West Point School No. 7, Grant Township, was located approximately six miles southwest of Diagonal. It was moved from its original site in 1916 to a location 1/4 a mile east of the corner on Goose Pond Road. During the late 1950's, West Point School was closed.

SOURCE: Diagonal, Iowa: Centennial History p. 223. 1998.

Mount Ayr Record News
Mount Ayr, Ringgold County, Iowa

One of the highlights of country school days of yesterday was having the school picture taken. This is the West Point school, which was located 1 1/2 miles north of Benton and 1/2 mile west, as it looked in 1892. The only student still living is circled in the third row, Marion STEPHENS.

Students in the picture are:

FRONT ROW, from left: May Watts, Sarah Watts, Mary Stephens (Polley), Alta Rains (Benson), Maude England, Teresa England.

SECOND ROW, from left: May Lowder (Homer), Alice Watts, Jessie Price, Mary McFarland (King), Minnie Fertig (Gunter), Anna England (Haberman), Laura Stephens (Link), Susan England (Berry).

THIRD ROW, from left: Avery Fertig, Marion Stephens, Jack McFarland, Ray Easter, Ed England, Al Stephens, Melvin White, Etta Fertig (Zike).

FOURTH ROW, from left: Lea Easter, Charles Watts, Jim Rains, Walter Stephens, Curt Price, Belle Fertig (Jarvis), George Rains, Rena Price (Lane).

FIFTH ROW, from left: Daisy England (Griffith), teacher Laura Worthington (King), Emma England (Griffith), Clarence Barcus, Etta Rains (Cheers), Mary Watts, Myrtle Price, and Hattie Fertig (Johnson).

Submission by Ann Wyer, April of 2012

Miss Barbara KELLER was the teacher at West Point, Grant No. 7 School, for the school year of 1954-55.

Mount Ayr Record-News
Mount Ayr, Ringgold County, Iowa
Thursday, February 26, 2015, Page 11

By Mike Avitt

Before Bob and Sheila Shafer moved to Minnesota, they donated some atlases and plat books to the Mount Ayr Depot Musuem. One of the plat books contained a map giving the locations and names of the rural schools in Ringgold County at that time. The maps appears to be from the mid-30s and also gives the names of Ringgold County's creeks. Did you know that the name of the creek used to create Loch Ayr was called Chances Creek? I didn't know that. Thanks Bob and Sheila!

When rural schoolhouses were first built in Ringgold County, they were built where the need was the greatest. But eventually districts were formed and education became organized. It was decided to place a rural school every two miles so a pupil would never have to walk more than a mile to school. My notes say Middle Fork No. 3 [Clipper School] was moved to the geographical center of that district in late July 1890. So I'm guessing this is the time frame when the schools were placed about every two miles. Many schoolhouses burned but were rebuilt on the same location.

As gravel roads and school buses made rural schools obsolete, they were sold. Most were moved and served in some capacity. The ones that were sold were sold one at a time until October 22, 1951 when Cozy Corner [Tingley Twp. No. 3], Eighme School [Tingley Twp. No 9], and Bridge Academy [Tingley Twp. No. 4] all sold at public auction for around $600 each.

Sales were common during the 1950s. Jefferson Township schools No. 3 [Mortimer/Nulph School], 4 [Willow Grove School], 6 [Hiawatha School], 7 [Cottonwood School], and 8 [Cornith/Brush College School] were all sold September 26, 1955 at public auction. No. 8 was Cottonwood and became a residence at 300 East Jackson Street in Mount Ayr. It was torn down a few years ago, but I got a picture of it before it fell.

July 23, 24, and 25, 1959, saw seventeen rural schools sold at public auction with Gary McCullough buying four of them. Those four were also moved to Mount Ayr where they became homes. Charlie Miller bought Athens No. 4, Salem School, and moved it to his farm in Poe Township.

According to the notes I've taken from the Mount Ayr-Record News, the Mount Ayr School District owned the last three active rural schools and those were Poe No. 6 [Saltzman School], Lotts Creek No. 2 [Caledonia School] and Lotts Creek No. 5 [Oak Ridge School]. These schools were open for the 1959-60 school year. The Mount Ayr School District also owned Poe No. 9, Urbana, but used only for storage.

On September 10, 1960, the last three active schools were sold at public auction. Poe No. 6 (Saltzman) was purchased by Sam Adams for $350. Lotts Creek No. 5 (Watterson) was sold to Ted Hightshoe for $200.

I wrote an article for the February 10, 2005 Mount Ayr Record-News about rural schools and where they are today. Since that writing I know of two schools that have been lost. The aforementioned Cottonwood School at 300 E. Jackson and Side Hill School, Liberty No. 4, which was torn down in, I believe, late 2005.

Thanks to Diane Case for this week's picture. I had never seen a picture of West Point School so I was happy to get a copy. I don't know what happened to West Point but I'll keep looking. The auto in the photo is a 1957 Chevy so I put the date about 1960.

Compilation and transcriptions by Sharon R. Becker, April of 2010; updated April of 2012; updated October of 2012; updated September of 2015