Country Schools. . . Antelope County
County Country Schools --
District No. 1 -Cedar Creek
District No. 2-Saint Clair
District No. 3-Sunny Slope
District No. 4-Valley View
District No. 5
District No. 6
District No. 7
District No. 8-Frenchtown
District No. 9
District No. 10-Bunker Hill
District No. 11
District No. 12
District No. 13
District No. 14-Hunt
District No. 15-New England Valley
District No. 16-Grecian Bend
District No. 17
District No. 19
District No. 20-Antelope Creek
District No. 21
District No. 22
District No. 23-Millerboro
District No. 24-Willow Dale
District No. 25-Oak Leaf; Pleasant Hill; Spions Kog
District No. 26-Victor Hill
District No. 27
District No. 28
District No. 29
District No. 30-bef 1960, Goiter School
District No. 31-Morning Star
District No. 32-Dutch Hollow
District No. 33-Saint Laurence
District No. 34
District No. 35-Sunnyside
District No. 36-Star
District No. 37
District No. 38-Pick
District No. 39-Bell Tower
District No. 40-Fairview
District No. 41-Little Daisy
District No. 42-Riverside
District No.43-Savage
District No. 44-Lawn Ridge
District No. 45
District No. 46-West Cedar Valley
District No. 47-Flag
District No. 48-Crawford Valley
District No. 49-Orchard
District No. 51
District No. 52-Park Center
District No. 53-Kimble
District No. 54-West Prairie
District No. 55
District No. 56-Black Lake
District No. 58-Wayside
District No. 59
District No. 60-Clearwater Creek; Stearn
District No. 61-Baird School
District No. 62
District No. 63
District No. 64
District No. 65-Highland
District No. 66
District No. 67-Pleasant Dale
District No. 68-Mount Hope
District No. 69
County Country Schools --
District No. 70-Midland
District No. 71
District No. 73-Rosedale
District No. 74
District No. 75
District No. 76
District No. 77-Gravel Hill
District No. 78-Sunnyside
District No. 79-Prairie Gem
District No. 80
District No. 81-Fairview
District No. 82-Mount Zion
District No. 84-Holly Lodge
District No. 87
District No. 88-Allemang School
District No. 89-North Star
District No. 90-Prairie Bell
District No. 91
District No. 92
District No. 93-Glendale
District No. 94
District No. 95
District No. 96
District No. 97-Happy Hollow
District No. 98
District No. 99-Copenhagen
District No. 100-Fairview
District No. 101
District No. 102
District No. 103-Sunny Summit
District No. 104
District No. 105-Little Gem
District No. 106-Needmore
District No. 107-Sunnyside
District No. 108
District No. 109-Mount Ayre
District No. 110
District No. 111
District No. 112
District No. 113
District No. 114-Pleasant Valley
District No. 115
District No. 116-Harmony Hill
District No. 117
District No. 118
District No. 119
District No. 120
District No. 121-Sunshine
District No. 122-Sunnyside
District No. 123
District No. 124
District No. 125
District No. 127-Murphy
District No. 128-Sheldon
History of Antelope County 1868-1883
By A.J. Leach
Copyright 1909
CHAPTER XXX -- Pages 167-170
A Brief Sketch of the Schools of the County From 1872 to 1883
Soon after the organization of the county in July 1871, the county superintendent of schools took steps to organize the settled portions of the county into school districts. With this object in view, he started out on foot to visit the different neighborhoods, inquiring into their needs and learning the views of the different settlers as to the district boundaries and the probable location of school-house sites. He did this work on foot for the reason that, like very many of the settlers, he was using ox teams to open up his farm, and at that time he kept no riding horse. In doing this work he always found a hearty welcome at the homes of the settlers in every neighborhood.
He reports that during all the time he held the office, from July 1871 to the time of his resignation in March 1873, he was never charged for a meal of victuals or a night’s lodging by any of the pioneer settlers.
He organized the districts, examined teachers, visited the schools, and always found a generous welcome wherever he went. Besides this, his services were rendered without any compensation from the county. He furnished his own stationery and postage, an unused part of a private account book being used for keeping the records, gave his time and never submitted an account to the board of commissioners or received any remuneration except the satisfaction derived from the knowledge that he was doing a necessary work. People were willing in those days to sacrifice something for the public good. There was no money in the county treasury; there had been as yet no apportionment of school moneys and no enumeration of school children. Everything had to start from the beginning.
The people of some the school districts arranged to have the first school taught in a private home. In other districts they got together and cut and hauled logs for a little log school-house, and when all was ready they came together and in one day erected the building and then the work of one or two days more would put on the roof and fit it out with a door and a couple of windows. A floor was wholly unnecessary, and for a summer school a stove was not needed.
On September 16, 1871, notices were prepared and addressed to residents in districts Nos. 1, 2, and 3 to call meetings for organization in these districts. Districts Nos. 1 and 3 did meet and organize, but district No. 2 failed and a new notice was served February 1, 1872. In like manner notices were served for the other districts as follows:
Districts Nos. 4, 5, 6, and 7, September 18, 1871;
District No. 8, January 24, 1872;
District No. 9, January 25, 1872;
District No. 10, February 1, 1872.
