Country School: One Room - One Nation

First Day of Class for "Country School: One Room - One Nation"

It was a warm summer day in June 2009 when we began production work on our documentary feature film Country School: One Room - One Nation.  The first stop on the itinerary was a restored one-room school in Spragueville, Iowa.

Filmmakers Tammy & Kelly Rundle of Fourth Wall Films--trespassing.

A group of 10-15 former students, teachers and preservationists gathered at North Bend Community Center (NBCC) to talk about the work that was done to bring their beloved schoolhouse, once near ruin, back to the symbol of pride high on the hill in their community.

Class is in session with the North Bend Community Center preservationists.

And, they succeeded.  The structure was in tip top shape, with bright yellow walls and beautiful artifacts once used to educate classes 1-8 displayed throughout the one-room school.

Jerome Thompson from the State Historical Society of Iowa chats with Richard Ganzer before presenting the NBCC with an award for their fantastic preservation work.

It was the perfect place to kick off the project and we remember our day in Spragueville fondly.  These five years later, we have made many friends as a result of our time at NBCC.

A smiling Geraldine Lambert waits her turn to be interviewed about her experiences teaching in a one-room school.

Country School: One Room - One Nation screened over 70 times in venues and theaters all over the country; was broadcast on PBS stations throughout the midwest; was released nationally on DVD; won numerous awards at film festivals; and was nominated for an Emmy.  And it is because of stories like North Bend's that made it so successful.

Former one-room school student Emil Bredekamp waits for his interview to begin. Emil is the comedian of the film.

Order your copy of the Emmy-nominated documentary Country School: One Room - One Nation on DVD by clicking HERE.

More photos from our memorable time filming at North Bend Community Center (Fairfield #2) in Spragueville, Iowa:

Caroline Bredekamp, the passionate preservationist who made sure we knew about North Bend Community Center (Fairfield #2) and invited us to film there, toured us through nearby Fairfield #4 and also pointed out delapidated schools in the area.

Vera Medinger displays her quilt-top during her interview.

Sandy Sander is ready for her close-up.

Richard Ganzer gets the old Victrola turning.

Vera Medinger watches her daughter Jan Schmidt talk on-camera.

Sandy Sander and her mother Wilma Thillmony wait for the interview session to end. Such well-behaved students!

Historian Donald Wentworth provided an in-depth history of the schoolhouse during his interview and took most of the photos featured in this post.

Our gratitude to everyone at North Bend Community Center for sharing your stories, photos, support and friendship!

Photos courtesy the North Bend Community Center, copyright 2009.

Plain View One-Room School Class Photos

1896 photograph, Row one: Lulu Schakel, Jennie Ver Meer, Bessie Veenschoten, Antonette Verros, Jennie Schakel, Nellie Versteeg, Winnie Steenbergen, Grace Bogaard, Cornelia Hols, Annie Blom, ? Buitenwerf, William Van De Lunen, John Van De Lunen, Dingeman Verros, Henry De Kock (director) Henry Ver Meer (director). Row two: Mattie  Ver Meer, Lena Ver Meer, Maggie Engle, Ellen Vander Lune, Artie Vander Lune, Rena Buitenwerf. Row three:  Anna Duinink, teacher, Herman Bogaard, Jacob Bogaard, Henry Ver Meer, Jacob G. Ver Meer, Jacob Hols, Tunis T. Verros, Nick Bogaard, Bertha Ver Meer, Nettie Ver Meer, Arie Bogaard, William Ver Meer, Bert Ver Meer and Neal Bogaard.

 

1930 photograph, Row one:  Willard Vermeer, Willis Vandevoort, Leo Jonker, Paul Carico, John P. Vermeer, James Roorda, Edith Carico, Louise Carico, Mary Jane Vandevoort. Row two:  Orville Carico, Elmer Vermeer, Ralph cCarico, Gary Vermer, Earl N. Vermeer, Harold Van Gorp, Arlene Van Ee,  Wilma Carico, Helen Van Ee and teacher Janet Grootveld Steenhoek.. Row three:  Harold Vermeer, Lena Carico, Almira Van Gorp, Esther Van Ee.
Photos submitted By Helen Boertje, Special to The Pella Chronicle
Plain View Country School
Location: Lake Prairie township, sec. 1

Plain View School: Harness Straps, Hickory Nuts and Ice Skates

A picture of the school in 1958 just before the building was torn down so that a farm pond could be built on the site. 

