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School House 
District #91
Established 1897

The teacher usually lived with a family in the district and was responsible for the housekeeping and janitor chores at the school. Out buildings on the school grounds included the two outdoor toilets and a coal shed. The teacher had to start the fire in the space heater every cold morning and keep it going to heat the classroom. The coal had to be carried in and the ashes out. Those whose desks were close to the stove were usually too warm, while those in the other corner were cold. 

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School House

Some of the main events in an old rural school were the Christmas program, 'given to a packed house every year', and the spell downs, to practice spelling. The champion could go on to other spelling contests, first between area schools and then to the county spelling contest. 

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The many games played at recess were enjoyed by all. Very little playground equipment was available and really very little was needed as there was always one or two very capable recreation leaders among the classroom students. They would teach the favorite games to the younger kids. 

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One activity in the springtime was "drowning out gophers". Water was carried by the pailful and poured down the gopher holes until the pool animals would come scurrying out, only to be greeted by a ring of kids with bats and sticks. But there were also more gentle pursuits. 

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Sometimes a bouquet of wild flowers was picked for the teacher's desk from the roadside ditch and fence line. There were purple and yellow violets, orange buttercups and of course, dandelions. 

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Lunch boxes were carried everyday, packed with noon lunch and maybe a treat for recess time. Sometimes, especially in the winter, we would share some good, hot soup that had been brought by one of the families and kept simmering on top of the coal-burning stove. Or sometimes it was a kettle of hot cocoa. 

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All seemed to respect the teacher, from the beginner five year-old to the ones sixteen years old, who were putting in their time until it was legal to quit. A kind of dreaded day, now and then, was where the County Superintendent would unexpectedly drop in visit and observe. I'm sure the teacher was more nervous than the students. 

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When we finished the eighth grade, all the rural districts would come together at Slayton for an eighth grade graduation program. Every spring there would be a district family picnic at one to the neighborhood groves. Here a delicious picnic dinner was shared and games, races, and relays would top off the day. There are many happy memories of the old country school. 

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Taken from Murray County History 1982

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