Anamosa - A Reminiscence 1838 - 1988

Graift.
Settlers and the dates they came to the township as
they are given in the 1910 Jones County History are:
Samuel Spear, 1845; David Myers, I845: William
Jeffries, 1849; Daniel Slife, 1849; S.M. Johnson, 1854.
Isaac I-lay, 1848; David Tallman. 1851; I-lassan
Monroe, 1855; Barnard and Anthony Waggoner, 1853:
Oliver Potts. 1849; James and Edward Strawman.
I851: David, Joseph, and John Emmett, 1856; Kramer
family, 1864; Reuben Hay. 1846; James and Edward
Stevenson, 1851.
The names of the following, with no dates, were also
listed as early settlers of Jackson township: John
Brown, William Aispaugh. Joseph Apt, Charles Brown.
L.B. Smith, Houseman family, Joseph and Charles
Beam. Orville Cronkhite, Valentine Slife, Reuben
Bunce. Brlckley, Tarbox. Benadom and Stivers
families, W.C. Monroe, Harvey Monroe, and the
Hollingsworth family.
Other early settlers listed in the I938 Centennial
Edition of the Eureka are: Cable and Luther Belknap.
John Chesire, M.D. Corcoran, James Carter, Nicholas
May, Isaac Hay, Michael Neville, Jacob Meek, Ephraim
Steckle. Jacob Mowery, and Joseph Wood, the
grandfather ofGrant Wood, the famous artist.
Two struggling villages in the township, aspired to
become large centers of trade, but they never achieved
the desired growth. These two were Newport and Isbell.
At Isbell. could be found a house or two and a store. A
post office was established in 1857 and existed for nine
years. Frank Hays was the flrst postmaster, followed
by: Albert N. Denison, in 1860; Ezra M. Denison, in
1861: Mrs. Almira Luce, 1865; and Daniel Matteson in
1866. The post office was discontinued Jan. 29, 1867.
The hopes of a future thriving town were lost with the
closing of the post oifice.
The little white Antioch School. located four miles
east of Anamosa, has stood by the side of the road for
I15 years. Built in 1872, it has served many useful
purposes. Basically, it was similar to other country
schools where many of our forefathers who became
leaders of our nation, learned ‘The Three R's —
Reading, 'Riting and 'Rithmetic.'
The Antioch School, after the consolidation of the
rural and town schools. became a community center for
a time, and now, after restoration, symbolizes the
standards of a century.
At least 165 pupils have attended this school, the
most well known being Grant Wood, for whom the
building was dedicated. Many more have achieved
fame. fortune and livelihood from the knowledge
gained here.
Only a few dusty records remain of its early history.
Records from the year I885 show that the school board
consisted of Richard B. Johnson, president; A.W. Hay,
secretary: and Perry Beam, treasurer. When the school
closed in 1859, Alvin Byerly was president; Hulda
Nielsen, secretary, and Mrs. Clarence Nielsen,
treasurer. Darvin I-Iardersen and August Monk, Jr..
were the two directors.
Back in those days. teachers were hired by the term;
with three terms in a school year. During the winter
term. as many as 42 pupils attended school. The older
boys came at this time, for during the spring and fall
terms they had to remain at home to help with the farm
work.
Teachers wages in 1880 were S30 per month. By
1959, the top wage was $375 per month.
Most all of the early school houses were constructed
alike. The building had two rooms. The large one was
the classroom which held as many as 45 pupils. The
room adjoining, or entry way, was the hall where the
pupils hung their wraps on nails. Close to the
schoolhouse stood the woodshed. This held chunks of
wood and corn cobs, burned in the large pot-bellied
stove. which stood in the center of the school. Later.
coal was used for fuel.
There were several desks on either side of the room.
Double seats used at first, were later replaced with
single seats and desks of various sizes. A recitation
bench and the teacher's desk were located in the front
of the room. A blackboard hung on the wall behind the
Antioch School
by Malinda Nielsen Derga
117
teacher's desk.
A water pail, with a long-handled dipper, sat on a
table at the back of the room. The dipper was used by
all; germs were seemingly unheard of in those days.
The pail was later replaced by a stone water fountain.
A large cupboard in the back of the room held the
dinner pails. These were usually gallon pails which
formerly contained syrup. As wax paper, and sandwich
baggies, were other things unheard of, the sandwiches
were individually wrapped in newspapers. Home-made
bread was not a delicacy in those days, as all of the farm
women and girls baked bread. For sandwich filling.
home-churned butter or lard was used with jelly, or
pressed meat made from home-butchered pork or beef.
Winter seemed to be more severe, as I remember. and
it was nothing to walk a mile, or more, to school in
weather 20 degrees below zero.
The teacher arrived at the school before 8 a.m. She
built the fire in the pot-bellied stove with kindling, cobs
and wood which had to be carried from the woodshed.
By the time the pupils anived the stove was giving off
some heat, but they usually gathered around the stove
with their books until noon when it was warm enough
Antioch School, 1958
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