Log School (Original Location)

Though records don't clearly indicate the building of the school, local historians assume it was in use by the 1850s due to the arrival of settlers in this era. Similarly, the school's closure wasn't recorded, but as more people moved to the sections nearby in the early 1870s, larger schools were needed in place of the smaller log models. It stood either in section 20 or 21 on land owned by Thomas and Eliza (Burt) McDonald. The 1875 San Andreas Atlas does not show a school at this site but instead marks one roughly half a mile north, indicating the log school had been closed prior. The pinpointed location on this map is directly between the southern corner of both sections. After closing, the building was moved to section 28 to serve as a family home. By 1890 it was used as a storage facility. In 1979, nearly a century later, the building was restored and moved to the Madison County Historical Society's property in Winterset, IA. It saw another major restoration project in 2019. As of 2024 the school remains open to the public as a museum operated the Madison County Historical Society. 

Photo credit: Photo #1: History on the Hill web page by the Madison County Historical Society. Photo #2: UNI Staff