Allamakee co. IAGenWeb Project - School Records
new content added 09/04/2021

School Index


Postville Schools
Photos & history


...the footsteps & laughter of generations of children are now gone ...



early Postville school house, ca 1908
Public School, Postville, Iowa
~photo postcard postmarked 1908, contributed by Errin Wilker

This early Postville school house was located on the lot where the high school was built. Past & Present of Allamakee County; Ellery M. Hancock, 1913, Chapter 22, probably describes this old school: "In 1871 a two-story and basement brick building was erected on block 29 of Lawler's addition, which has been improved from time to time, and now is steam heated and equipped with modern school conveniences, including laboratory and library. In or about 1882 increased room for the growing attendance was provided by the purchase of the old Free Baptist church. The school now (1913) has six departments, and an enrollment of 270." The photo below, is undated, but was taken in front of this school. The children are posed on bleachers under the windows.

3rd & 4th grade,  Postville school, ca 1895-1905
Written on this photo: "3rd & 4th grade Postville"

The photo was contributed by R. Mealer. He says it was in his grandmothers estate, and that that one of his ancestors is probably in the photo, but doesn't know which child or which ancestor. The clothing of the children suggests that the photo was taken ca1895-1905. In February 1914, when Postville was getting ready to build a new school, this article was published in the Postville Review:

Former residents here, scarcely without exception, always have a warm spot in their hearts for Postville. No matter how long they may have been gone, or how well they have prospered, they retain a friendly feeling for the "old home town," and note with real pleasure every stride forward to newer and better things. Among the many who have gone out fro here to other fields, none have remained more loyal to Postville than has John E. (alias Dutch) Sheehy, of Grand Forks, N.D., and he is very much interested now in our getting a new school house, and in a letter of recent date has the following pertinent thereto:

"I do not know what improvements have been made in the Old Red Brick since I helped in wearing out it's floors, but if there has not been great improvements made, especially in a sanitary way, the humane society ought to have all you Postville taxpayers doing time. I have noticed your school levy under the present situation and what it will be by having the building you desire and have compared it to what we are paying here in Grand Forks. ...."

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Miscellaneous school staff & teachers

1892
The school board met last Monday evening and selected a teacher for the intermediate department, thus filling the list. Below we give the complete list and the departments over which they will preside:

Principal - E.H. Hurd
Asst. Principal - Alice Tetherly
Grammar Dept. - Ellison Orr
Intermediate Dept. - Cora Kinsley
First Primary - Cora Darling
Second Primary - Gertrude Wheeler

~Postville Review, Sat., 23 July 1892
~contributed by Reid R. Johnson

1896
At the last meeting of the school board the following instructors were chosen to look after the interest of our public schools for the ensuing year.

Principal - T. V. Hunt
Asst. Principal - Miss Sala
Grammar Dept. - Nannie McKinley
Intermediate Dept. - Alma Gray
Second Primary - Ollie Orr
First Primary - Cora Darling

~Postville Review, Sat., May 23, 1896
~contributed by Reid R. Johnson

1897
The school board at its meeting held on Monday evening elected the following teachers for the coming year:

Principal - F. Harvey of Holland, Michigan
Asst. Principal - Clara Alward
Grammar - Mary Mickelson
Intermediate - Sarah Prescott
Second Grade - Olive Orr
First Grade - Cora B. Darling

~Iowa Volksblatt, June 4, 1897
~contributed by Reid R. Johnson

1898
On Wednesday evening the school board finished the work of hiring the teachers. Miss Sala was chosen as assistant principal again. All the other teachers remain as now. The board is the proper authority to do this work and we have no desire to antagonize its action in any respect. Following is the compliment of teachers for the ensuing year:

Principal - H. L. Coffeen
Asst. Principal - Miss Ida Sala
Grammar - Miss Mary Mickelson
Intermediate - Miss Sara Prescott
2nd Primary - Miss Olive Orr
1st Primary - Miss Cora Darling

~Postville Review, Fri., 27 April 1898
~contributed by Reid R. Johnson

1910
The following corps of teachers have been selected to look after the marksmanship of the young ideas of Postville;

Supt. - F. M. Phillips
Principal - Lena Hecker
Asst. Principal - Lucy E. Latham
Music - Mabel Huntoop
Grammer - Esther M. Yearous
First Int. - Flora A. Franklin
Second Int. - Bertha C. Meyer
First Primary - Cora B. Darling
Second Primary - Olive Orr

~Postville Review, Friday, August 19, 1910
~contributed by Reid R. Johnson

1913-14
School Opens Sept. first. The following corps of instructors, whose capabilities are above average, will devote all their energies and abilities to help your boys and girls in school life and prepare them for life's school.

