new content added 09/04/2021
new content added 09/04/2021
Postville Schools Photos & history ...the footsteps & laughter of generations of children are now gone ... |
Public School, Postville, Iowa
~photo postcard postmarked 1908, contributed by Errin
Wilker
This early Postville school house was located on the lot where the high school was built. Past & Present of Allamakee County; Ellery M. Hancock, 1913, Chapter 22, probably describes this old school: "In 1871 a two-story and basement brick building was erected on block 29 of Lawler's addition, which has been improved from time to time, and now is steam heated and equipped with modern school conveniences, including laboratory and library. In or about 1882 increased room for the growing attendance was provided by the purchase of the old Free Baptist church. The school now (1913) has six departments, and an enrollment of 270." The photo below, is undated, but was taken in front of this school. The children are posed on bleachers under the windows.
Written on this photo: "3rd & 4th grade
Postville"
The photo was contributed by R. Mealer. He says it was in his grandmothers estate, and that that one of his ancestors is probably in the photo, but doesn't know which child or which ancestor. The clothing of the children suggests that the photo was taken ca1895-1905. In February 1914, when Postville was getting ready to build a new school, this article was published in the Postville Review:
Former residents here, scarcely without exception, always have a warm spot in their hearts for Postville. No matter how long they may have been gone, or how well they have prospered, they retain a friendly feeling for the "old home town," and note with real pleasure every stride forward to newer and better things. Among the many who have gone out fro here to other fields, none have remained more loyal to Postville than has John E. (alias Dutch) Sheehy, of Grand Forks, N.D., and he is very much interested now in our getting a new school house, and in a letter of recent date has the following pertinent thereto:
"I do not know what improvements have been made in the Old Red Brick since I helped in wearing out it's floors, but if there has not been great improvements made, especially in a sanitary way, the humane society ought to have all you Postville taxpayers doing time. I have noticed your school levy under the present situation and what it will be by having the building you desire and have compared it to what we are paying here in Grand Forks. ...."
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Miscellaneous
school staff & teachers
1892
~Postville Review, Sat., 23 July
1892 |
1896
~Postville Review, Sat., May 23,
1896 |
1897
~Iowa Volksblatt, June 4, 1897 |
1898 On Wednesday evening the school board finished the work of hiring the teachers. Miss Sala was chosen as assistant principal again. All the other teachers remain as now. The board is the proper authority to do this work and we have no desire to antagonize its action in any respect. Following is the compliment of teachers for the ensuing year:
~Postville Review, Fri., 27 April 1898 |
1910
~Postville Review, Friday,
August 19, 1910 |
1913-14 School Opens Sept. first. The following corps of instructors, whose capabilities are above average, will devote all their energies and abilities to help your boys and girls in school life and prepare them for life's school.
~Postville Review, Friday, August 22, 1913 |
1918
~Postville Herald, Friday, June 14, 1918 |
1922 The corps of teachers for the coming year have all been selected, and are as follows:
~Postville Herald, Thursday, August 10, 1922 |
1923
~Postville Herald, Thur., August 30, 1923 |
1925
|
| 1926 The board of education has finished its work of hiring teachers for next year and it goes without saying they have been very careful in making their selections. The Postville schools have ranked with the best schools in the state for some years past – a fact of which we all are proud – and that they are to be maintained at the same high standard will meet with hearty approval from the public. With the exception of four teachers the force next year will be the same as is now in charge. Secretary Geo. S. Tuttle hands us the following list of those who will next year comprise the teaching force:
~Postville Herald, May 13, 1926 |
|
1952-3 School Year - Newly hired
teachers
 Miss LaVonne Burdos for 6th grade (correct spelling of her surname is Brudos) |
 James R. Prostman for 7th & 8th grades English, Social Studies, Physical Education. |
~Postville Herald, Wed. June 6, 1952
~contributed by Reid R. Johnson
Postville Community School District, list of staff
& teachers salaries for 1963 - 1964 school year:
| Staff or teacher | Salary | Staff or teacher | Salary |
| Kenneth Cook Jack Sapp Chester Bender Lewis Larson Eldean Drewes Lawrence Miland Marilyn Miland Kathryn Davis Larry Anderson Robert Bell James Foster Joseph Millard Raymond Bachman May Dawn Dean Donna Edwards Robert Hein Florence Hoth Carl Johnson Robert Miller Sally Svenson Geneva Waters Robert Prigge Daryll Stenberg Calvin Moe Nancy Gary |
9,193.33 7,500.00 7,000.00 5,886.66 6,367.50 5,272.50 4,900.00 4,600.00 4,600.00 6,300.00 6,702.00 5,222.00 4,900.00 4,957.50 4,800.00 5,357.50 4,765.00 4,800.00 5,587.50 4,800.00 5,894.00 5,000.00 5,300.00 5,365.00 4,800.00 |
Rupert Kneef Helen Stegen Dorothea Holtzman Marlene Schmidtke Carol Druecker Gladys Iverson Elmira Cordes Llorraine Sorenson Annette Robinson Virginia Lammert Kathleen Rose Bonnie Johnson Deliene Hager Jerre Henthorne Harriet Jevne Georgie Riley Ellen Thompson LaVonne Groth Agnes Bishop Hazel Ziegler Ida Duffy Linda Widner Pauline Jung Amanda Meyer Audrey Drewes |
5,600.00 4,499.00 4,167.50 4,499.00 4,600.00 3,800.00 4,045.00 4,957.50 3,600.00 4,167.50 4,045.00 4,600.00 4,167.50 3,600.00 4,800.00 3,600.00 4,045.00 4,765.00 4,957.50 4,700.00 4,167.50 3,600.00 5,272.50 5,272.50 4,957.50 |
Source: Postville Herald,
July 29, 1964
Contributed by Reid R. Johnson
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K.T. Cook, Postville schools
superintendent for 27 years
The Postville Herald, Wednesday, November 8, 1972, noted the resignation of Kenneth T. Cook as Superintendent of Postville schools effective June 30, 1973, after 27 years of service in the Postville schools system, due to his reaching retirement age that fall. The above photo is from the Postville Herald Wednesday, March 22, 1950. The accompanying article noted that he had just been rehired for a three years term as Superintendent of Postville schools.
~contributed by Reid R. Johnson
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Postville High School, ca1915
~photo contributed by S. Ferrall (1968 PHS graduate)
The new school was built in 1914, on the knoll where the Old Red Brick School stood nearly in the center of Postville. The school consisted of two stories of class-rooms and a basement gym. In 1984 the decision was made to raze the school.... a bad decision that still brings tears to the eyes of many former PHS graduates, because the old building was structurally sound ...
.....but memories can't be razed or replaced. Many footsteps were heard at good 'ole PHS over the 70 years that the building stood & many memories were made.
Postville High School, ca 1920's
~photo contributed by Steven Bareis
 Postville HS, ca 1930's ~photo contributed by S. Ferrall (1968 PHS graduate) |
 Postville HS, ca 1940's after the 'new' gymnasium was added on ~photo contributed by S. Ferrall (1968 PHS graduate) |
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