Eden
Eden Township, Marshall County, South Dakota, USA
The Little Country Schoolhouse
from "Marshall County"
by the Marshall County Historical Society
©1979
page 113
The "Little Red School House" in the early days in Eden township
was usually painted white. In those days Eden Township consisted
of what is now Eden and Lake townships. In 1917 they became seperate
townships. There were four schools in the original Eden township:
one at Eden Park, one in Sec. 22, known as the Unger School, one
in Sec. 14, west of Clear Lake and one in Sec. 17, east of Four
Mile Lake. After 1914 when new towns were established and after
the townships were divided, there were more schools. Eden town
had a public school, Eden No. 6 school was in Sec. 2, Eden No. 5
in Sec. 18, Eden No. 4 in Sec. 29, Eden No. 3 in Sec. 22, the
school from Sec. 17 was moved east to Sec. 18. Lake City also had
a public school. Anna Guy was a teacher in Eden Park School and
a folder was published stating the pupils attending and a picture
of the teacher. A Miss Johnson and Bessie Dentrey were teachers
in the School in Sec. 14. There were many others who taught in
these schools.
The pupils had a long ways to go to school every day. They either
walked, rode horseback or drove a horse and buggy to school. In
the winter time sleighs were used instead of buggies and most
school grounds had a barn on it to house the horses. All grades
were taught by one teacher who also had to be the janitor. Wages
were not very high in those days. Teaching in a country school
meant that the teacher came to school early in the winter time
to get the stove started so the school would be fairly warm when
the pupils arrived. Then she had to help the youngsters off with
their wraps, scarves and overshoes as they were usually pretty
cold when they arrived. Then everyone gathered around the stove
to warm up cold toes and fingers. Lunch was usually carried in a
tin pail and was frozen by the time the pupil arrived and the
teacher had to set it near the stove so it was thawed out by
lunch time. On real cold days, the desks were moved closer to
the stove but it was almost impossible to keep warm in those
frame buildings and those days as there was no insulation used
then. In the fall and spring, recess time meant a game of tag
or softball on the school ground and in the winter time games
were played indoors. A school program was held every year and a
big crowd filled the school house as parents and friends came
to see the program and take part in helping serve lunch to earn
some money for school ground play equipment. Most schools had a
merry-go-round and teeter-totter. There were no lights in the
school so in the 30's when the dust storms made it difficult
to see in the schools, school was dismissed and parents came
and got the children as it was too windy and dusty for the
youngsters to walk home. Halloween was a bad time for the
schools. I came to my school one day after Halloween and found
the flagpole had been put through the windows and books and
papers were scattered all over the school. The pupils had a one
day holiday and the school board put in new windows but the
teacher had to sort papers and books all day.
The teacher taught all the subjects for all eight grades so she
or he had a busy schedule and the county superintendent visited
the schools twice a year. During World War II the teachers also
had to do some work filling in and handing out ration books.
Well, what happened to all these schools? Part of the Eden Park
School became the Eden No. 6 and this school was later sold to
Raymond Janisch and is now used as a granary on his farm. Eden
No. 5 school was torn down and Eden No. 1 was moved to Sisseton
and is now used as a residence. Eden No. 3 school was moved to
the Doran Schlekewy farm and is being used at the present time
for storage. Eden No. 4 School in Sec. 29 is still on its original
site. The public school in Eden was sold and torn down. Lake City
Public school has been sold recently. Now all the pupils attend
school in Roslyn, Britton or Sisseton.
Leonella Michlitsch
E-mail: dwagner2@isd.net
©2002 DJW
Last Modified:
October 12, 2002