Mosher District No. 25
by Ardath Mills
(transcribed from the Mellette County 1911-1961 book, published August 15, 1961 by the Mellette County Centennial Committee)
The present Mosher School District No. 25 was a part of Berkley School District No. 3 for many years. With the coming of the railroad to Wood and the founding of the present town of Mosher a change in school districts was soon desired and in 1932 our present district was formed with Marion E. Crane, O. R. Carter, and John Jansen as the first school board members.
Formal education in our area dates back to before the 1900's, to the Little Crow Indian Day School which was about a mile east and a little south of Mosher. One of the first teachers here was a G. G. Davis. He was succeeded by Solomon Gary, a Negro, who was there for many years. He served as teacher and his wife as cook for the Indian children. Following Mr. Gary's retirement there were several other teachers for short periods of time. The school was closed in the late 1940's and the building has been moved from the community.
The first public school in this community was held in a log house about a mile south of the town of Mosher in about 1916 or 1915. To better serve the people of the area it was soon moved to a frame building located about three-fourths of a mile northwest of the present Schaeffer School building.
The building in use now was built in about 1918 by Louis Evans who resided southeast of Wood. It received its name, Schaeffer School, from the Schaeffer family who then lived on the quarter where the school was built. School has been in session every year since the building was built, a total of forty-two years, which may be near a record of continuous service in one building in the county. The highest enrollment, according to available information, was well over twenty, and for a number of years in the 1920's the attendance held near the twenty mark. The smallest attendance was five or six during the 1940's.
Some of the early teachers in the school were Mrs. Helen Durham, the wife of an army man, Etta Cash, who later became Etta Navin and served as a county official for many years, and Olive Schaeffer, a member of the Schaeffer family who were pioneers in the community. Some of the pioneer families whose children attended the Schaeffer School were the Frank Weavers, Henry News, John T. Hansens, Schaeffers, and the Paulsons.
In 1921 the Schmidt School was built in the approximate center of our present district. It was named in honor of the Schmidt family who provided the land for the building. The first teacher in this school was Felix Sinkler, a member of a pioneer family of the community. He now resides in California but has sisters and a brother living at present in the Wood community. Some of the first children to attend this school were the Dick Schmidts, Hillie Schmidts, Frank Kestels, and Claud Sills. This school has had two periods in its history that it did not operate. There was a period in the late 1930's that it was closed and it has not operated for the past three years. However, in the 1920's and early 1930's it also had an enrollment of fifteen up to twenty or more.
It is indeed a sign of the changing times to note that at one time this district had up to forty pupils. in the schools and now it serves less than ten.
by Ardath Mills
(transcribed from the Mellette County 1911-1961 book, published August 15, 1961 by the Mellette County Centennial Committee)
The present Mosher School District No. 25 was a part of Berkley School District No. 3 for many years. With the coming of the railroad to Wood and the founding of the present town of Mosher a change in school districts was soon desired and in 1932 our present district was formed with Marion E. Crane, O. R. Carter, and John Jansen as the first school board members.
Formal education in our area dates back to before the 1900's, to the Little Crow Indian Day School which was about a mile east and a little south of Mosher. One of the first teachers here was a G. G. Davis. He was succeeded by Solomon Gary, a Negro, who was there for many years. He served as teacher and his wife as cook for the Indian children. Following Mr. Gary's retirement there were several other teachers for short periods of time. The school was closed in the late 1940's and the building has been moved from the community.
The first public school in this community was held in a log house about a mile south of the town of Mosher in about 1916 or 1915. To better serve the people of the area it was soon moved to a frame building located about three-fourths of a mile northwest of the present Schaeffer School building.
The building in use now was built in about 1918 by Louis Evans who resided southeast of Wood. It received its name, Schaeffer School, from the Schaeffer family who then lived on the quarter where the school was built. School has been in session every year since the building was built, a total of forty-two years, which may be near a record of continuous service in one building in the county. The highest enrollment, according to available information, was well over twenty, and for a number of years in the 1920's the attendance held near the twenty mark. The smallest attendance was five or six during the 1940's.
Some of the early teachers in the school were Mrs. Helen Durham, the wife of an army man, Etta Cash, who later became Etta Navin and served as a county official for many years, and Olive Schaeffer, a member of the Schaeffer family who were pioneers in the community. Some of the pioneer families whose children attended the Schaeffer School were the Frank Weavers, Henry News, John T. Hansens, Schaeffers, and the Paulsons.
In 1921 the Schmidt School was built in the approximate center of our present district. It was named in honor of the Schmidt family who provided the land for the building. The first teacher in this school was Felix Sinkler, a member of a pioneer family of the community. He now resides in California but has sisters and a brother living at present in the Wood community. Some of the first children to attend this school were the Dick Schmidts, Hillie Schmidts, Frank Kestels, and Claud Sills. This school has had two periods in its history that it did not operate. There was a period in the late 1930's that it was closed and it has not operated for the past three years. However, in the 1920's and early 1930's it also had an enrollment of fifteen up to twenty or more.
It is indeed a sign of the changing times to note that at one time this district had up to forty pupils. in the schools and now it serves less than ten.
Mellette County, South Dakota
County & Town Histories -
Mosher School District No. 25
Mosher School District No. 25
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Do you have a class picture you can contribute?
Etta (Cash) Navin was teaching in District No. 25 when this picture was taken. The Schaeffers
were the only family attending the school.
were the only family attending the school.
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