 At times in Emmons County the school organization was by School Townships and sometimes School Districts and  to add to the confusion some of the census reports were done by School Township and some by County Township. This schools link from the Emmons County history book provides some of the school organization within the county township organization structure between 1884 and 1966.
The first school taught in the county was in the first log cabin that had been built in the county, that of Donald Stevenson, whose three children were taught there. It had been built in 1883 near Glencoe. Annette Smith, the daughter of Civil War veteran Sylvanus Smith, was hired that same year to teach in the cabin. The following year she became a teacher in the regular organized school district in the Robinson [this writer unsure of which Robinson this is] house with seven pupils.
In the fall of 1883 John Worst was appointed as the first County Supintendent of Schools.
On 11 July 1884 the Emmons County Record published that eight school townships were numbered and named as such: 1. Buroak, 2. Gayton, 3. Winona, 4. Glanavon, 5. Winchester, 6. Williamsport, 7. Cherry Grove, and 8. Logan. At that time teachers included; Eva D. Campbell, Mrs. Casselman, Anna Geil, Alice Petrie, Anna Petrie, Cash Petrie, Annette Smith, James Thompson, Mary Weller, Mrs. Ed Wescott, and Ella Yeater.
The first school building was in Winona and built in 1884. It was a two-story structure, 26 feet by thirty feet with a large vestibule. Early teachers of that school included, W. B. Andrus, Pearl Braithwaite, Eva Campbell, Edna Connors, Sadie Doerschlag, Mary Farrell, Alice Redoubt, and Mrs. D. M. Waterbury.
The 1976 Emmons County History published that Sections 16 and 36 of each county township were reserved for a school.
Click on Picture for Larger View - From Emmons County History; colorized Pictures of the old schools can be found at the 1976 County History Book beginning on Page 46. Jessamine Slaughter Burgum - A Pioneer School Teacher McGuffey Reader Article Voting for the School Board in Emmons County - 1890s 1965 and 1976 School Books - Published by The Strasburg Schools Alumni Association We are in the process of gathering and publishing herein any historical and pictorial data available concerning the rural country schools of Emmons County. If you have old photos and/or country school memories to share please contact us. |
| Dale/Glanavon | Gayton | Hampton Township | Reimer | |
| South Prairie | Strasburg | Williamsport | Winona | |
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Dates of Organization for School Districts in 1891 (Except for Glencoe this list was contributed by Theodora Cole) Buroak (Burr Oak) - 19 April 1884 Gayton - 19 April 1884 Winona - 19 April 1884 Glanavon - 19 April 1884 Winchester - 19 April 1884 Williamsport - 19 April 1884 Cherry Grove - 19 April 1884 Logan - 19 April 1884 Bakker - 7 July 1885 Selz - 3 April 1888 Union - 4 June 1888 Exeter - 20 April 1889 |
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Document Image Surnames on Document: Moodie, Yeater, Campbell, Smith, Weller, McFadden A Works Progress Administration Document, Bismarck, North Dakota, Territorial Records of the Superintendent of Schools, Emmons County, Dakota Territory Contributed by Theodora Cole |
