Jackson Township, Eagle School

At 3619 Johnson St. Rd.  From Keokuk, intersection US61 and Carbide Lane, proceed west on Carbide about 3.7 miles to join Johnson St. Rd, then another 1 1/4 mile Johnson turns 90 degrees north for about 3/4 mile before turning east for about 1/4 mile then back north.  At that last turn north is the school on the corner.  Residence.

First photo is approaching from the west

Photographed 9/26/15

The following photo is provided via Val Root, and shows the school in service.

Jackson #2, Valley School

Built 1873.  At 3876 Valley Rd.  Has a Maypole still in the yard on the south side of the school.  From Keokuk intersection US61 and Johnson St. Rd. proceed west about 1.5 miles to Valley Rd.  Turn south on Valley and proceed 3/4 mile and the school will be on the east side of the road.  Abandoned.

Photographed 9/26/15

The following photo provided via Val Root shows the front of the school when it was still being used as a residence.

Jackson Township, Wende School

At 2496 Johnson St. Rd.  The original school was a log building directly north across the street, and called Allyn school because that was the name of the man who donated the school.  A man named Wende donated the land where the new school stands.  Originally a 2-story, it is used as a 1-story, the top floor having been removed to make high ceilings.  From Keokuk intersection US61 and Johnson St. Rd, proceed west about 1/2 mile.

Photographed on 9/26/15

Sugar Creek Twp #5, Lime City School

Down in the SE corner of Cedar County is Lime City, which is just a dot on the Gazetteer map, and that is where this school is, located next to a cemetery.  Very visible on the north side of I-80, about the 269 mile marker.  If arriving from the west, the best without too much backtracking is to take exit 265 North to Rochester (X46), the turn East on F44/290th Street to Old Muscatine Rd, and then turn south.  Just north of the bridge over I-80 is 306th St on the east side of the road; turn east there and it will take you to the school.  If arriving from the east, take exit 271, and proceed south on US6/SR38 to Old Muscatine Rd and then turn west.  Follow the road to the bridge over I-80, cross the bridge and turn east on 306th St to the school.  Since we first saw it years ago, it has had a new roof and a row of three window on the east side of the front.  There is an old swing set on the east side of the lot.

If anyone has any information about this school, please comment below or email.

This last photo was taken from the south side of I-80 on Old Muscatine Rd.

Photos taken on 8/13/15

UPDATE: The following photos were taken on 6/8/17:

UPDATE 8/27/18: The following three photos were taken in 1935, and are courtesy of Ted Marolf, whose father is the fourth from the left (with little aviator hat) in the first group photo, and his uncle on the pony was a teacher there for a time.

Hoggatt School, Ames, IA

Used as a school from 1862 to 1867.  The school was originally in Washington Township near the intersection of the Lincoln Highway and Maple (St? Ave?).  Used many times also as a church, and moved several times after 1893 until it ended up at 1008 3rd St in Ames, IA, where it was used as a house.

In 1980 the school was donated to the Ames Historical Society, and the following year it was moved to the playground of Meeker Elementary School.  Restoration was completed in 1983. 

Due to construction of new buildings beginning in 2014, the school was moved to its current location on the west side of Meeker Elementary School, just north of 18th St on Burnett Ave.

Full information about the school can be found here.  (Thanks to Casie Vance of the Ames Historical Society for the information about the school.)

Photographed 6/29/15

Grant Township #?, Unknown School

About 1.5 miles east of I35 on Old Lincoln Highway/old US 30/E41.  Exactly .3 miles east of 580th St, on the north side of E41, facing west.  Now a house, address 58327.

Photographed on 6/29/15

Unknown School, North of Colo

This school, which is being used as a garage, is about 3 miles north of Colo on US65, on the east side of the road.  You really don’t notice it when approaching from the north due to trees, but there are three windows on the north side also.  Address is 19820.  Of course there is no telling when or where the school came from.

Photographed on 6/29/15

Sherman #5, Center School

To find this school, proceed 3.5 miles north of Colo on US65 to county road E29/190th St and turn east.  Proceed one mile to 710th Ave, and the school is on the NE corner.  It has been preserved but not restored.  Built 1890.

