A look at one-room schools in Dallas County's Colfax Township and eighth grade exams

Education was important to the early settlers, so they sent their children to school six to eight months out of the year, working around planting and harvest seasons. Students attended from first grade (sometimes kindergarten) to eighth grade and received a quality education in these one-room schools.

“Everyone learned because you heard all the students recite their lessons. After several years you had heard the information so many times that you had to try hard NOT to learn," said Lila Menz, who went to Alton School.

That was fortunate for the students who wanted to continue to high school after their eighth grade year, because they had to pass an examination to do so. The examination was grueling and the students studied all year to pass it. The test was usually administered in Adel by the county superintendent of schools. It took an entire day, sometimes two, and covered the subjects of reading, orthography (spelling), arithmetic, grammar, geography, physiology, U.S. history, penmanship, music, and civics of Iowa. Boys were needed on the farm and often went no further than eighth grade. Interestingly enough, students in town schools did not have to pass this examination to go on to high school.

Hazel Pierson Hawbaker taught at one of the nine schools in Walnut Township. “I had two 8th graders that first year I taught—the girl was a good student but the boy couldn’t spell CAT,” she related. “He failed the spelling test the first time he took it. His parents gave permission, and he stayed many nights after school so I could help him. He got by the second time when he took it over by the skin of his teeth! He scored 74%, and 70% or below was failing. He went on to be a college professor at Columbia, Missouri in meteorology.”

Gloria Shirley Renshaw was the only one in her class at Sugar Grove #4. Her aunt taught in Minburn and urged her to stay with her for her eighth grade year to get to know the students she would be joining in high school. Consequently, she never had to take the dreaded 8th grade exam.

Once the pupils passed this test, they could attend the nearest high school, where the choices for juniors and seniors were college preparatory, business/office, or Normal Training. During those years in Normal Training, students were taught what they would need to teach in rural schools along with assisting with classes in the lower grades—the forerunner of student teaching. If they were 18 upon graduating and passed the State Normal Training tests, they were certified to teach in a rural school. They could also attend a Normal School if they wished to teach in a town school. In Dallas County, there were Normal Schools located in Adel, Dexter, and Perry.

During the early years of Dallas County, Colfax Township was attached to Adel Township until January 4, 1869, when its present boundaries were drawn. In 1879, Colfax had nine one-room schools—one was in the town of Panther and was called Panther Creek. The students attending the rural schools in Colfax Township would have had similar experiences with eighth grade exams. Unfortunately, other than the locations of the schools listed in 1875 and 1916 atlases, we haven’t uncovered any stories about the schools located there.

In an ongoing effort to preserve the history of the township schools in Dallas County, we are seeking details on the names and locations of the schools in Colfax Township. If you have any information about these schools, such as their location or stories of students who attended them, our group would like to hear from you. Please contact Myrna Griffith at wpldirector@minburncomm.net, Deanette Snyder at deanettesnyder@gmail.com, or Sue Leslie at densueles@aol.com.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: A look at one-room schools in Colfax Township and eighth grade exams