I am showing the article that was in
Memories of Broken Bow on Facebook this last week. Click on that link to read directly.
The print is so small because of the large size of the article, I have broken it into chunks, printed and am typing here the actual article.
Copy below the two photos above: Pictured left to right: Margaret Aydelotte, Arnold, teacher in the High School Section of Lower Lodi; Anita Estergard, Beverly West, Eldon Cornish, Ronald Thurman and Roger Miles. Miles and Miss Estergard are eighth graders.
Lower Lodi high school has been closed after 37 years of service in secondary education to the youth of the community. Thus marks the end of the small high schools in Custer County. Ten grades have been offered in the high school. Tenth grade students have been able to enter any high school in the state without their credits being questioned.
A history of the school has been written by Eldon Cornish, a member of the last graduating class, and the son of James Cornish and the former Dorothy Matz. Mrs. Cornish was a member of the first graduating class; James Cornish also attended Lower Lodi.
Ronald Thurman, also a member of the last graduating class, is a son of Mr. & Mrs. Lloy Thurman, who met as classmates, eventually marrying.
The last class was taught by Margaret Aydelotte, Arnold. Members are Ronald Thurman, Beverly West, and Eldon Cornish. Anita Estergard was a seventh grade student and roger Miles, eight grade.
HISTORY OF DISTRICT 73 By Eldon Cornish
The history of School District ye dates back to the pioneer days when it was organized in 1885. The first school was held on the northeast corner of the Porter place, one-half mile southeast of the present Lee Cornish farm. School was held in the buildings of Clint Ingrahm's homestead with Miss Montgomery as teacher.
In 1886, a sod schoolhouse was built on the boundary between the S. N. Pierce and Lyman Cornish homesteads. Frank Samson was the teacher, staying two terms.
Lee Cornish relates this story: "After several years the roof got bad and the people of the community put a new sod roof on the schoolhouse. A heavy rain fell one night shortly after this and when the teacher went to school the next morning he found that the ridge-pole had broken and the whole roof caved in. Everybody co-operated in fixing the roof and school was soon resumed."
The teachers in the soddy after Frank Samson in their approximate order were: Aaron Porter, Chal Empfield, Arthur Cornish, Luisa Cornish, Mamie Snyder, Ellen Connely, Nettie Beach, Mrs. Stevens, and Ora Edminsten. This school was used until 1899.
There were so many children in the west part of the district that in 1893 school was held in Pete Nelson's buildings, between the Grant Hendricks and Charles Matz farms, and Charlie Cass was the teacher. A sod schoolhouse was built at this location in 1894. The teachers in this schoolhouse were: Mrs. F. E. VanAntwerp, Laura Waters, Rita Booth, and Lina Lineback.
At the time when there were two schools each held six months of school, one started early in the fall and the other started three months later. This Arrangement was discontinued in 1899.
Frame Schoolhouse
In 1899, a frame schoolhouse was built about one-eighth of a mile southwest of the present schoolhouse. Harry Kimball was the first teacher, followed by Garland Lewis. In 1902-1903 Oscar Johnson and Oscar Goar were the teachers. Mamie Buckley taught in 1903-1904 and because of illness Mrs. Arthur Cornish finished her term. In 1904-1905 Clara Powel taught in the frame schoolhouse and to accommodate pupils in the northeast part of the district a small sod schoolhouse was built in that neighborhood. This school was continued for two years with Ray Mougey as teacher. In 1907 eight sections and the sod schoolhouse were separated from this district and became a part of District 264 which was organized at that time.
During the term of 1905-1906 Arthur Athey taught Dist. 73 with Effie Hanley teaching in 1906 and 1907.
Mrs. Chester Morrison taught in 1908 and 1908. Mr. & Mrs. Morrison and son, Jack, had come from Chicago to live in a soddy on the Charles Matz farm. Mr. Morrison taught the Redfern
Table School.
Mary Nichols taught in 1908 and 1909 and Eva Myers and Martha Fodge continued to teach the next year.
Eugene Bliden, who had previously taught for many years in the Philippines, was hired in 1911. His term was finished by Maude Manion of Oconto. These teachers were followed by Edith Heller and Ina Daves, both of Broken Bow.
High School Begun in 1914
In 1914 an addition was built on to the schoolhouse and two years of high school were added. Veden Tharp and Mrs. Oscar Kolbo were the high school teachers and Arzelda Daniels taught the grades. In 1915 and 1916 Alma Hanley taught the grade room and Martha Kenyon the high school. At the close of the term those graduating from the 10th grade were: Dorothy Mat, now Mrs. James Cornish; Earl West, and Stewart Hensley, the first high school graduates.
In 1916 and '17 the teachers were Mildred West and Martha Kenyon, and in 1917 and 1918 Mildred West and Laura Deal. In 1918 and 1919 Ruby and Daisie Donelson (Mrs. Harley Hanson of Oconto) were the teachers. She has contributed the following:
In September of 1918, Miss Ruby Donelson of Mason City started her teaching career. In the primary room, while her sister, Miss Dasie, who had taught six years, taught the upper grades; both boarding at the ray Mougey home.
Because of a flu epidemic the school was closed for two weeks in November and again during the holidays.
