Keokuk County Iowa IAGenWeb - 1904 School Essay Contest

In the year 1863, during the trying times of the Civil War, when the nation was divided against itself, this part of Iowa had not been settled long. Schools were scarce, and although most of the able-bodied men had enlisted, those who remained at home were anxious to educate their children. So, they leased a piece of land ten rods square of Anthony Sunnyfrank for 99 years, or as long as it should be used for school purposes. This land is located one half mile west of Kinross, as what was then known as the Westfall corner, and is now known as the Moler Farm.

On this lot a schoolhouse known as the “Hawkeye” was built, a one room building, facing the south, with three windows on each side. The ground had neither trees nor a well on it. The water was carried from the Westfall corner.

In 1880, a new schoolhouse was built in the town of Kinross on a lot 8 rods square, on the corner of North and Main Street, which was a beautiful and healthy location. This building was 24 x 36 feet facing west with four windows on each side, was painted green on the inside, white on the outside, and was heated by a stove. There were a few nice shade trees, also a good well and pump on this ground.

The old “Hawkeye” schoolhouse was sold, moved to town and furniture kept in it for some time. Later it was fitted up for a dwelling house, and it is owned by Joe Moler of Iowa City and is occupied by Dr. Boone.

About the year 190?, the people of Kinross began to awaken to the educational interest of their children, The school building was too small, and one teacher insufficient to teach the number of pupils. Something would have to be done. They would be obliged to enlarge the building or build a new schoolhouse. The schoolboard called a meeting and held an election to decide whether a new school house should be built. It was found that the majority of the voters were in favor of building. The old school building and grounds were given to W.H. Wagaman in exchange for the new site of 2.31 acres on North Street. This is one of the most beautiful and healthy locations to be found in the vicinity.

In the old schoolhouses, spelling schools, lectures, and literacies were held. Sunday school was also taught there until the Methodist church was built. In 1901 the
second schoolhouse was repainted and fitted up for a dwelling house; in 1903 it was remodeled again and has since been used by an organization known as the “Mystic Toilers.”

In 1901, the present school building 44 x 48 was erected by O.H. Dunlap of Kalone, at the cost of about $4500.00. This [is a] two-story slate roofed, brick building, facing the south, with a door and six windows in front and a basement underneath. This building has four school rooms, two halls, and four cloak rooms. There is a double stairway and there are three small closets on the lower floor. Each school room has five windows. The windows of three rooms are supplied with sash curtains and window shades of which some roll and some do not. The west room on the lower floor contains 31 single seats, one recitation seat, the teacher’s desk and chair, and a table for primary work. The east room on the upper floor has twelve double seats, teacher’s desk and chair. The west room on the upper floor has never been used.

Heretofore the Kinross school has had no library, but this year a library of seventy-one volumes was purchased.

The building is not painted on the outside, but on the inside the work is finished in hard oil. We have very few pictures. Among those that we have are the pictures of the Presidents, Leslie M. Shaw and Prince Henry.

The school is well supplied with maps and we have one globe and a Webster’s dictionary. But we have no lamps, no charts, and no apparatus.

The two rooms on the lower floor and the halls are heated by a furnace. This furnace is a very poor one. It will heat the rooms but it takes a great amount of coal to do so. The hot air comes in at the top of the room, and the cold goes out at the bottom so while your head is hot your feet are very cold. This furnace could please no on except a coal dealer. The east room on the upper floor when used was heated by a stove.

The children are called to school morning and noon by a fine bell which was paid for by giving entertainments and by popular subscription. The bell is located in the tower on the top of the building.

There is a large playground on each side of the schoolhouse. The yard, on which there are some sidewalks, a good well and pump, and about 230 trees, is fenced on three sides only by a wire fence. There is no fence in front.

Among the many teachers that taught in the old schoolhouses were Mr. Brower, Mr. Samuel Potts, Miss Myrtle Rose, Miss Lloyd, Miss Nettie Pine, Miss Nora Weimer, Mr. Mitchener, Miss Zoe Funk, William Wine, Edgar Squires, and Miss Olga Cross. And among the many pupils who went there were the Funks of whom Harry Funk is an editor, John Funk Telegraph Operator, Zoe Funk School Teacher; the Molers of whom Joe Moler was a merchant and lawyer; Ida Moler, school teacher; Joe Seitssinger who was a soldier in the Philippines, now a telegraph operator in Wellman; Loy Walters a minister of the gospel, and may successful farmers of whom I will mention William Wagaman, Thomas Wagaman, and Andree Moler.

The teachers who have taught since the present schoolhouse has been built are as follows: Prin. Hawk, Mrs. Hawk, and Miss Byrie Conger. This year there are two teachers, Principal H.P. Trombo of Warren County, Iowa, and Miss Jennie Miller of South English, Iowa.

The school was not graded unit 1901 when Prin. Hawk and Miss Cross began the work of grading.

The regularity and punctuality of the pupils is almost perfect.

The visits made by the parents and school board, who seem to take great pride in the school, are very numerous.

So far none of the pupils have graduated here, but this year there will be two graduates, Miss Genevieve Fischer and Miss Lucy Lytle.

There are scholars from the adjoining district now attending school, and we hope that in the near future those districts will join us and make ours a consolidated school, as the building is large and is admirably situated for such a school. We would then employ more of the best teachers; our library would be one that any town might well be proud of. All necessary material for kindergarten and primary work could be furnished, also the necessary material for high school work, in fact all the modern apparatus necessary to make a school perfect.

Pictures might be placed in the rooms to make them more pleasant and home like for the teachers and pupils who spend so much time there. A new furnace could be placed in the basement so not only the lower but also the upper rooms could be heated by steam.

I would like to see a fine fence placed in front of the schoolhouse, a nice lawn carefully kept, with gravel walks through the grounds to the fine grove which [we] will soon have. Beside the walks, shrubs, and rare flowers could be planted. The pupils could care for them which would aid them in their study of nature and art, and also make the ground attractive around the schoolground. On the lawn, I would like to see a playing fountain with its soft musical sound where we could see the beautiful tints of the rainbow in the falling drops of water.

I would like to see school gardens introduced in our school so that the pupils could be taught something in the agriculture line as that is one of the chief occupations in our state and a work shop and tools for manual training. Then a great many of the pupils would be more interested than if only certain lines of study were taken up. The girls too, could learn the art of cooking, sewing, and all accomplishments necessary to make homes beautiful and happy. I would also like to see a department for the instruction in the higher branches of literature, art, and science, also a commercial high school which would go deeper into the ethics of commercial activity than a business college.

It is to be borne in mind that the children now growing up will soon take their places among active men of business, become taxpayers, and lawmakers. Therefore, with an agricultural school, manual training, the elective system, commercial education and moral training, the education of the heart and hand as well as the mind would be complete and the pupils who graduate from such a school will be an honor to the community in which they live and be well prepared for any position, or vocation in life, whether that of successful farmer or leader of our nation.

Then my school, which had its beginning in the nation’s terrible crisis, which was neglected so long and improved so rapidly the last few years, will be ranked not only among the best in Keokuk County but in the state of Iowa.