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Atwater School was
organized in March of 1886. It was disorganized January 5,
1946, and became District #75. Later it was disorganized
again and attached to District #51... then unified as part
of 226.
It was located in the
southeast quarter of Sec. 34, T33-R29. The boundaries of the
school district changed over the years, but the school
remained in the same location, long after the
town of Atwater was abandoned. |
| At the north end
of an area known as the "Irish Flats," this little school
served as a community center for a large group of immigrant
farmers, mostly German Lutherans who settled heavily in this
area. Sunday school and church were regularly held at the
Atwater schoolhouse. After this school closed the building
was said to have been moved to the Dye farm northeast of the
Meade State Lake. Surnames of
students who attended Atwater were: Adams, Bonham, Burnett,
Byrns, Carrell, Cochran, Cordes, Feldman, Griffin, Haddox,
Heskett, Hesman, Hunter, Kolb, Lauderdale, Mein, Mohler,
Nolting, Potter, Rhodes, Scott, Sexton, Sturm, Sumpter,
Vanderpool, and Wickizer
 |
|
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| The map above, taken
from the 1909 Meade County Platt book shows district
8 as well as the location of the school and town of
Atwater. |
|
This is a modern road map showing
Atwater and it's relation to the Meade State Lake. |
TEACHERS
|
Kolb, Maggie |
1886-87 |
|
Shore, Fred |
1925-26 |
|
Sencenich, Nellie |
1891-91 |
|
Smith, Margaret H |
1925-27 |
|
Kolb, Maggie * |
|
|
Cochran, Jessie |
1927-29 |
|
Kragh,Helga |
1905-06 |
|
Bohling, Josie |
1929-30 |
|
Carrell, Clara |
1911-14 |
|
Ford, Fern |
1930-31 |
|
Murphy, O.F. |
1914-15 |
|
Davidson,
Jessie |
1931-32 |
|
Bromwell, Clara |
1915-16 |
|
Vogt, Irvin |
1932-40 |
|
Carrell, Clara |
1916-20 |
|
Welk,
Sophie |
1940-41 |
|
Veatch, Emma |
1920-21 |
|
Davidson, Jessie |
1941-42 |
|
Hickey, Mrs. Ed |
1923-24 |
|
Cordes, Opal |
1942-44 |
|
Craig, Mary |
1924-25 |
|
Vanderpool, Iva |
1944-45 |
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|
Weaver, Phyllis |
1945-46 |
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* In
the Jacob Kolb family history we learn that Maggie
Kolb taught at the Atwater school for eleven years.
Since we have few records to confirm these missing
years, we assume she taught in most of them. |
|
FROM THE BONHAM FAMILY
STORY:
My grandfather's claim
was south of the present State Lake and east of the late
Jake Kolb home now the Irvin Vogt home. Here on the claim or
near it was Sand Creek where the water was better than usual
and if there was no water in the creek there was always
water a few inches below the surface. After grandmother
arrived, looking over the claim and noting the good water
she remarked, "This is a good place to be, at water." So
here they stayed and called it Atwater. A post office was
established here and served the community for a number of
years, also a school house was built where they had church
and Sunday School. The Kolb's filed on a claim just west of
the Bonhams' and lived there until their death.
FROM THE JACOB KOLB
FAMILY STORY:
As was mentioned, mother taught 11 years, all
in the home district. "The Atwater School District 8" which
was organized soon after they came to Meade County. The
school house was made of sod, and the seats were piles of
sod with boards laid over them. I remember her telling us
that every so often the big boys would sway back and forth
and upset the whole seat. |
