Union Prairie School No. 2 ...

As part of the preparation for the All-County Rural School Reunion being planned for Sunday, April 28, the Allamakee County Historical Society has been submitting photos to The Standard in an effort to gather information for a variety of rural schools in Allamakee County, such as the photo above of the Union Prairie School No. 2 taken in the 1960s. According to information provided by the Allamakee County Historical Society, Union Prairie School No. 2 was originally built in 1862 - the same year as St. John the Baptist Catholic Church at West Ridge - and was in operation for 105 years until it closed in 1967 and the Allamakee Community School District Board of Directors sold the building to Robert Rea. It was then sold to James Snitker in 1973 before it was destroyed by fire in April 1976. It was located at the intersection of Sections 9, 10, 15 and 16 of Union Prairie Township, approximately where West Ridge Road turns into gravel and intersects with Liddiard Bottoms Road about five-and-a-half miles northwest of Waukon.

Eleanora Taake Berns was the teacher for the final 21 years of Union Prairie School No. 2, and she ultimately retired from teaching in 1972. The final year of the school involved the educating of 18 students in first through sixth grades, including Lee Colsch, Mary Rea, Geralyn Van Horn, Harold Colsch, David Johnson, Rita Dixon, Sheila Snitker, Bonita Colsch, Patrick Rea, Diane Snitker, Karen Colsch, James Dixon, Jeffrey Johnson, Michael Snitker, Carol Rea, Linda Snitker, Michael Colsch and Thomas Dixon. Other teachers noted as having taught at Union Prairie School No. 2 over the years included Catherine Dasher, Elizabeth O’Neill, Colleta Mellick, Veronica Ward, Cecelia Schofield, Helen Mellick, Mary Frances Foley, Mary Onsager, Margie Van Horn, Lilah Kirkpatrick and Mary Hicks.

Anyone who has additional information they would like to share about Union Prairie School No. 2 is asked to contact Carolyn Clark at 563-568-3807, Marcia Rush at 563-880-3014 or email the Allamakee County Historical Society at info@allamakeehistory.org. The All-County Rural School Reunion is being planned for Sunday, April 28 from 1-4 p.m. at the Allamakee County Fairgrounds Pavilion in Waukon.