The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1905-07-27
SCHOOL
HISTORY
An Interesting Paper Written in '88
by Miss Bell Anderson

There is so much interesting history crowded
into compact form in the paper tnat tne nhn
4. by every old timer at least. Inc 6uildlng Wnere
the first special meeting was held in 1879 is now
the property of Miss Helen Johnson.)
The first school meeting OF school
district No. 9, Brookings county, Da-
kota territory was held at the house OF
CLAUS Peterson on the 22nd day of
April, 1879. H. H. Korstad was elec-
ted chairman, and H. Phillipson
clerk.
The following officers were elected:
Director, E. r. Olson,
Treasurer, o. A. Mork,
Clerk, H. Phillipson.
1t was decided to have three months
school during the ensuing year to be
taught one month and half in the
south half of the district and one
month and half in the north half.
1t was also decided to have two
months school in summer and one in
winter.
Pursuant to the action of the board
at this meeting the two months school
was taught by Miss Nina Anderson
in the months of July and August
1879, at the house OF CLAUS Peterson,
she receiving for her services $40 per
month.
For furnishing the first green house
for the intellectual development OF the
youth of school district No. 9. Mr..
Peterson received the sum Of $500 per
month house rent.
Peter 10. Peterson taught the one
month term in the north half OF the
district in the house OF o. A. Mork in
January 1880.
At this time school district No. 8,
covered an area of 120 square miles
extending from four miles south to
sixteen miles north Of the present city
of Brookings, taking in townships
ITO, Ill, 112 and two miles OF the
north half Of 100 in range 30. There
we're seventy children of school age in
the distrist.
A special meeting of the school dis
trict was held in Brookings on the
11th day of December, 1879, at the
store of Pierce & George, the building
now occupied by the Misses Gibsons.
r. H. Williams was elected chairman
of the meeting, and it was decided ito
build school house in Brookings to
be located in the centre of the south
east acre OF the block next but one
east of Roddle's store. The was to be
nothing small about this school house.
1t was to cost $4,000 which was
thought to be very exorbitant as $1,000
would put up an edifice the whole OF
which would probably never be used.
But certain wise men foresaw some
thing of the future growth Of the phe-
nomenal west and recklessly launched
forth in the consummation OF so wild
a scheme. H. H. Natwick, George
w. Pierce and R. H. Williams were
elected members OF the building COM
mittee with power to expend the whole
of the $4,000 on a school house, which
was to be completed by the fifteenth
day of April, 1880. By the sixth day
of April it was SO nearly finished that
it was used for the annual meeting of
the school district, at which meeting
it was decided to have seven months
of school during the coming year.
This term Of seven months was taught
by Emiline n. Stanton as follows:
May and June, September, October
and December of 1880 and January
and February of 1881. Miss Stanton,
afterward Mrs. Charles Gagel, was
therefore the first teacher in the school
building. On April 9Th, 1881, the
school term was extended to nine
months and two departments were es-
tablished by the board. Mrs. Horace
Fishback taught two and one-half
months in the higher department be-
ginning in May 1881 and was succeed
ed by her sister, Miss Leona Van Du-
sen who taught the remainder of the
year, while Miss Eva James taught
the lower department two and half
months followed by Mrs. E. l. Ames
who continued the year.
And now in the spring OF 1888 came
Prof. o. H. Parker.
The village all declared how much he knew,
Twas certain he could write and cipher too,
Lands he could measure-terms and tides presage
And cen the story ran-that he could gauge.
While words of learned length and laundering
sound
Amazed the gazing rustice ranged around
And still they gazed and still the wonder grew
That one small head could carry all he knew,
And when twas learned that he could sing,
He was made superintendent the following
spring
Finding his duties as superintend-
ent too ardous for him to properly
conduct the school without assistance,
Miss Matte Darrow was employed to
assist him. Owing to this increased
responsibility however, Mr.. Parker
was finally compelled toi resign his
noaition as principai of the CITY