Looking Back at the One-Room School

By Helen Boertje
Special to The Pella Chronicle

Plainview School
Location: Lake Prairie township, sec. 1

The first Plainview School was built in 1875 on a farm owned by J. Markel; one mile east of Pella on the Vermeer Road where Vermeer Manufacturing corporate offices are now located.  Plainview was appropriately named because it was built on flat land offering a clear view of the surrounding plain.

By 1880 farmer Markel no longer wanted the building on his land and it was moved 3/4th mile north.  In 1883 a new school house was built at a cost of $460.26.  This figure comes from the carefully kept school board records which also show that the first teacher¹s salary was $25 per month while the last one was hired in 1955 for $255 per month.

The first reunion of former students and teachers was held in 1972.  For this occasion, Mr. T. T. Verros, then 87 years old, wrote memories of his school days at Plainview. On his first day of school in 1890 neighbor girls Marie Schakel and Sara Schippers took him to school.  A few days later when they stopped by to pick him up he decided he didn¹t want to go to school.  His father who happened to be in the yard picked up up a piece of harness strap and gave him one good lick.  He changed his mind about not wanting to go to school.

Mr. Verros said that in the fall of the year students often left the school yard during the noon hour to gather hickory nuts in the nearby Vermeer timber.  One noon hour Henry H. Vermeer, John Vande Lune and Mr. Verros lingered too long picking up nuts under an especially good tree and returned a half hour late.  As punishment the teacher told they would not be allowed to leave the school yard for the rest of the year.  However, by the next week the boys followed the other students into the timber and the teacher said nothing.  (Most of us have probably taken a privilege away from a child and later changed his/her mind as did this teacher).

John P. Vermeer who attended school in the 30's recalls that the well water on the school yard was so poor that students were sent across the road to his parents' farm for drinking water. In the winter the students often enjoyed ice skating on their farm pond.  This is the pond that was the site of annual tug of war between the Central College freshmen and the upper class men.

During World War II the school children of Plainview conducted a scrap drive using ponies and a cart to carry scrap from neighboring farms to the the school house.  A Chronicle picture shows Arie Boot on his pony Goldie and Vernon De Vries on his pony Foxy along with 11 other students and their teacher Emily Hiemstra. They expected to sell two tons of metal to purchase a globe and other supplies for their school.

Teachers at Plainview and the year hired:  Miss Doolittle 1875, Maria Davenport 1876, Miss A.M. Dana 1878, Ida Dunn, Miss Wilson 1880, J. J. Stoddard, C. S. Pruit, E. Vingari, G. W. Kimmel 1882, Sallie Martin, Sadie Lacy 1883, Frank Vande Ven 1884, Minnie Edmand 1885,  Frank Vande Ven, F. Wright 1886, Aletha Davenport 1887, Anna De Haan 1888, Minnie Forsythe 1889, Nora Boswell, Kate De Haan 1890, Anna Dunnink 1894, Jennie Kuyper 1898, Dora Thomassen, Sylvia Platt 1899,  Nellie Vander Sluis 1900, Katie Boland 1902, Avis Veenschoten 1903 Katie Boland, Cora Hoogenaker, Cornelia De Cook 1905, Cornelia De Cook 1906, Tille De Wit 1907-08, Bertha Dykstra 1909-10,  Bertha Dykstra, Elizabeth Verheul 1911, Edna Verheul 1912-17, Meda Heki, Agnes Vander Hart, Alice Tysseling 1919, Cornelia Gosselink 1917, Janet Grootveld, Elva Brummel 1936, Esther Grootveld 1937, Ardella Grandia 1938, Beulah Grandia 1939, Emily Hiemstra 1941, Betty Vriezelaar 1943, Mildred Gosselink 1944, Betty Vander Beek 1950, Thelma Grandia 1952, Joyce Leydens 1953, Mrs. William De Bruin 1954, and Gloria Daggey 1955.

Originally published in the Pella Chronicle July 25, 2008.  Reprinted by permission.