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

From "Snapshots of History" by Mike Avitt:

"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 [July 1890. . . ] is the time frame when the schools were placed about every two miles. . . ."

Lincoln School No. 7 went by many names during its service to the community. In 1894, it was called The Woodbine School. Later it was moved near the Harry GRACE farm and was named the Grace School. When members of the TAYLOR families attended classes in the schoolhouse, it was called the Taylor School. Eventually it was called Lincoln School No. 7.

BACK ROW, Left to Right: Cecil DILLENBURG, Vera CREVELING, Arlo DILLENBURG, teacher - Alice CARGILL, Floyd CREVELING, Vic TOMAN

FRONT ROW, Left to Right: Edd TOMAN, Ted DILLENBURG, Willie McPHERSON, Claude DILLENBURG

Mrs. Louise KESSLER was the teacher for the school year of 1954-55.

BACK ROW, Left to Right: Shirley GOINS, Deanna TAYLOR, Judy TAYLOR, Roger REECE, Roma TAYLOR, Randall DAVENPORT, Dixie TAYLOR, Judy HANSELL

FRONT ROW, Left to Right: Rex GOINS, Marion HANSELL, Marjeana REECE, Gary TAYLOR, Don GOINS

Mrs. Louise KESSLER taught at the Lincoln School during its last nine years. When the school closed in 1957, Mrs. KESSLER and the students moved to the Diagonal School.

Top ROW, left to right: Jack TAYLOR, Karolyn DAVENPORT, Lyndon DAVENPORT, teacher - Louise KESSLER, Larry ARMSTRONG, Clara ADKISSON, Dick TAYLOR

MIDDLE ROW, left to right: Roy BULLOCK, Mary CARSON, Eldon ADKISSON, Deanna TAYLOR, Randall DAVENPORT, Judy TAYLOR, James FLEMING

BOTTOM ROW, left to right: Eddie BROWN, Roma Jean TAYLOR, Eldon CARSON, Janella TAYLOR, Larry BULLOCK, Colleen BULLOCK, Eldon STRANGE

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

From "Snapshots of History" by Mike Avitt:

"As gravel roads and school buses made rural schools obsolete, they were sold. . . .Jefferson Township schools No. 3 [Mortimer/Nulph School], 4 [Brush Center/Cornith School], 6 [Hiawatha School], 7 [Grace/Lincoln/Woodbine/Taylor School], and 8 [Cottonwood] were all sold September 26, 1955 at public auction."

SOURCE: Diagonal, Iowa: Centennial History p. 230. 1998.

Compilation by Sharon R. Becker, April of 2010; updated September of 2015