Superintendent - J. S. Hilliard, of Iowa City
Principal - Ray J. Clampitt, of Iowa City
Assistant Priincipal and German - Lillian Miller, of Iowa City
Music and English - May McKay, of Garrison, Iowa
Grammar - Flora Franklin, of Postville
Second Intermediate - Harriet J. Little, of Prosper, Minn.
First Intermediate - Madge Woodward, of Elgin, Minn.
Second Primary - Mae Ryan, of Waukon
First Primary - Cora B. Darling, of Postville

~Postville Review, Friday, August 22, 1913
~contributed by Reid R. Johnson

1918

Superintendent - Mrs. G. W. Hunt
Principal and Normal Training - Miss Edna Stoldt of Odebolt
Mathematics - Miss Lillian Wolin of Des Moines
English - Miss Mary Fulton of Grinnell
Music and High School - Miss Frances Cronin of Iowa City
Domestic Science - Miss Helen Andrews of Shawano, Wis.
Manual Training - Miss Mary B. Wilson of Rewey, Wis.
Eighth Grade - Mrs. Flora Franklin
Departmental Instructor - Miss Pearl Middlebrook of Riceville
Third and Fourth Grades - Miss Lydia Schukei of Waukon
Second Primary - Miss Louise Jones of McGregor
First Primary - Miss Cora B. Darling

~Postville Herald, Friday, June 14, 1918
~contributed by Reid R. Johnson

1922

The corps of teachers for the coming year have all been selected, and are as follows:

Superintendent - L. S. Tireman
Principal - Dortha Herrick
English & Latin - Dortha Jacobs
Commercial - J. H. Williams
Domestic Science - Anna Putnam
Normal Training - Beulah Scott
Music - Gertrude Pierce
Manual Training & Eighth Grade - Robert Holliday
7th Grade - Loretta Mejskell
6th Grade - Juanita Loper
5th Grade - Amelia Bruenne
4th Grade - Josaphine Lierse
3rd Grade - Lena Jared
2nd Grade - Florence Marston
1si Grade - Cora B. Darling

~Postville Herald, Thursday, August 10, 1922
~contributed by Reid R. Johnson

1923

Superintendent - L. S. Tireman
Principal - Dorothy Herrick
Normal Training - Beulah Scott
Language - Dorothea Jacobs
Commercial - Amy K. Meier
Music - Ione M. Lane
Manual Training and Coach - J. T. Smith
Domestic Science - Anna Putnam
Principal Junior High - Josephine Liers
Sixth Grade - Mabel Dilcher
Fifth Grade - Amelia Bruene
Fourth Grade - Alta King
Third Grade - Lena Jared
Second Grade - Florence Marston
First Grade - Cora B. Darling
Janitor - Peter Service

~Postville Herald, Thur., August 30, 1923
~contributed by Reid R. Johnson

1925

Superintendent - L. S. Tireman
Principal - Amy K. Meier
Agriculture - Reno Smith
Coach and Manual Training - Palmer O. Johnson
English - Kathryn Bryan
Social Science and English - Margaret Hill
Domestic Science - Lois Farrington
Music - Sylvia M. Dorweiler
Principal Junior High - Margaret E. Ryan
Asst. Junior High - Alice Kegley
Fifth Grade - Amelia Bruen
Fourth Grade - Ada DeVries
Third Grade - Helen Fuller
Second Grade - Rachel Minton
First Grade - Cora B. Darling

~Postville Herald, Thursday, August 27, 1925
~contributed by Reid R. Johnson

1926
The board of education has finished its work of hiring teachers for next year and it goes without saying they have been very careful in making their selections. The Postville schools have ranked with the best schools in the state for some years past – a fact of which we all are proud – and that they are to be maintained at the same high standard will meet with hearty approval from the public. With the exception of four teachers the force next year will be the same as is now in charge. Secretary Geo. S. Tuttle hands us the following list of those who will next year comprise the teaching force:

Superintendent – R.D. Noble
Principal – Amy K. Meier
Manual Training and coach – Palmer O. Johnson
Smith-Hughes Agriculture – Fred C. O’Riley
Social Science and History – Margaret Hill
English and Latin – Katherine Bryan
Home Economics – Lois Farrington
Music – Sylvia Dorweiler
Junior High Principal – Claretta Staary
Junior High – Mary K. Hanson
Fifth Grade – Amelia Bruene
Fourth Grade – Ada De Vries
Third Grade – Helen Fuller
Second Grade – Rachel Minton
First Grade – Cora B. Darling

~Postville Herald, May 13, 1926
~contributed by Diana Diedrich

1952-3 School Year - Newly hired teachers

LaVonne Brudos
Miss LaVonne Burdos for 6th grade
(correct spelling of her surname is Brudos)
James R. Prostman
James R. Prostman for 7th & 8th grades English, Social Studies, Physical Education.

~Postville Herald, Wed. June 6, 1952
~contributed by Reid R. Johnson

 
Postville Community School District, list of staff & teachers salaries for 1963 - 1964 school year:

Staff or teacher Salary Staff or teacher Salary
Kenneth Cook
Jack Sapp
Chester Bender
Lewis Larson
Eldean Drewes
Lawrence Miland
Marilyn Miland
Kathryn Davis
Larry Anderson
Robert Bell
James Foster
Joseph Millard
Raymond Bachman
May Dawn Dean
Donna Edwards
Robert Hein
Florence Hoth
Carl Johnson
Robert Miller
Sally Svenson
Geneva Waters
Robert Prigge
Daryll Stenberg
Calvin Moe
Nancy Gary
9,193.33
7,500.00
7,000.00
5,886.66
6,367.50
5,272.50
4,900.00
4,600.00
4,600.00
6,300.00
6,702.00
5,222.00
4,900.00
4,957.50
4,800.00
5,357.50
4,765.00
4,800.00
5,587.50
4,800.00
5,894.00
5,000.00
5,300.00
5,365.00
4,800.00
Rupert Kneef
Helen Stegen
Dorothea Holtzman
Marlene Schmidtke
Carol Druecker
Gladys Iverson
Elmira Cordes
Llorraine Sorenson
Annette Robinson
Virginia Lammert
Kathleen Rose
Bonnie Johnson
Deliene Hager
Jerre Henthorne
Harriet Jevne
Georgie Riley
Ellen Thompson
LaVonne Groth
Agnes Bishop
Hazel Ziegler
Ida Duffy
Linda Widner
Pauline Jung
Amanda Meyer
Audrey Drewes
5,600.00
4,499.00
4,167.50
4,499.00
4,600.00
3,800.00
4,045.00
4,957.50
3,600.00
4,167.50
4,045.00
4,600.00
4,167.50
3,600.00
4,800.00
3,600.00
4,045.00
4,765.00
4,957.50
4,700.00
4,167.50
3,600.00
5,272.50
5,272.50
4,957.50

Source: Postville Herald, July 29, 1964
Contributed by Reid R. Johnson

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K.T. Cook, Postville schools superintendent for 27 years

Postville schools superintendent K.T. Cook, 1950

The Postville Herald, Wednesday, November 8, 1972, noted the resignation of Kenneth T. Cook as Superintendent of Postville schools effective June 30, 1973, after 27 years of service in the Postville schools system, due to his reaching retirement age that fall. The above photo is from the Postville Herald Wednesday, March 22, 1950. The accompanying article noted that he had just been rehired for a three years term as Superintendent of Postville schools.
~contributed by Reid R. Johnson

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Postville High School, ca1915
Postville High School, ca1915
~photo contributed by S. Ferrall (1968 PHS graduate)

The new school was built in 1914, on the knoll where the Old Red Brick School stood nearly in the center of Postville. The school consisted of two stories of class-rooms and a basement gym. In 1984 the decision was made to raze the school.... a bad decision that still brings tears to the eyes of many former PHS graduates, because the old building was structurally sound ...
.....but memories can't be razed or replaced. Many footsteps were heard at good 'ole PHS over the 70 years that the building stood & many memories were made.



Postville High School, ca 1920's
~photo contributed by Steven Bareis

PHS ca 1930's
Postville HS, ca 1930's
~photo contributed by S. Ferrall (1968 PHS graduate)
PHS, ca 1940's
Postville HS, ca 1940's after the 'new' gymnasium was added on
~photo contributed by S. Ferrall (1968 PHS graduate)

 

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