Published: October 27, 2008 10:59 am            

Looking back at the one room school

As soon as the territory opened in 1843 Richard Watts, Alexander Caton, Mordecia Yearns and Andrew Stortes established a settlement in the White Breast area. Between 1845 and 1847 they were joined by John Baback; Warren, Frank, and John Everett; Andrew, George and William Karr: and Robert Etherington. A log school house was built some time between 1845 and 1849. (from research by Mrs. Ralph Kuiper).

The flood of 1851 swept the log building away. It was replaced by a frame structure located above the water line on a 1/2 acre of ground transferred from James Karr to Polk township for $12.50. This school remained until it was replaced by a newer building in 1920. In 1924 when only a few feet were added to the school grounds the price was $150. ( from research by Jennie Breen).

White Breast was located about eight miles west of Pella. Because of its proximity to the town of Fifield it was sometimes called the Fifield School. Today the site of this former town may be located by looking west over the Lake from the Fifield recreation picnicking area to the point where Roberts Creek and Red Rock Lake join. The school also served the spiritual needs of the community thanks to the leadership of American Sunday School Missionary Rev. H. L. Van Dellen. For many years Gerrit Vander Kieft served as the Sunday School Superintendent making sure that each Sunday there were classes for all ages.

The 1954 picture above comes from a Chronicle story which featured the work of the entire school in constructing a paper mache model showing the best use of the land on a 160 acre farm. Duane Robus, one of the students pictured, has no memory of that particular project but he does have a lot of fond memories of the school, especially of the hikes to the Painted Rocks area, hunting for mushrooms, and learning to identify rocks, birds, and wild flowers. During the noon hour students from Red Rock, Liberty Corner and White Breast sometimes traveled back and forth to eat lunch together and engage in competitive ball games. The school also toured the Amana colonies and traveled to Des Moines to the State Capital and the State Historical building , as well as places like the Colonial Bread and Hiland potato chip factories.

Nearly every school has a skunk story in which the teacher has had to send a strong smelling student home for the day. On the way to school Duane and his brother Kenneth came upon a skunk with its head struck in a bottle. When they attempted to free the skunk they found that though it couldn’t use its head, the other end was operational. To keep it from suffering more, their father shot the skunk.

Teachers known to have taught at this school include Anna Barber, Nellie Karr 1886, Florence Hammer, Ella Sullivan, Marie Van Gorp 1898, Marie Van Gorp, Delia Rietveld 1899, Delia J. Rietveld, Mae Cooper 1900, Delia Rietveld 1901, Delia Rietveld, John W. Ward, Mary Greenaway 1902, Ida Marsh, Lizzie Snyder 1903, Albert Crosby, Lucie Van Gorp 1904, Lucie Van Gorp, Lizzie Synder 1905, Margaret Fennema, Delia Rietveld 1906, Katherine Finnesay, Minnie Hyatt 1907, Helen Bootsma, Nannie Hyatt 1917-18, Gertrude Vos 1919, Vera Lucille Beck Gray 1920, Cornelia Mol 1921, Helen Brooks 1922-23, Helen Brooks, Hazel Chivers 1924, Gertrude Vos 1925, Opal Morgan 1926-27, Ellen Murdy 1928-31, Blanche Karr 1932-34, Irma Mae Verwers 1935, Henrietta Hoksbergen 1936-37, Bonnie L. McCaulley, Kathryn Nutt 1938, Marie Hegwood Metcalf 193, Loveda Kamp 1940, June Ramage 1941, Helen Hindman 1942-43, Miss Louise Rupalo 1944-47, Wanda Jones 1948, Minnie McDonald 1949, Rena Welch 1950, Wanda Jones 1951-53, Mary E. Blackman 1954-55, Thelma Van Hemert 1956-57.

In her research Jennie Breen has found Sara Lewis and Sara Mastellers to be two of the earliest teachers and the following additional teachers who taught sometime between 1895 and 1902: Flora Jarman, Agnes Des Vries, W. S. Stevenson, and Minnie Dickey. When the school closed in 1958 half of the students were sent to the Pella district and the other half to the Knoxville district.

The next school will be the Red Rock School, another school site now under Lake Red Rock. Original pictures (they will be returned) and your memories would be appreciated. 628-4716.

        

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