Rock Creek #7, Kellogg

Coming back from the State Fair in Des Moines yesterday, we left Interstate 80 at exit 173 and went north into Kellogg where we learned there was a school preserved, where it was moved from seven miles away to be part of a museum collection.  It is downtown next to an old church.

State Fair Grounds, Des Moines

This school is just a replica.  They had a real school which was moved here in 1968 and we never got a shot of it.  Last year it was so infested with termites that they tore it down at the end of the fair.  For this season, they built this nice replica, which we photographed yesterday.

Hickory Grove School, Near Ogden, IA

Yesterday, after riding the Boone & Scenic Valley Railroad, we went to find the Shelly Memorial Bridge and found this school.  This school was relocated, but I don't know from where.  There is an old church and parsonage just east of it on the same corner.

This school can be found about 1 1/2 miles east of Ogden on the southwest corner of County route E41 (Lincoln Highway) and J Avenue.

The school was used from 1889 to 1956.

These new photos were taken on 10/10/15:

Taylor #4, Weatherbee School

This school was moved to Marshalltown, IA, where we were passing through yesterday on our way to Boone.  It is just north of Main Street on 2nd Avenue.  As you can see, the one side has no windows, and that is the side the desks faced the blackboard.

Carroll Township #2, Iowa

Our last school of the day was the one preserved in Dysart.  It is located on Crisman Street just north of the city park, and behind an old church serving as the history society building.  This school is well preserved, but the windows had blinds so we couldn't get a shot inside.  Again, you can see the moon in a shot.  It was used from 1939 until 1961, and was moved here in October 2003.

Carroll Township #6, Iowa

Once we arrived in Clutier, we found the school with work being done on the front stoop and the bell tower.  Tom said this was exactly what #5 looked like before it was a barn, except that the one side has only one window; instead, the back has windows. (The cloak room on each side also had a window)  It had to do with which way faced the sun.  Since the back had windows, the class faced the virtually-windowless side which had blackboards.

Carroll Township #?, Iowa

After listening to the many stories about his life in the "country school," Tom and his wife Vickie departed while we were still taking photos.  When we finished our photography, we headed east on 245th Street towards Clutier.  About a mile and 1/2 west of town, where 245th stops as we turned south on R Ave we saw an old school sitting on the SE corner of R and 250th Street (which was the road to Clutier).  So we pulled up the hill on R Ave to get photos.  While there, Tom & Vickie showed up and Tom said they were heading over to Clutier to see the progress on the school, and he had forgotten all about this one.  Tom didn't know it's number, but it is still in Carroll Township.  Just before rejoining 250th eastbound, we stopped at the bottom of the hill so Jill could shoot the last one.  Notice the moon.

Carroll Township #5, Center School

Yesterday, 8/15/10, we decided to head over to Traer to see a school that was supposed to be there.  Arriving in town, I decided to ask a local for directions to the location, so I pulled over when I saw people outside a community center where a family reunion was just held.  I was told that school no longer existed.  Bummer.  Then I was questioned as to why I was looking for it, which led to the explanation of all this hobby stuff.  One gentleman, Tom Podhajsky, said there was a school down by his farm which is now used to store hay, but was the one he used to go to - Carroll #5.  Others in the the group began talking and we learned there was #6 about 1 1/2 miles from #5, but that it was moved to the nearby town of Clutier.  Another one, # 2, had been moved to Dysart.


Well, this was sort of exciting!  So Tom offered to lead us down to #5 since it was on his way home.  From   Traer we travelled south on US63 to PP Ave on our left, and headed south down that road until ended at 220th St.  We turned west a short distance to P Ave and then headed south again.  About 1/4 mile south of 245th we pulled up to the school.

As you can see, the south wall with the door is missing.  There is a lean-too on each side, and the east side is for the cattle to come into some shelter.

UPDATE 10/14/15:   We learned at a country school conference this past weekend that this school has been torn down.

Campton School, Lamont, IA

We found this school on the northeast corner of Buchanan-Delaware county line road and County Route CR64, which was really about 3 miles east of Lamont.  The school says "museum" on it, but when we pushed the door open to look in, it was quite a shambles and everything was covered in dust, so it's been a while since it was even a museum.