Elm Grove school was about two miles east of Gosport on the corner of 120th Ave. and Highway G76. Its present day address would be 1201 Highway G76.

The Iowa Voter of July 7, 1870 reports that the concert conducted by Miss Ida Marshall was a success with the proceeds of $17 to go to the Sabbath School at Elm Grove.

In 1879 the reporter says that "the old Elm Grove School is being moved to Columbia and fitted up for a dwelling."

In Feb. of 1886 the Knoxville Journal announces that there will be a Valentine's spelling at Elm Grove, Sat., Feb. 13. The exercises after recess will consist of selected readings, declamations, essays and distributing valentines.

On April 26, 1886 the Gosport correspondent for the Knoxville Journal slams the Elm Grove school board with the comment that the district pays only $18 and will probably expect the teacher to board the pupils and do the washing for district.

The school was flourishing in 1897 when 8 scholars received diplomas according to the Journal.

The Nov. 17, 1900 Journal reports that S. B. Wolfe is about ready to begin the winter term. He has just dug 500 bushels of potatoes.

Former teacher Lois McCormick Akins telephoned to share her experiences at the school. On Dec. 15, 1942 she took over for teacher May L. Hindman who was pregnant. Lois continued teaching the following school year and after that spent two and a half years in the navy. "I enjoyed my years in the navy better than any other job," she said. In addition to teaching country school she taught nearly 30 years in the upper elementary grades at Knoxville.

Lois remembers Elm Grove as being fairly new and well equipped. She taught music using records that were played on a little portable "suitcase" record player. As a war time teacher she was responsible for registering the district families so they could obtain rationing books. Raising the flag was a daily ritual. One day someone accidentally hoisted it upside down and it got caught at the top of the pole. She had to ask her married brother who lived north of the school to come and help her get it down.

Lois feels that country schools provided a better educational experience than town schools. Students had opportunity to hear a lesson more than one time. Students helped each other and learned respect for students of all ages. Country schools fostered a community spirit.

Margaret Beebe Gee started school in 1946. She recalls fun times playing marbles, jumping rope, and participating in the games of Annie-Annie Over, Hide and Seek and Red Rover. She says even though there were windows along the south and west sides without electricity the room could be pretty dreary on dark cloudy days.

Mary Lou Miller Bingham started school when she was only four years old. On the first day teacher Frieda Chamberlain spanked her because she refused to take a nap. Mary Lou told the teacher she didn't take naps. However, that day the teacher sat with her until she fell asleep. She didn't wake up until it was time to the home. Mary Lou said that Frieda Chamberlain who was her teacher through 5th grade was an outstanding teacher and probably saw the need to take control on day one. She and her brother usually rode home with the teacher. One day they were wrestling and the car took off and they landed in the ditch. She also remembers that the older boys dismantled an old hand cranked telephone which they took to the coal shed. School mates were invited to the coal shed to be shocked until the teacher discovered their unauthorized scientific experiment.

Teachers included Kate Black 1872, Miss Maggie De Moss 1879, Miss Ellen Bebout, G. E. Bonebrake 1880, Miss Etta Steele 1883, Dave McKinnis 1885, Ida Whitlach 1886, Lillie McCreary 1889, Miss Freddie Eberhart, Mr. Fassett 1891, W. H. Fassett 1893, Miss Emma Maddy 1894, Corda Venable, Rena Snyder, Lillie Parker 1895, Lillie Parker, Cordye Venable 1896, Miss Ollie Maddy 1897, Corda Venable, Cordye Venable 1898, Flora Kester 1899, Gertrude Prickett, d. B. Wolfe 1900, Maude Inskeep, Cordye Hunt, S. B. Wolfe 1901, Ida C. Hall 1902, Bert Bingaman 1903, Anna Ridenour, W. H. Conrey 1904, Frank Crawford 1905, Art Betterton 1906, Cora Hill, Floyd Hedrick 1907, Eva M. Cory 1908, Arvilla Hayes, Frank Crawford 1909, Frank Crawford 1910, Eva Marshall, May Miller, Frank Crawford 1911, Frank Crawford, Emmett Kincaid 1912, Mary Greenaway 1913, Mary Caffrey 1914, Fern Collins, Vernon Van Loon 1915, Agnes Render 1916, Nellie Braden, Ruth Hillo, Mary Bachman 1917, Grace Conrey 1918, Lena Whitlatch 1919, Fern Smith, Lois Bachman 1920, Mary E. Spaur 1921, Miriam Fletcher 1922, Ruth Larson 1923, Blanche Boven 1924, Cleo Grimes, Edith Agan 1925, Edith Agan 1926, Joye Black 1928, Thelma Agan 1930-31, Oletha Lenning 1932-33, Vera Kincaid 1934, Oletha Lenning 1937-38, Merrill Whitlatch 1938, Georgia Hubler 1939-40, Nora Loynachan 1941, Mary L. Hindman, Lois McCormick 1942, Lois McCormick 1943, Kathryn Crandall 1944-45, Eunice J. Bingaman 1947, Dorothy Carruthers 1948-49, Mrs. Frieda Chamberlain 1950-51, Marlene D. Stevenson 1954, Mrs. Ada Brees 1955-56, Zelma Beebout 1957-58

The next school will be Springfield. Contact me at 641-628-4716 or helenboertje@iowatelecom.net