School: North Mound (1919 – 1943)

Transcriber: stan@wiclarkcountyhistory.org

Surnames: Herrick, Nagoda, Jelercic, Jeras, Bredesen, Mahlsted, Krultz, Djubenski, Damrow, Gray, Haberland, Noah, Drew, Fradette, Kokaly, Putzel, Perushek, Ingham, Volk, Klanchar, Gere

----Source: Family Scrapbook

The first school meeting was held on June 7, 1919 at Jack Herrick's house. At this meeting, Jack Herrick was elected as a school clerk, Mrs. Anna Herrick was elected treasurer, and Andrew Nagoda was elected director. At a special meeting on June 28, 1919, a site was selected for the school. An acre of land was purchased from Vincent Jelercic in Section 34, Township of Mead for the price of $30.00. This transaction was recorded at the Clark Coun¬ty Courthouse on October 18, 1919.

Valentine Jeras put up the school foundation, did the plaster work inside and put up the chimney for which he was paid $7.00 a day. Anton Gere was the head carpenter for this work and he received $4.00 a day. Leo Bredesen of Greenwood drilled the well. The total cost was $1646.61 which included all materials, labor, cost of land and well drilling. An additional $602.56 was spent for school furniture, books and school supplies.

The teacher hired for the first school year was Miss Hulda H. Mahlsted. She received a salary of $100.00 per month.

The students were children of immigrants of several different nationalities, most of whom could not speak English. At a special meeting at the North Mound School on March 6, 1920 - a motion was made that every child must speak "in American" in school.

Jack Herrick held the position of school clerk until 1922. Then on July 3, 1922 Mike Krultz was elected school clerk. He held that office until the North Mound School was officially closed some twenty years later.

On August 6, 1924 a special meeting was held. It was decided that the school be moved to the central part of the district. An acre of land was purchased from Mike Djubenski in section 32 Township of Mead for the sum of $30.00.
The schoolhouse was moved by using logs as rollers and pulled by a team of horses. This was a long and slow process. It was perhaps October before the schoolhouse was ready for the school term. To make up for the lost time, school was held for six days a week until the time was made up. The school term for that year and the next two years was eight months.

At the annual meeting on July 11, 1938 it was decided to wire the schoolhouse for electricity.

In 1942 the students were transferred to the Willard State Graded School. North Mound School was officially closed in 1943.

The North Mound schoolhouse was moved again in 1947. It was purchased by the Benjamin School District, Township of Warner, to be used as a school house. Today on that same site, the former North Mound School is now being used as a family home.

Here is a list of the 13 teachers that taught at North- mound School the 23 years that it was open. Each teacher one year, unless followed by a number: Hulda H. Mahlsted, William Damrow, Mabel Gray, 2, Nina Haberland, Lee Noah, 3, Gladys Drew, John Fradette, Emily Kokaly, 3, Bertha Putzel, Angeline Perushek, 3, Donald Ingham, 2, Albert Volk, 2, and Frieda Klanchar, 2.