All-County Rural School Reunion being planned for April 28


Little Red Schoolhouse ... Pictured above and below is the Franklin #3 School, more affectionately called the Little Red Schoolhouse. The photo above is of the school building at its original location on Smithfield Drive in Section 3 of Franklin Township in Allamakee County, with the photo below showing the school building at its current location at the Allamakee County Fairgrounds, since moving there in 1978. The school building will be open to tour during the Sunday, April 28 All-County Rural School Reunion being planned by the Allamakee County Historical Society. Submitted photos.

Little Red Schoolhouse to be open for tours

The Allamakee County Historical Society is planning an All-County Rural School Reunion for Sunday, April 28. The  reunion will be from 1-4 p.m. and held at the Allamakee County Fairgrounds Pavilion in Waukon. Treats, coffee and lemonade will be served.

It is hoped that those fortunate enough to have attended one of the county’s  rural schools will come celebrate and share memories, stories and pictures of their educational years. The Historical Society will have equipment available to scan photographs of students and teachers even if they are not identified or not sure of the name of the school - no matter the condition, as well as poems, stories, school souvenirs, certificates for attendance, reading, spelling, or anything pertaining to the one-room schools in Allamakee County that those attending would like to have preserved to share with future generations.

Photographs and other miscellaneous items from the Allamakee County Historical Society and Genealogy Center will also be on display in the pavilion during the reunion. The reunion is being held in conjunction with the Allamakee County Historical Preservation Commission’s current project to locate  and identify all of the rural country schools  in the county.

This year seemed an appropriate time to hold the reunion as it marks the 145th birthday of the Little Red School (pictured both originally and currently at right with this article). Originally known as Franklin #3, it is now located at the Allamakee County Fairgrounds in Waukon. The school house will be open for tours during the reunion.

The Little Red School was constructed in early 1874. It was originally located on Smithfield  Drive  in Section 3 of Franklin Township. The school’s first teacher was Katie McShane, who began teaching August 15, 1874. Its final teacher was Curtis Webster, who later taught sixth grade at West Elementary School in Waukon.

The school closed in 1967. Originally slated to close in the spring of 1966, its closing was delayed a year when the Waukon High School burned. Everything was left in the building as it was the day it closed. It was moved to its current location at the fairgrounds in 1978 and became a museum.

It  is believed that there may have been as many as 90 country schools in Allamakee County. In 1963, the Waukon Democrat newspaper listed the 30 country schools still open at that time, including: Bergen, Center #2, Dorchester-Lower, Dorchester-Upper, Emmett, English Bench, Franklin #3, French Creek #1, French Creek #3, French Creek #6 Hanover #3, Hanover #4, Hanson, Harmony, Helming, Howard, Iowa River, Jefferson #4, Jefferson #7, Jefferson #8,  Ludlow #1, Ludlow #2, Ludlow #3, Ludlow #4, Ludlow #7, Lycurgus, Southwest, Union Prairie #2, Washington and Wheatland.

For more information about the reunion, contact Carolyn Clark at 563-568-3807 or at forestmillsquilts@gmail.com, Marcia Rush at 563-880-3014 or at mrush@acegroup.cc, or the Historical Society at info@allamakeehistory.org.