Allamakee co. IAGenWeb Project - School Records
new content added June 9-11, 2024

School Index

Waterloo twp. schools
including the Dorchester school

Waterloo township Rural District Schools:

Bear Creek (section 30) * Bergen (section 9) * New Galena (section 35) * Washington (section 22) * Waterloo Ridge (section 18)



Dorchester School Children
Dorchester school children, undated, ca 1911/1912
Dorchester school children, undated, ca 1911/1912
~photo contributed by Janet Koozer
~names of the children contributed by Errin Wilker

Left to Right:

FRONT: Jerome Sires, Adolph Schwartzhoff, Carman Flynn, Floyd SIres, Sylvan Hendrick, Vesta Burroughs, Eva Sires, Edwin Wenig, Lester Dresselhaus, Franklin Wenig, Truman Wenig, William Wensing & Alvin Burmester  

ROW 2: Richard Burroughs, Eloris Flynn, Richard Dresselhaus, Flora Kumpf, Helen Schwartzhoff, Augnes Wensing, Martha Kumpf, Myrell Burroughs, Mary Teff, Edna Burmester & Laura Dehning  

ROW 3: William Wenig, Floyd Kumpf, Vern Sires, William Waters, George Schroeder, Martin Burmester, Harold Schwartzhoff, Milton Bockhouse, Nettie Bockhouse, Myrtle Burroughs, Mary Burroughs, Emma Kumpf  

BACK: Mary Sires, Lawrence Kelley, Marie Sires, Frankie Eisenla, Helen Teff, Dorothy Wenig, Kathleen Eisenla, Henry Schroeder & Fred Bockhouse;  Teacher: Mayme Duggan

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Notes:
A copy of the above photo was originally contributed by Errin Wilker. Janet Koozer had a much clearer photo postcard, which was added in April 2009.

"I came across the photo in my grandpa, Forrest Sires',  photo collection.  It was taken in Dorchester. It was undated." ~Errin Wilker
"I attempted to date the photo with census records. The 1920 census shows Jerome Sires (far left, front row) to have been born in 1905. He looks to be about 6 or 7 years old in the above photo, I'm guessing the photo to have been taken around 1912, give or take a year." ~Sharyl Ferrall, Allamakee co. coordinator

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The photo below is undated and none of the children are identified. It is known to be of the Dorchester school & children, and appears to have been taken in the same time period as the photo above, although not at the same time of year. Note that the children are dressed more warmly than in the top photo.

Dorchester schoolchildren - ca early 1900's
Dorchester schoolchildren - ca early 1900's
~contributed by Errin Wilker

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None of the children are identified in the photo below. Janet believes that there are Dresselhaus children in the photo, but doesn't know which of the children they are.

Dorchester schoolchildren - December 1914
Dorchester schoolchildren - December 1914
Payne photo postcard
~contributed by Janet Koozer

If you can ID any of the children in the bottom two photos, please email the Allamakee co. coordinator.

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School Notes - Washington School, 1935
Mary Schulte, Teacher

Our school closed Thursday, April 18, with a picnic. A large crowd of patrons and friends attended. The teacher treated the children to candy and peanuts.

Anna and Marcella Schulte were neither absent nor tardy during the term.

Pupils who received 100% in their semester tests were: Juline Wenig and Cletus Schulte, spelling; Phyllis Thompson, language; Lucille Schulte and Juline Wenig, geography, and Lucille Schulte, hygiene. The following received an average of 90 or above for the year: Juline Wenig, Lucille Schulte and Phyllis Thompson.

~The Allamakee Journal and Lansing Mirror, Wednesday, May 1, 1935, Lansing, Iowa, Page 7
~transcribed by Cindy (Maust) Smith


School Notes - Waterloo Ridge School, 1935
Agnes Rud, Teacher

Our second six weeks period closed on November 18, with seventeen pupils being neither absent nor tardy: Sylvia, Junior and Harriet Wirth, Dorothy and Elizabeth Droivold, Mancer and Palma Raaen, Helen, Jerome and Gertrude Arlien, Phyllis Grinager, Henry Clauson, Lucille Gunderson, Irene Flatten and Julia Lasseson.

We made Thanksgiving decorations for our room during the vocational periods. The third grade geography class has made three attractive posters for the room too.

All of us have our own desks now, as second-handed single desks were purchased for the schoolroom.

~Source: The Allamakee Journal and Lansing Mirror, Wednesday, December 4, 1935, Lansing, Iowa, Page 3
~transcribed by Cindy (Maust) Smith

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1962
Schools Moved To Dorchester, Readied for Use

The rural Clear Creek and Bear Creek schools, both erected about 1882, have been moved into Dorchester, near the school. They have been remodeled and will be used in the fall.

The basement of the Dorchester school has been remodeled into a hot lunch room to serve approximately 120 pupils attending the three schools. Each of the four teachers will have two grades.

A petition asking a new school at Dorchester is presently being circulated in the Allamakee Commmunity school district. The two schools just moved in are expected to be used until a new school is constructed.

The Washington, Bergen, Harmony and Wheatland schools are being closed and students will be brought by bus into Dorchester.

~Cedar Rapids Gazette, Friday, August 17, 1962, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Page 5
~transcribed by Cindy (Maust) Smith

Note: the named schools were not all located in Waterloo twp.

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