Ewart House in Ireland

Ewart Mansion -- Built  in 1875?

                                                                            

The Ewart Mansion  was built by Robert and Matthew. Matthew never married, but he lived in the house with Robert & his family. Later Matt lived with Robert's son and his family in the house. It was quite a showplace in its day; it even had a cork surface tennis court. It was built some years after the founding of the town. Robert's son was my grandfather. My father was born and lived in the house until he went to college. Unfortunately the house burned while he was a student at Grinnell College. (Circa 1930)  --  Ned Ewart

 

Ewart Mansion from an earlier time-- (no picket fence)

Presbyterian Church 1880

Presbyterian Church 1903

Methodist Church 1920's ?

The first church I attended.

Presbyterian Church -- 1922 to present day

Currently services are not held at the church. In fact, it is for sale.

 I was married to Jerry Iverson at this church May 22, 1965

Pleasant Township Cemetery

AKA Clover Leaf Cemetery • AKA Ewart Cemetery

Ewart Mausoleum where members of the Ewart Family are buried. 

Please see Ewart obituaries.

Ladely gravestone -Pleasant Township cemetery

           Dad:  101 yrs.     Mom:  90 yrs.

  Over looking the Cottage Hill Farm where they lived for 57 years,

resting beside neighbors they had known for life Bert and Margaret Stemsrud.

Cottage Hill Farm

Owned by Russell & Dorothy Ladely 1946- 2002

Pleasant Township School #5

Two Room Schoolhouse

Dorothy Ladely was the secretary/treasurer for the school district. 

She succeeded Charles Wells, an excellent accountant, and local farmer.

The book of transactions is in my possession.

Country School Pleasant #5

Not in use when this picture was taken in 1970's.

One can see that the school house was split into two rooms, 2 chimneys one on each end, central door.

Children used to have to pump water from the well, bring it in and set it in the hallway.  Duty rosters

determined what each student was expected to do. 

 

When I attended in the 1950's, Kindergarten through 6th grade, classes were held in the East portion of the school house.

There was a long bench by the teacher's desk for the students sat on when it was their turn for class.

Oral recitation was the rule. Everyone could hear the answers, right or wrong.

 

Many students learned more advanced material that way. The second room was  a play room on rainy days or days that were too snowy. 

If  students went out side to play, sometimes they would find fossils in the soil, deposited by glaciers 10,000 years earlier.

 

Here is an example of testing for 8th grade graduation. Test for 8th grade graduation 1895:  from Salina, KS.  

This was typical of the rural school system. Eighth grade was a milestone in student life; many

were required to go to work, thus ending their formal education.  Many rural schools had a graduation ceremony for 8th grade.

 

Were you able to pass the test?  It makes us think that an 8th grade education was not so bad. How does it compare to education today?

July 4, 2003 Photo by Linda Stemsrud Vogt

Johnson Feed & Grain Elevator, owned by Carmen Johnson. The elevator sat unused for years, a relic of the past. It has been removed.

 

      

     

 

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 Last update:  Friday, June 15, 2018 05:24:07 PM