Reed School
bookshelf
Rediscovered
By
Peter Spicer
Zoschke stumbled upon the find while taking her son to
a summer program at the
The bookshelf ended up at the school district, where
it was used for over 50 years after
The original bookshelf was identified from the only
surviving photograph of the classroom and bookshelf in
After the discovery,
The original bookshelf, which is in excellent condition, and the replica have a few differences, said Williams. The replica bookshelf was built lower than the original was, he explained. A few boards on the replica were painted a different color from the original, said Williams.
“It’s an amazing [discovery] story in itself,”
said Williams, who added it was just as remarkable for the bookshelf to be
returned to
Linda Grottke and her husband, Roger, who live near
“It’s quite a spectacular story,” said Grottke, who, ironically, taught in a Neillsville third-grade classroom across the hall from the kindergarten classroom where the original bookshelf was placed.
Williams appreciated the efforts of Neillsville
Superintendent John Gaier and the Neillsville School Board for agreeing to
swap bookshelves. Williams is also
excited to see the bookshelf hold books at
“It’s an amazing story,” Williams concluded.
H. H. Bennett Historic Site Director and
Dale Williams (l) and
Photo by Peter Spicer/Clark
