo Bluff school of Pike Township, is convinced that every rural school could have hot lunch.
There are several systems which can be used, but the plan she likes best of all is where the parents prepare the food at home and bring it to school at noon. Since there are five families represented in the school, each mother prepares the lunch one day out of the week and so does not find it a burden. This plan was followed successfully all last year and is used occasionally this year. Because of travel difficulties it is not always possible to drive to school with the lunch, so on those days the pint jar method is used.
Such a plan requires careful planning on the part of both teacher and parents. Mothers meet and plan the menus for a month in advance. A complete meal is planned, with the main dishes brought by the mothers and children supplementing with sandwiches and fruit from their lunch pails. Staple supplies needed were purchased out of program money.
Some sample menus are vegetable pies; escalloped potatoes and ham and fruit salad, chicken soup, corn; baked potatoes and tomato salad; wieners and sauerkraut. Every child ate some of every dish served even though he disliked it. Frequently these dislikes turned to likes and mothers reported many food problems were overcome.
Serving and cleaning up are as much a part of the program as the hot lunch itself. The children take their turns at all the jobs and cleanliness and etiquette are taught at the same time. Each child has an attractive oilcloth mat to spread on his desk while eating.
The results of the hot lunch program are quite evident, Miss Orr reports. Children play out of doors more; there is very little sickness, and they do not become so tired and restless in the afternoon. This is her third year as teacher of the school. In her first ear there, no hot lunch was served but she inaugurated it the next year. It takes a little time and planning, she says, but it is worth it.
Children of the school are: Virgil, Marilyn and Shirley Braun, children of Mr. and Mrs. Harry Braun; Royal and Lucille Johnson, children of Mr. and Mrs. John Johnson; Richard, Mary and Vera Knoll, children of Mr. and Mrs. Elroy Knoll; Joyce and Robert Brenneman, children of Mr. and Mrs. Lester Brenneman, and Lola Ann and Wanda Brenneman, daughters of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Brenneman.Photos:
~ Hot lunch for rural schools is a matter of but little time and planning says Miss Lois Orr. Here she is serving noodle soup which was prepared by Mrs. Paul Brenneman and Mrs. Harry Braun, mothers, and brought to school in the morning. Assisting her with the serving are Shirley Mae Braun and Lucille Johnson. Each child brought his own cocoa which was heated at the school. – page 69.
~ Dishwashing can be fun when done systematically as it is at this school. Dishwashers for the day are Mary Knoll, Wanda Brenneman and Lola Ann Brenneman. Dishes are owned by the school. – page 70.
Rural School, with More than 40 Years Record of Service,
Scheduled to Go on Auction Block
Nichols, Iowa Centennial Book 1884-1984, page 71.
This story was found in the Muscatine Journal 27 November 1947.
A note attached to it states that the school sold for $725.Another “little red school house” will go on the auction block in Muscatine county Saturday.
“It’s a good building, about 22 by 30, a tight roof, comparatively new yellow pine floor. Ought to bring a good price.”
That’s what school officials say about the one-room structure, Poole No. 7, situated three and a half miles northeast of Nichols on what is known as the old West Liberty graveled road.
But to at least two Muscatine women, to many persons in Pike township, and to scores of other former pupils scattered far and wide across the nation, more than just a building with a good roof and yellow pine floors is going on sale.
Still Deeply Treasured
To them it is something deeply treasured in their fondest memories.
To them it is the place where they first found themselves separated from the protective atmosphere of home and mother and learned to adjust to a new environment.
Where they played pullaway and baseball, had childhood sweethearts, studied the three Rs.
It is the place they think about when they hear the rollicking notes of the old song, “School Days.”
“It was a good school,” recalls Mrs. D. W. Kopp of 922 Fuller Street, the former Elsie Pike, who attended the school as a little girl. “Our teachers were competent and we learned a great deal from them.”
“When I attended it was a good-sized school, even for rural schools of that day. Many of the boys would help their fathers on the farm during the spring and fall, but in the winter they would take up their studies again, and enrollment would climb to 12 or 15. One of my sharpest recollections of the school room was the old iron stove that in cold weather used to blaze fiercely and threaten to burn the building down, but never quite did.”
Bows to Progress
Despite her strong sentimental attachment for Poole school, Mrs. Kopp with good grace bows to the relentless march of progress.
“I’m glad they are going to sell the old building,” she added. “It hasn’t been used for several years and I doubt if the school would ever be reopened. It is the trend of the times. The school is no good to anybody standing there idle. It should be put to good use, and now is a good time to sell it because of the housing shortage.”
None of the boys and girls who studied at Poole school and went to other educational institutions ever achieved great fame, wealth or power, but that the little graded school to the fullest extent achieved its purpose is attested by the integrity of its “alumni” now living in many parts of the country.
Besides Mrs. Kopp, a former pupil living in Muscatine is Mrs. Oliver A. Hazen, the former Grazina Hinrichs.
Former Teacher
A former teacher is Mrs. E. R. Swickard of 409 Park Avenue, wife of the Muscatine County auditor.
Other former pupils included on a random and by no means complete list are Clyde Parks, farmer living near the school; Ben and Will Oostendorp of Nichols and Jim Oostendorp of Iowa City; Ernest and Louis Umschied, who have lived for many years across from the school; Margaret Umschied Gabel, Nichols; Ira Pike, West Liberty; Bill and Louis Pruess; Ray, Neva and Elva McCullough; and Will and Fred Poole, Pike township.
Of the many teachers who have presided over the little school through the years, those first recalled here, besides Mrs. Swickard, were Mrs. Louise Gabel Schroeder, now of Marked Tree, Arkansas; Miss Margaret Doran, now living in Oakland, California; the former Miss Hazel Meyers, now Mrs. George Milder of near Muscatine; Jeannette James; Mina Hargis, who also served as pastor of the Christian church at Nichols; Alberta Wieskamp Bekker; Mrs. Edna Poole Heath, West Liberty; and Lena Gierse, now residing in Wyoming.
Trend of Times
Sale of the Poole building meshes into an educational transition that has become pronounced in Iowa in the past year. Scores of the one-room buildings are going under the auctioneer’s hammer in the state every year as the school bus invades the remote districts to claim farm children for what educators believe are greater opportunities for learning in the town and city institutions.
In Pike township alone, six other buildings are marked for eventual sale, following approval by the voters. These are Pike No. 2, Lacy No. 3, Wild Rose No. 4, Buffalo Bluff No. 5, Adams No. 1, and Willow Grove No. 6.
Increasing scarcity of teacher, high costs of operation and a dwindling birth rate in the rural districts are fast erasing one-room schools from the Iowa map.
The career of Poole No. 7 as school property despite its aura of sentiment and old memories will come to an end Saturday afternoon in a business-like transaction.
Will R. Schmitt, secretary of the school board of Pike township, has advertised that sealed bids will be received up to 11 a.m. Saturday and that the public auction will be conducted at the school at 1 p.m., both oral and written bids to be considered. “Board reserves slate boards and school equipment.”
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