LEE COUNTY LOCAL/FAMILY HISTORY DEPT. *  DONNELLSON PUBLIC LIBRARY *  500 PARK AVE. *  DONNELLSON, IA *  52625

Schools: Mt. Hamill  
 

This article is the fourth in the Genealogy Department series on schoolhouses in Lee County.  Information was obtained by Diane Kruse and Carolyn Dischler in an interview with Martha Perronoud, who was a student at Mt. Hamill and graduated in 1933.  Martha came from a family of seven children, all of whom attended and graduated from the school.

 Mt. Hamill School, in Cedar Township, Section #25, was constructed prior to 1887 and closed its doors in 1951.  The building is run down but still standing and was renovated several times over the years with a change of facade today.  According to information on file in the library, the building is owned by Mr. Jerry Sanders, who renovated and used it for some years as his family residence; at present he has converted it to a storage facility. 

The two-story, wood-siding school faces east  with an addition built on the front of the school.  This addition covers the original double door entry and two lower windows. 

What remains of the original building are windows across the second level in front, the north and south sides, and the copula with its bell.  The coal shed still stands as well as the old water pump; missing are the original wooden fence, a sidewalk, and the outhouse toilets. 

Students walked or rode bicycles to school and school hours were from 9:00 A.M. to 4 P.M.   The students took turns ringing the school bell; it was rung twice a day from the upper loft, once in the morning to signal the beginning of the morning classes and once at 1:00 P.M. to signal the afternoon classes.  The teacher raised the flag each morning on the landing to the southeast and she and the students recited the Pledge of Allegiance.  The students brought their lunch to school in tin dinner buckets and drank water from a bucket with a dipper.  When attendance was high, the school had two teachers; one teacher taught grades 1 through 4 in the lower classroom, and the other teacher taught grades 5 through 8 upstairs.  Each classroom had a long chalk board that  stretched the width of the room, and when each grade was taught, the students moved from their desks to a bench in the front of the teacher’s desk.   

All students were taught the usual subjects of reading, penmanship, and arithmetic in addition to history, geography, and art.  When art was taught on special days, the students learned pen and ink as well as crayon drawings.  Windows were their source of light, although the school had gas lamps for special effects during their school programs.  Music was not taught but the school had a piano which was used for the special presentations by the students during the holidays.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  

   Oftentimes the children played tricks on one another and Martha was no exception.  She  admitted she shimmied up that flag pole many a time to tie someone’s lunch bucket half way up the pole; her brother Ralph sneaked under the teacher’s desk and tied Mr. Leverett’s shoelaces together; there were stories of dipping pigtails in the inkwells.   

The children always looked forward to recess time and the activities ranged from playing their favorite sport of baseball, taking turns on the teeter-totter, sliding down what Martha called the “sliding chute”, and shooting hoops on the dirt basketball court.   In the fall they made leaf houses.  When winter came, the children loved to have snowball fights.  When Refior Pond, located just northwest of the school was solid enough to have skating parties, the children couldn’t wait to volunteer during recess to scrape and scoop snow into piles around the pond so they could set lanterns on them to light their evening skates. 

In addition to school activities during the year, the students, teachers, and parents always had events to look forward to:  pie socials, the Christmas holidays, and that last day of school.  The pie socials were special and gave parents the opportunity to socialize with other parents as the pies were auctioned to raise money for the school and the buyer and maker of the pie had to share and socialize with each other, therefore the name pie socials.   At Christmas, the students always decorated a tree with their hand-made decorations and Santa always made an appearance to pass out presents.  The students presented their special Christmas program in their Sunday best and there was plenty of food and treats provided by the parents. 

The last day of school was also a memorable one since it meant that the eighth grade students would make that big step to attend high school located in Mt. Pleasant.   Picnic tables were set up and home-made ice cream and sandwiches were served.  The students played their favorite sport of baseball and Martha was always the catcher on the team.  

Martha remembers two teachers in particular during her school years, Grace Bailey and Ruth Fruehling.   Since it was tradition that teachers stay in a home during the school year, the Herman Schrepfers and Ernest Magerkurths provided room and board to the teachers.  Mr. E.C. Lynn was the school superintendent during her school years served in that capacity twice, once from 1904-1909 and again from 1912-1936.  

Martha recalls how in January 1929 the Mt. Hamill school reached out and helped the orphan children of the White’s Institute, located four miles north of Mt. Hamill.  The main building of the Institute which housed the school rooms and also was used as a dormitory was destroyed by fire.   Arrangements were made to transport the children to Mt. Hamill to continue their education.  Apparently this was done until the property was sold in 1930. 

Many newspaper articles about this school state that it was located in the town of the same name, but when talking to old timers you may hear other familiar names such as Courtright or Hamill.  Remember they are correct, but Mt. Hamill was the name that stuck 

Carolyn and I wish to thank Martha Perennoud for spending more than two hours of her time to provide the above information on Mt. Hamill School.  If anyone has additional information regarding Mt. Hamill School, special remembrances, or photos, please contact Diane Kruse (319-470-8982) or Carolyn Dischler (319-469-7631).  This information, as well as other information received, will be placed on file for reference purposes.

~ Mt. Hamill School, Cedar Township, Photo courtesy of the Donnellson Library Genealogy Department

 ~Written and submitted by Diane Kruse

 

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