Photographed on 6/29/15

Washington #6, Center School

This school was originally in Washington Township.  It was moved to the center of the town of State Center, on the south side of Main Street, in 2002, and restored in 2003.  East of county S52, on the old Lincoln Highway (marker in front of the school in first photo.)

Photographed on 6/29/15

Washington #2, Bloody Run or Hardscrabble School

 Built prior to 1893.  From Belleview, proceed south on US52 to County Highway Z15 and turn west .4 mile to 407th Ave. and then turn south.  Proceed 3.1 miles to 18609 407th Ave, Tom Becker’s house.  This is the original location, and the school building has been modified, including adding an upper section.   Sets back from the street up the hill, which makes this the best photo we could get without going on their property.  Restoration and modification began in 1993.

Photographed 6/4/15

Rose Hill School, College Township

The Genealogical Society of Linn County discovered our blog and asked us to be guest speakers at the meeting on May 28th in Cedar Rapids.  We were given tips about a few standing country schools in the region, but this one was ironic.  

Located in the SW portion of Cedar Rapids, this school is on the west side of 21st St SW, just 3/10 mile south of 33rd Ave SW at the SW corner of 37th Ave SW.  Now, when we first moved to the Cedar Rapids area back in December 1995, 33rd Ave SW stopped just east of 21st St, and then didn't begin again until about 10th St.  We had actually driven down 21st St past this school about 1996 or 1997 while just poking around, but we weren't taking school photos until 2003, and probably didn't even notice this was a school back then.

About 3 years ago 33rd Ave was connected by a bridge over the railroad yards, and since then we have frequently driven on this road, never knowing that less than 1/2 mile south was this building!

The school was built ca. 1920, and used until possibly the mid-1950s.

Photographed 5/31/15

UPDATE: The following photos were taken on 1/6/23 and show what a wonderful restoration has taken place.

In School-Days

Still sits the school-house by the road,
A ragged beggar sunning;
Around it still the sumachs grow,
And blackberry-vines are running.

Within, the master’s desk is seen,
Deep scarred by raps official;
The warping floor, the battered seats, 
The jack-initial;

The charcoal frescoes on its wall;
Its door’s worn sill, betraying
The feet that, creeping slow to school,
Went storming out to playing!

Long years ago a winter sun
Shone over it at setting;
Lit up its western window-panes,
And low eaves’ icy fretting.

It touched the tangled golden curls,
And brown eyes full of grieving,
Of one who still her steps rely
When all the school are leaving.

For near her stood the little boy
Her childish favor singled;
His cap pulled low upon a face
Where pride and shame were mingled.

Pushing with restless feet the snow
To right and left he lingered; —
As restlessly her tiny hands
The blue-checked apron fingered.

He saw her lift her eyes; he felt
The soft hand’s light caressing,
And hear the tremble of her voice,
As if a fault confessing.

“I’m sorry that I spelt the word:
I hat to go above you,
Because,” —the brown eyes lower fell. —
“Because, you see, I love you!”

Still memory to a gray-haired man
That sweet child-face is showing.
Dear girl! the grasses on her grave
Have forty years been growing!

He lives to learn, ini life’s hard school,
How few who pass above him
Lament their triumph and his loss, 
Like here, — because they love him.

John Greenleaf Whitter, from The Best Loved Poems of the American People.

Putnam #?, Roger's Grove School

Proceed east out of Ely on Banner Valley Rd to Roger’s Grove Rd and turn north.  Continue north on Roger’s Grove Rd for about 2 miles to Ivanhoe Road.  At Ivanhoe turn east and proceed about 3/4 mile to Old School Rd, which is only on the north side and is a dead end road.  The school was on the NW corner;  all that is left of the school is the foundation, and the rubble which has collapsed into it.

(This link has a photo of this school in 1981)

This first photo was taken from the road intersection.

After climbing up the hill, we were able to photograph the foundation from looking over the fence.

Walking along the roadside a bit further north, this shot abeam the north end of the foundation is looking WSW.

Climbing up to the fence gives a closer view, looking SSW.

Walking a bit further north, we can see the north end of the foundation.

Here is the north side of the foundation.

One last shot from farther north on Old School road, looking south.

Photographed on 4/5/15

The following photo, taken in 1981, was provided by Barb Horak: