Country School Township Data & History Links

Plymouth County, Iowa

Work in Progress--need your help. History pages depicting the rural country schools of Plymouth Co. are being ADDED. If you have old photos and/or country school memories to share, that would be much appreciated. Thanks ahead of time! email Linda Ziemann

Thanks to all who are sharing their memories, photos, etc. Please keep the stories and photos coming! Each Township houses lots of history.

Country School Teacher Surname Index

NEW * * 24 Townships INDEX- Includes Building History & Photo Links *updated

Early Pioneer Teachers--Teachers before 1915

Early Town Schools with Photo Links

Eighth Grade Rural Graduations

 

 

 

Plymouth Co. Rural Schools - 24 Townships

Rural Twp School History--1890

Rural Twp School History--1907

Decades of School Data and Events

LeMars Semi-Weekly Sentinel, December 28, 1893
THE FIRST SCHOOL.
LeMars, Iowa, Dec. 25, 1893.
EDITOR SENTINEL—You are in error as to who taught the first school in the
log school house south of the present city of LeMars. The Sentinel has
repeatedly said J. H. Betsworth was the first teacher, such is not a fact.
John L. McElhany commenced the first school in this part of the county in a
log house located on the northeast corner of the northwest quarter of
section 20, township 92, range 45. Commencing on June 1, 1868, and closing
August 28. Betsworth taught the next term, beginning December 7, 1868. The
readers of the Sentinel (some of them at least) will be surprised when I
tell them that was no other school house or school in what is now Meadow,
Fredonia, Elgin, America, Marion, Remsen, Henry, Union and Stanton
townships, including LeMars and a strip one mile wide along the east side of
Washington township. Talk about everybody having a school at their door if
you please, everyone living in all of the territory named had to get to the
log house to vote. I have the record to prove all I have said.
~N. Redmon, Secretary school board, America township.

 

1897 Plymouth County Directory--School Directors

1897 Plymouth County Directory--Teachers

State Of Iowa "Teacher's Certificate & Contracts"

Spelling Contest, Friday Evening, February 10, 1911, DALTON OPERA HOUSE AT 7:30

Anna C. Donahoe  1914 Superintendent of Schools

Year-End Souvenir booklet from the Teacher

The Bark ~Future Teacher's of America

The Elson Reader - 1920s

~School Houses at Plym. Co. Fairgrounds

~Check out the MYSTERY SCHOOL HOUSE page


 1915   RULES FOR SCHOOLTEACHERS


1.  You will not marry during the term of your contract.
2.  You are not to keep company with men.
3.  You must be home between the hours of 8:p.m. and 6:a.m. unless attending school functions.
4.  You must not loiter downtown in any of the ice cream stores.
5.  You may not travel beyond the city limits unless you have permission from the chairman of the board.
6.  You may not ride in a carriage or automobile with any man unless he is your father or brother.
7.  You may not smoke cigarettes.
8.  You may not dress in bright colors.
9.  You must wear at least two petticoats.
l0.  Dresses must not be more than 2 inches above the ankle.
11. To keep the school neat and clean you must sweep the floor at least once daily; scrub the floor at least once a week with hot soapy water; clean the blackboards at least once a day; and start the fire at 7 a.m., so the room will be warm by 8:00.
        ~Source: Country Extra, Nov. 2008

Submitted by researcher, Mary Vogt

 

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