Earlier this Summer, I moved into the basement of a building that was once a schoolhouse. Although this building has been rennovated and moved from its original location, tell-tale signs of its history remain. A belltower balances precariously on the roof; chalkboards and cubbyholes line the walls of the main floor. Curious about the origins of the repurposed schoolhouse, I am currently perusing sources in the Richardson Collection in the hopes of finding documentation or a photograph that identitfies the name and original location of my schoolhouse. While I have not completed my search yet, I have found some interesting images. It is important to note that Phillip L. Brown took the the majority of the photographs below for the Country School House Legacy project. Funded by a National Endowment of the Humanities grant and sponsored by the Mountain Plains Library Association (MPLA), the Country School Legacy project sought to secure and preserve the historical significance of rural schools in eight states: Kansas, Colorado, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming. From 1980-1981, each state involved with the project put together a team to research, explore, and document country school houses. The end result was a series serminars, a traveling exhibit, research materials and archival collections. The Country School Legacy materials housed in the USD Archives and Special Collections include emphemra, oral histories, photographs, and maps as well as historic site guides.
-Information from the Country School Legacy Papers, Richardson Collection, photographs: the Country School Legacy Papers and Clay County, South Dakota Schools papers, Richardson Collection
Can anyone tell me if it is possible to find a list of the teachers and/or students who attended a specific rural school in a SD county.
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Counties had a school census which listed all children in a given district as well as the parents, where their farm was located, children in school and not yet in school. The school they attended and teacher of that school . These were done yearly. Some courthouses still have their old records. They were kept in the office of the Country Supt. of Schools.
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Does the Country School Legacy project have the Miner County Country Schools (1881-1965) created by Leta Trusty? It’s an excellent researched book which I hope would be in the archives of any history of South Dakota. I believe the Miner County Historical Society would have a copy.
Mary Bertrand
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Do you know the name of the country school picture in Clay County and its location?
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I am looking for a picture of a country schoolhouse located in Hanson County south of Alexandria which was called wayne #1 can you help me?
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I did not find a picture of Wayne #1 county school, Hanson County, South Dakota in our collections.
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Does anyone know if there was a rural school in Oakwood or Windsor township in Brookings County SD approx. 1910? I have a photo I am trying to identify.
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Country School Legacy collection does not have historic site forms for Oakwood or Windson townships. You might try the book:
Brown, Philip L.
Northeastern South Dakota’s country schools. Silt, Colo.: Country School Legacy, 1981.
South Dakota State University, SD COLLECTION/UPPER LEVEL LC5147.S8 B76 1998
If you have questions for the Archives and Special Collections, please contact us at speccoll@usd.edu, and we will do our best to help.
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What a wonderful find. My aunt owned property where Pinsch School was located but it was in Miner County. Do you have the book written by Leta Trusty?
It was not about the school you mentioned as it is about schools in Miner County but perhaps one was also written about the school in your county.
Mary Bertrand
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Archives and Special Collections does not have Leta Trusty’s book. Do you know the title, what year is came out, or who published it?
By the way, I went to a county school. Fun times.
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Hi Doris,Thank you for responding to my email. Here is the information about the book:Miner County Country Schools 1881-1965
It came out in 2008Funding for writing and compiling this book was provided by the Mary Chilton Chapter National SocietyDaughters of the American Revolution Through the Mary Chilton DAR Foundation, Sioux Falls, S.D.Miner County Rural Life MuseumMiner County Historical Society127 /s, Main St, Howard, South Dakota. I, too, went to a one Room Country School when we lived in Pequot Lakes, MN.Memories!! Unique Times Indeed!!!Mary Bertrand
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I’m looking for the Long Creek Country School. I just learned my Grandmother used to teach there. It would have been in the 1910’s. Her name was Bertha Burnett. Ant info would be appreciated.
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My Mother taught at Baker School in 1936, but I can’t find any info on where it was located. would appreciate any help you could give me.
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I found the school on the US Board of Geographic Names web site. Longer explanation
is being sent to your email account.
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thebook eritten by leta rtrust ,minercount counry school, 881-1965. do you know which township that baker wsin/ this nook should be beneficial for you.
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Hi Mary, did you come across a Baker School in Miner County? US Board of Geographic Names gave me one in Davidson County and one in Jerauld County. Doris
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Looking for a photo of Wayne #1 School in Hanson County
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We do not have a photograph of Wayne #1 School in Hanson County.
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I am looking for photos of Emery School #3, 1907/1908, Bridgewater, SD and Bridgewater Independent school #18 1910/1911
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We do not have pictures of these two schools.
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I would like to know of a rural school in graceland twp., codington county where children of frank and emma schmidkunz attended about 1895-1906. Thanks.
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Archives and Special Collections will be closed for renovation/expansion from May 14th, 2021- Jan 01, 2022. We will not have access to our collections and patron services will be limited. Please, please contact us in January.
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I am looking for information about the one room school house in Yankton, where my grandmother taught school and my father and his siblings attended. Is this information available?
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Hello Everyone, I’m asking for help in finding the location of a school my 94 year old mother attended by White Horse Creek next to Manderson, South Dakota in about 1930. It was very small at the time, maybe 10 students, of all ages. Male teacher. Mom remembers living in a shanty her father built next to the creek and walking up a hill to the school house. Mom was born in 1927 and began school at the age of 4. We have a picture of the school and students. I know things, roads, the hill, have changed but if I knew exactly where is was located, I’d like to take one more trip there with my mom. Thank you for any leads, advice, resources, connections, websites, etc.!!!!
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I’m looking for a picture of a one room school house named Kleer in Groveland Township, Spink County, SD. My husband attended this school from 1953 to 1957.
Thanks so much. Eva Shantz
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Looking for any photos of one room school house in Grenville,SD My father went there in the 1930’s.
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Guide to our County School Legacy records is at: https://archives.usd.edu/repositories/2/resources/101
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