When district No. 10 had been organized, all the settled portions of the county were covered by these several districts. In April, 1872, the first school census was taken, showing 206 children in the county of school age.
The superintendent continued his work of organizing school districts as they were needed, until sixteen were organized, these sixteen taking in the whole territory of the county.
District No. 11 was formed January 3, 1873;
District Nos. 12 and 13 were formed January 7, 1873;
District No. 14 was formed January 10, 1873;
District No. 15, January 13, 1873;
District No. 16, January 16, 1873.
The first school-houses were built in district Nos. 4, 6, and 8. All three were little log buildings, covered with earth, and all were in process of construction at the same time. It is not certain which district has the honor of having its school house ready for occupancy first.
The first schools were taught in district Nos. 1, 3, 5, 6, and 8. All had school at the same time, but the school in district No. 6 began a few days before the others. Prior to this date, however, Mrs. R. W. Smith taught a private school in what was afterward district No. 16. This was in the summer or fall of 1871.
The first (Teacher) certificates were issued as follows:
May 3, 1872, Miss Fannie Muhm.
June 3, 1872, Mrs. Susan DeCamp.
June 4, 1872, Miss Ella Wyman.
June 4, 1872, Mrs. Mary E. Choate.
June 4, 1872, Miss Emeline A. King.
September 1, 1872, Mrs. A. E. Gross.
December 21, 1872, Mr. Lewis H. Suter.
December 28, 1872, Mr. Myron Stolp.
January 1, 1873, Mr. A. Warner.
March 1, 1873, Mrs. E. H. Leach.
It is a remarkable fact that of the first ten teachers commissioned to teach school in Antelope county, seven are still living in the county at this date—March, 1909—namely:
Mrs. Susan Decamp.
Miss Fannie Muhm (now Mrs. Cyrus Grant.)
Miss Ella Wyman (now Mrs. George Romig.)
Mr. Lewis H. Suter.
Mr. Myron Stolp.
Mr. A. Warner.
Mrs. E. H. Leach.
The number of school districts in the county for several years, also the number of pupils of school age, together with the state apportionment for these years is shown in the following table:
The apportionment for 1876 and 1878 includes also the dog tax for those years, and for 1880 it includes dog tax, fines and licenses.
The first teacher’s institute of which there is any record was held in the school-house in Oakdale in August, 1882, at which time S. S. Murphy was County Superintendent and C. D. Bon and Mrs. C. L. Austin were Instructors. There were other institutes held, however, on several occasions prior to this one. There was one held in the summer of 1874 while J. E. Lowes was superintendent. It is also remembered that one, and perhaps two, were held while H. J. Miller was superintendent, and a largely attended and successful institute was held in the summer of 1881 while J. F. Merritt was superintendent. These statements are made from the recollections of the teachers and others who attended.
The wages paid teachers in those days would hardly give satisfaction at the present time.
Miss Ella Wyman, now Mrs. George Romig, taught her first school in District No. 8 at $8.00 per month and boarded herself. Other teachers received generally from $12.00 to $25.00 per month. By the year 1883 wages were a good deal higher. In that year there were three country districts that paid $30.00 per month for a winter school, namely:
Districts No. 1, 2, and 41, other districts in 1883 paid from $12.00 to $28.00 per month, the average in the country being about $20.00. District No. 9 in the last mentioned year had three teachers who were paid respectively $30.00, $35.00, and $40.00 per month. District No. 11 had two teachers that were paid $32.00 and $50.00 per month.
In 1883 district No. 68 reported four pupils, the lowest of any, and district No. 53 reported 7 pupils, it being the next lowest. District No. 24, reported 73, the largest number in any country district, and district No. 2 reported 62 pupils. The same year district No. 9 reported 205 and district No. 11, 161 pupils.
In 1883 sixty-seven teachers took the examination and were granted certificates. There were two certificates granted of the first grade, thirty-six of second grade, and twenty-nine of third grade.
A graded school was established in district No. 11, in 1883, and probably in district No. 9, also the same year. It is a little uncertain, however, as to the year a graded school was established in district No. 9, as the records are incomplete. These were the first graded schools in the county. [end of Chapter 30]
**Noteable Fact--The "writer" of this history book, Mr. A.J. Leach, was the first School Superintendent of Antelope County. The following written in Chapter VIII states on page 48 & following: "In accordance with a proclamation of the governor, an election was held on the 15th June 1871, to elect county officers. ........The following named officers were elected: County Commissioners, L.A. Boyd, William P. Clark, E.R. Palmer; County Clerk, J.W. Skiles; County Judge, D.V. Coe; Superintendent of Schools, A.J. Leach; Sheriff, Jeptha Hopkins; County Treasurer, W.G. Rhodes; Surveyor, A.B. Elwood; Coroner, A.M. Salnave. ........These county officials had very little to do. There were no books in which to keep records....... The County Superintendent organized seven school districts, and the Surveyor laid out one road. The record of the doings of this first set of county officers is made up chiefly from the memories of those participating, and the recollections of other old settlers. There is one exception to this, however. The County Superintendent kept a record of his work of organizing the seven school districts, in the back part of a private account book, and he still has that in his possession." ~Copyright 1909
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