Zearing, Iowa 1956 History

A few years after the above report the question developed which decided the fate of the Wickham school. The school house needed repairing. Horatio C. Wickham and neighbors living in the immediate vicinity wanted to rebuild the Wickham school. Residents living near the Hardin county line wanted a school house nearer their homes. The final decision resulted in a new school house located between the Wickham school and the Hardin county line.

After the death of Horatio C. Wickham in 1912, his daughter, Eliza, inherited the forty acres containing the Wickham school house. Horatio's son-in-law, Henry A. Cerka, bought the forty acres and the abandoned school house from Eliza. Henry moved the school house to his home which was located in the southwest corner of Section 10. He used the building as a private garage.

The building has been remodeled into a double garage. Several years ago Delos Cerka showed me the Wickham school motto which at that time was still visible on the wall of the garage. The motto, "Not how much but how well," had survived the ravages of time. There was also a sign, “Welcome, 1887.”

A meeting of the citizens was held this afternoon, Saturday, March 2, 1867. Samuel X. Oakes was chosen chairman and Horatio C. Wickham, secretary pro tem. The meeting then proceeded to an election of three sub directors to serve for the ensuing year.

Henry Norton's vote was challenged but he finally swore it in.

The meeting then proceeded to a ballot resulting in the election of Wallace H. Terwilliger, Alonso Stebbins, and Horatio C. Wickham as sub directors.

It was moved and seconded to levy a tax of 3 mills on the dollar upon the assessed valuation of the property in the township for the contingent fund. Carried.

It was moved and seconded to hold ten months of school during the year.

There being no further business the meeting adjourned.

The above minutes were copied from the official ledger. The minutes appeared in the ledger in the hand writing of Horatio C. Wickham.

The April 25, 1868, meeting awarded a contract to build the second school house in Lincoln township. The school house was to be located in the northwest corner of the NE¼ of Section 8. In later years the school was called the Beach school.

The following bids were submitted for the building:

Nicholas A. Ufford was awarded the contract.