This hazy picture, taken in mid- summer some time in the
late fifties, almost captures the hazy memory of our fine school.
Note the `extremely' tall chimney of this scene when compared to the pictures on pages 4, 5, and 9.
was called Smith School as the Marion Smith family owned the 320 acres across the road to the west and Fred Smith owned the 80 acre farm across the road to the south. At the Bateman School (No.9); the Bateman family owned 240 acres across the road to the south, and the quarter Sec where the school was. Another example was School Number. 1, the very northeast school. It was referred to as the Hegland School (not to be confused with another Hegland School that was few miles east of Roland) and the Hegland family owned property a quarter mile south of this school. On the other hand, the Randau School (No.4) was on a portion of the property owned by the Randau family but Mr Randau was probably the director also.
In the early portion of the twentieth century (especially 1906-1925), throughout Iowa, a surging of interest built for the closing and the consolidation of the rural one room schools. By reading the literature of the time, it is difficult to ascertain from where this groundswell originated. Nevertheless, one can pick up an underlying current of a property tax money grab under the guise of better education. Occasionally every voter in a subdistrict would sign a petition and vote opposing the consolidation only to have that petition denied and the consolidation forced upon them by the gerrymandering of district borders. Three of the things that increased the perceived quality of education that coincided with the consolidation movement of the period (1906-1925) were the tightening of attendance requirements; Secondly, the extension of the school
Following is a very brief summary of the nine subdistrict schools with their location and a name or two for each:
Subdistrict one- called the Hegland School in the late 19th century.
located in the very northeast corner of Sec of Sec 11.
Subdistrict two- North School, aka Blackberry (some have called it Blueberry)
located in the very southwest corner of Sec 4. Durby school in 1908..
Subdistrict three- Pleasant Grove, aka Sowers
located in the very northeast corner of Sec 7. New "Coal Shed" 1911.
Subdistrict four- Milford School, aka Randau in the teens. Rebuilt in 1903.
located in the very southeast corner of Sec 18. (two miles west of MTCS).
Subdistrict five- Center School, Curtiss School, Smith School. Rebuilt in 1903.
located in the very southwest corner of Sec 15..
Subdistrict six- McNichols school, also probably called the Confare School
located in the very northeast corner of Sec 23..
Subdistrict seven- was called the Tarman School in the teens
located in the very southwest corner of Sec 25..
Subdistrict eight- South School
located in the very southeast corner of Sec 28..
Subdistrict nine- Bridwell School, aka Bateman School, aka Warren School
located in the very southwest corner of Sec 29.
In 1908 the schools were: #1 -Christian #2 -Durby #3 -Sowers #4 -Kooser #5 -Vail #6 -McDonald #7 -Kelly #8 -Melohn #9 -Pettinger
In 1909 the schools were: #1 -Danielson #2 -Peterson #3 -Kimble #4 -Randau #5 -Molde? #6 -Smith #7 -Sanders? #8 -Boland #9 -Pettinger
In 1911 the schools were: #1 -Danielson #4 -Randau #5 -Smith #6 -McDonald #9 -Pettinger