Looking back at the one room school

By Helen Boertje

Like the schools in Franklin and Dallas township who also have schools named “Center” this usually helps to establish the location of the school. Although the townships are generally divided into neat squares, when a river as large as the Des Moines runs diagonally through a county it results in some odd shaped townships making it difficult to exactly pinpoint the center. Clay Center was a mile or two southwest of Harvey, near the center of section 16, north of Old Hwy 92 and west of the road connecting Harvey to Old 92.

A March 1875 Knoxville Journal notes that interested people gathered at the Clay Center School for railway meetings with an average attendance of 41. This was the period when every small community was trying to attract the railroad and school houses served as good places to assemble.

In January 1882 the Knoxville Journal reports that Miss Tillie Hamilton can’t teach because of rheumatism and has been replaced by Miss Beatrice Reichard. In September of 1883 the Journal states that” Miss Mollie McKee has given up and gone home with a toothache.” ( One wonders if she stayed home for a few days or dropped out permanently but she is not mentioned in future issues)

I talked with Henrietta Roozeboom Vander Hart about her school days (1930’s) at Clay Center. She said the school house was on the property of the Dale and Mary Harrington family, situated between their house and barn. She remembers walking through the barnyard to get to the school. Old Hwy 92 was paved during the time she attended school there.

There were times when the snow drifts completely covered the fences. This did not close the school but caused her dad to take the precautionary measure of walking her to school. She could barely see through the warm scarf wrapped around her face. On one occasion her feet were so cold the teacher filled a pan with snow and made her sit in front of the stove to warm up. At the time she thought this was a dumb idea and would rather have warmed her feet in hot water. One day when sleet fell the entire day the children walked (or slipped) home through four inches of sleet.

Most of the students who attended Clay Center were the children of farm families. The Riggens, however, had a coal mine south of Hwy. 92 while one of the Harringtons (there were 3 families in the neighborhood) ran a drag line for strip mines as well as farming. On the way home Henrietta often stopped at the home of one of the Harrington’s to enjoy an after school snack of fresh baked bread with peanut butter. Peanut butter was a real treat as her mother only sent jelly sandwiches to school.

The students went sledding, played ball and participated in group games such as Annie-Annie Over. During one game she and Albert Hoksbergen collided as they ran around a corner of the school house. This collision left a memorable impression on her and, at the time, an even more memorable impression on Albert, an “egg” on his head. Ouch!

Teachers at Clay Center included Miss Fannie Hammond, G. A. Durham 1874, Miss Amanda Waln 1875, Mr. Hammond 1876, Miss A. E. Waln 1877, Miss Clara Banks 1880, Miss Alice Zugg, Miss Ida Hanks 1881, Miss Tillie Hamilton, Miss Beatrice Reichard 1882, Miss Mollie McKee 1883, Miss Mattie Reichard 1884, Eva Honrey 1886, Miss Mary Vaughn 1892, Edith Harrington, Miss Todd, Miss Eva Dailey, S. McVay 1893, Eva Dailey 1895, Roy Young, Myrtle Sharon 1898, Nellie Cooper 1900, Fessie M. Palmer, Orpha Wood 1903, Inez Ferguson, Nora Davis 1904, Fessie M. Palmer, Myrtle Shaver 1905, Myrtle Shaver 1906, Rosa Brubaker, Mabel De Witt 1907, Bertha Sarver 1908-09, Mary Woody 1910, Bertha Harvey 1911, Beryl O’Dell 1912, Nina Lyons, Beryl O’Dell 1913, Marie Mendenhall 1914-15, Ruth Nicholson 1916-17, Mrs. Nora Houser 1919-21, Mrs. Fay Douglas 1922-23, Dorothy Snow 1930-31, Pauline Harsin 1933, Floyd Nolin 1934, Miss Hattie Harvey 1935, Pauline Rankin 1936, Wilma L. Nicholson 1937, Lorraine Hanrick Rankin 1938, Twylah Cooley 1939-40, Irene M. Vriezelaar 1941

I am in need of pictures (students or teachers) for the Highland school story. Please contact me at 641- 628-4716 or helenboertje@iowatelecom.net.

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