Schoolhouse Burns
On the morning of February 12, 1919, the community was shocked to learn the schoolhouse had burned down during the blizzard and high winds of the night. The community quickly decided to finish the term in the Baptist church which was not farm from the schoolhouse site. A large curtain divided the rooms and neighbors' tables and chairs served as desks and seats and, until book orders arrived, Sunday school papers and books from the homes solved the text book problem. In April a blizzard of drifting snow nearly covered the Arthur Cornish cedar trees.
After the burning of the old schoolhouse a new two-room school building was constructed near the site of the former one, across the road from the present Clyde West Farm.
Teachers in the new building the first three terms were Eunice and Eldora Parker, Dorothy Matz and Della Cox, Belle Carr and Grace Caldwell. Starting in September of 1922, Lola Smith taught three terms in the grade room and Katie Noyes in the high school. From 1925 to 1930 Eva Thomas taught the grade room and during that time Katie Noyes taught the high school two terms and Irene Blowers, Lloy Thurman and Miriam Sterner each taught on term. From 1930 to 1932 Ella and Miriam Sterner were the teachers. The following two terms were taught by Homer Welch and Melvin Stedman.
Organize Band
These teachers were responsible for starting and promoting the Lodi band which was organized in the fall of 1933. Home Welch was a trumpet player of considerable ability and a very able band leader. Some of the members bought new instruments while others raked up what they could find from various places.
Practice was held at the schoolhouse two nights a week during the year and fast progress was made and a great deal of interest aroused. Many of the players had some previous musical training so learned quickly. Others had played in bands at various places. Burton Trexler spent some time visiting the Lee Cornish home that winter and he played with the band. He had formerly played the bass horn in an Omaha band. Harold Williams was an expert drummer, and while teaching Tuckerville school that winter, he played with the band and gave it the zip that only a good drummer can give.
By the spring of 1934 a program had been worked up and it was presented at Moorfield, Redfern, Callaway and Oconto. Admission was charged and the money was used to buy music.
The band gave street concerts at Oconto during the following summer on Saturday nights and played for Memorial Day services for a few years.
There were about 25 members at this time but after the first two years, some members left and it never regained momentum. However, it continued until 1938.
From 1934 to 1937, the grade school teachers were James Van Cleave and Lorraine Lewis, and the high school teachers were Mrs. Inez Hendrickson and Milton Hassell. The 1937-1938 teachers were Barbara Zalud and Eldon Daily. Albert Brass was in the grade room from 1938 to 1940 with Richard Mease, L,. Watson and J. H. Adee in the high school room.
From 1940 to 1943, with Donna Estergard as grade school teacher, the high school teachers were Monice Coxon, Thelma Dararsh, Mary Ryan, Alvin Laur and Mrs. Harry Purcell. Miss Dararsh finished Miss Coxon's term and Alvina Laur finished Miss Ryan's term.
Starting in 1943 and continuing until 1950, the Misses Stella and Florence Emerson of Broken Bow were the teachers. At this time an Apartment was built in the basement of the schoolhouse so that teachers could do light housekeeping. The Emerson sisters contributed a great deal during their seven yars in the community, at a time when all other rural high schools of the county were forced to close because of the teacher shortage.
The eight sections that had been separated from the district in 1907 were again added to the district in 1945.
The 1950 and 1952 teachers were Miss Nancy Gill and Miss Margaret Aydelotte. These teachers held the school up to the high standard it has held through the years. Many activities were promoted by Miss Aydelotte and it is due to her efforts that this history was written as an English project.
School Romances
Many school romance culminated through all these years Some of these people have left the community while others have settled here and reared their families. Such is the case with the Lloy Thurman, Harley Hanson, Ray Mougey, James Cornish and Clyde West families..
Mabel Parrish and Lloy Thurman are two of the pupils of Lodi high school who later decided to study their life problems together.
Daisy Donelson was one of several teachers who "caught her man" in our community in the person of Harley Hanson.
Well can the pupils of May Nichols recall when there was a knock at the schoolhouse door and Ray Mougey made his appearance to take May home on a Friday afternoon. It no doubt was a little embarrassing for May to usher Ray into the schoolhouse amid the chuckles of the pupils who were always amused when "the teacher had a beau".
Dorothy Matz and James Cornish started to school under Oscar Goar in 1903. He had a large school and many duties with the older pupils after the small ones had their classes So the beginners, Dorothy and James, were sent out to play and pick flowers on the nice days in the spring. This was the beginning of a romance which has resulted in almost 30 years of "playing together".
The Tale of Three Teachers - By Beverly West
"One year Katie Noyes and Eva Thomas ere hired to teach in Lower Lodi Nothing happened 'till one day into the adjoining farm went a green truck and a yellow truck. Looking out the schoolhouse windows were Katie and Eva. This must have been a great attraction for now they are Mrs. Clyde West and Mrs. Earl West.
Another teacher was Miriam Sterner. The fever caught her, too, and not it's Mrs. Alton West. One lives at Lodi now, one in Callaway and one in Kearney. So ends the tale of these teachers and also the end of the 'romance stories' of our district".
A high school education for the average farm boy and girl was the exception rather than the rule in 1914, when the patrons in our district voted to hire two teachers and have the ninth and tenth grades taught in our local school.
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I am adding some photos from my computer I have accumulated of Lower Lodi over the years. I and my three brothers and one sister all went through the eighth grade at this school. Roger, shown in the photo with the article is the oldest.
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