The Willow Tree school (Richland No. 1) opened in 1883 replacing Fred Petersmeyer's Farm School. It was built on land donated by Sebastian Buehler, a Civil War Union veteran, who also became the school's first teacher. After the school closed in 1951, it was used as the Richland 4H Boys Clubhouse until it was sold in 1959 for $281 to be used as a livestock building. In 2011 it was donated to the City of Odebolt. When a restoration project finished in 2013 it opened to the public as a museum. As of 2024 the building currently houses the Iowa Rural Schools Museum of Odebolt.
Photo credit: Photos #1-#2 originally uploaded to The Historical Marker Database in 2017 by user Cosmos Mariner.
| Official School Name | Richland No. 1 |
|---|---|
| Parochial School Name | Willow Tree School |
| When Built | 1883 |
| When Closed | 1951 |
| Current Use | Museum |
| Materials Used For Construction |
