The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1920-10-13
MORE ARGYLE
SCHOOL HISTORY
uHoosier Green School House" Trans.
ferred Last Month Brings Mem
cries to Mind Of J. l.
Washburn.
PIONEERS ARE RECALLED
Judge tombstone, Daniel Miller, sr.,
and Others are Among Those
Whose Memories are
Distinct.

The passing of the Argyle schoo
house, by transfer of land last August
brings to the mind of j. l.. Washburr
Of Derby, Iowa, some interesting per
sonal recollectiOns of the men and
women, who as children, attended thai
1 school. Mr.. Washburn in, a letter tc
The Gate City recalls these old memo
ues in interesting fashion.
1t was the old Hoosier Gren school
In the early days. and the Washburr
farm was mile to the west. Mr.
I Washburn, senior, was politician Of
the day, and Mrs. Washburn's table
made it convenient for many of these
old stalwarts to happen around
about the time that meals were being
served. Judge tombstone, DAME
Miller, ST., Frank Hagermcn and 9th
ers are among the men mentioned b,
Mr. Washburn.
His letter to The Gate City is as
follows:
Through courtesy of DR.. New
berry, OF Burlington, formerly of
Argyle. I have just came into
possession of copy OF your val
ued edition, under date of Aug
ust $40, in which you treat in an
interesting article of the passing
away of 1.-THE Argyle School,"
cannot but feel more complete
history should be of interest to
many of your readers at this time.
1.-THE school was, properly
speaking, The Washburn Dis
trict" Several families of them
have purchased string of contin-
uous farms there during territor-
ial days. A number still live on
the land then acquired. The
writer is son of one of the
number (Stephen S. Washburn).
The school was generally known
as "Hoosier Green" In the po-
litical organization of Lee county,
was "The Polling Place" of Des
Moines township and many warm
political debates took place under
Its roof. Among there of early
history that comes to mind were
Colonel James Sprott, OF Summit
vile Lee county's first senator;
Judge tombstone and Honorable
Daniel Miller, those two sycamors
of pioneer days; Judge George
McCrary, James and Frank Hager-
man, of mere recent railroad fame
and we must not forget Judge W.
S. Withrow of Iowa supreme
bench, who was one of our teach
ers.
But to return to the school
proper, it was enc of the most
hated zone room" schools in the
state and one of the last really
large county schools in Iowa,
and while the writer has unfor-
tunately not the exact date, I
believe one of the very earliest.
Sandusky holding the first honors
| have before me pictures OF the
school of but few years back,
when the school had an enroll
ment of rs and an average daily
attendance of over co.
No longer will the one room
school ever enter in to the history
OF our educational system as it
did only last week, while attend
Ing teachers meeting, as mem.
Der of the county board Of edu.
cation, we heard J. J. O'Brfen of
the United States school system
express regret that some of the
personality-that used to per-
meate the old county district
could not be carried into the pres
ent organization Old Hoosier
Green produced doctors. lawyers,
Judges, statesmen, bankers, and
men and women fit to fill any and
all stations of life, The writer's
business career has carried him
some $4,000 miles into the journ-
ey OF life; he has met her pupils
IN every corner, but always hon
orable and always with a, true
love and warm heart for the old
familiar scenes about the village
green. Long may she live in
history and the hearts of our
countrymen.