Looking back at the one room school

By Helen Boertje The Chronicle

Pella —  

Caloma

The Caloma school house sat in the southwest corner of the intersection of Pioneer St. and 20th Place.  Although the school house disappeared long ago, a well can still be found on the school yard.  Considered one of the ghost towns of Marion County, the hamlet of Caloma had a post office from 1858 to 1907.

The Knoxville Journal correspondent for the neighborhood gives high praise to the new teacher in May 1885.  “Our school is being taught by Miss E. Crue, a young lady of more than ordinary ability.  This is her first term and although it is only two weeks since school commenced she has the esteem of the children and cooperation of the parents.  This argues success.”

In December of 1889 there was to be a spelling bee and a sack supper at Caloma.

A newspaper clipping (undated) says that Fern Welch Jones started school there in 1911 and finished through 8th grade.  Her two sisters and brother attended there and all walked two miles a day to school.  She took the 8th grade examinations in 12 subjects and passed them all which enabled her to enter Dallas High School in the fall of 1919.

I talked with Maxine Ackerson Chambers who spent all but the last three months of her grade school years at the Caloma school.  Her family moved in March of her 8th grade year and she finished that year at Franklin Center.  Although her new school was only a few miles from the Caloma school, Maxine said she found it hard to adjust.

Maxine’s parents had moved to the Caloma district in March of 1938, the year she was eligible to start school in the fall.  Teacher Darlene Bevin allowed her to attend that spring to get a head start for the fall term.  One year during the war when the school they called Germantown (Horstman?) was unable to find a teacher  the students from that district joined the Caloma students.  While reminiscing about what the school looked like--no enclosed cloak rooms, windows on the south side only--Maxine suddenly remembered the school ditch thick with violets.  “I wonder if they are still there,” she said.  Probably not, I thought, but they’ll always be there in her memory.

Teachers included Miss Robinson, Mary Wiegand 1880,  Mary Wiegand 1881,  Miss S. Robinson 1882,  Miss Gertrude Knollen 1883,  Miss E. Crue, Miss Saxson 1885,  Minnie Gaston, Sue Stone 1886,  Fannie Smith 1888,  Mr. Goode, Grant Riggle 1892, Grace Collins 1895,  Sue Stone 1896, Lora Myers, Cora Hon, Lizzie McKinney 1898, , Katie Jones, Myrta Gustin 1899,  Myrta Gustin, George W. Newton, Emma Prickett 1900-01,  Myrta Gustin, Irmagarde Braun 1903,  Clara Langebartles, Myrta Gustin 1904,  Myrta Gustin, Minnie L. Heinke 1905,  Minnie L. Heinke, Laura A. Mason 1906,  Laura Mason 1907,  Della Hunerdosse, Jennie Huff, John Williams 1908, Grace Shivvers, Ada Mae Riggs 1909,  Cora B. Hon, Laura Mason 1910, John E. Williams 1911, S. T. Biddle 1912-13, Byron Bush, W. D. Campbell, Edna Simpson 1914,  Lula McRae, Marjorie Kime 1915, Amy Norris, Ruby Cue 1916,  Gracie Palmer 1917,  Geraldine Fairley 1918,  Caroline Woodyard, Florence Hunt 1919,  Bertha Houser 1920,  Mrs. Minnie Oldham 1922,  Mrs. Minnie Oldham 1924,  Fae O. Roe 1925, Helen Hayes 1928,  Helen Hayes Roland 1929, Ruth Ridlen 1930,  Ruth Hawk 1931, Lila Lukin 1932-33, Berneice Patch 1934-35,  Darlene Vinson 1936,  Darlene Vinson Bevin 1937,  Echo Hukill 1938,  Wilma Anderson 1939,  Luella I. Shore 1940,  Luella Beebout 1941,  Elizabeth Ritchie 1942,  Frances Brooks 1943,  Iantha Buckley, Grace Daly 1944,  Mrs. Elizabeth Lillard 1945,  Mrs. Faye Schroder 1947-48,  Faye Schroder 1950-52,  Mrs. Gladys Bowery 1953,  Mrs. Betty Thompson 1954,  Mrs. Faye Schroder 1956-58. 

Contact me at 641-618-4716 or helenboertje@ iowatelecom.net with stories and pictures of the remaining country schools of Marion county.  This is story # 54.

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