A look back at early area history as found in the archives of the Enderlin Historical Society and Museum ��� by Susan Schlecht
The following information is taken from the 1891 - 1941 Official Souvenir Program for the 50th anniversary of Enderlin.
The Beginning of our School District
From 1883 to 1893, children of school age living within Maple River (now Liberty) Township attended one of the four rural schools then established. The school houses were considered spacious and served the communities both as places of worship and as social centers. The proverbial red school house served well. Daily trudging along dusty roads and across fields, over hills and prairies, village students and country pupils alike, made their way to their institution of learning with bags of books in one hand and dinner buckets in the other.
It was not until the winter of 1893 that the village folks put forth a united effort and provided school accommodations within the village of Enderlin. However, finances at the time were insufficient for the erection of a new school house, so school quarters shifted from building to building, the first being in the Oeder building on Third Avenue. The first term opened January 2 and continued until March 31 with one teacher and 25 students. Unfortunately that building burned so the rest of the session was held in the basement of a home belonging to the roundhouse foreman on the corner of Sixth Avenue and Center Street. The next year 35 students attended school in the second story of Oscar Power�s hall on Fourth Avenue, later occupied by C.A. Wallner. There was one teacher and four grades. The following year, the school occupied the second story of the Rustad building on Third Avenue. The ever-growing student population needed immediate attention and definite plans were made for the construction of a new structure but financial resources were at a low ebb so the construction took several years to complete. The first actual school building in Enderlin was completed in the fall of 1897, still under the supervision of Liberty Township. The four-room structure was fully adequate to serve the community, but Enderlin was not destined to grow by steady strides. The influx of settlers, mechanics, artisans, and laborers, swelled the village population. Soon all four rooms were pressed into service since the school attendance had risen to one hundred twenty-five during the winter term.
The Enderlin Special School District No. 22 was organized at a special election held July 12, 1898 and the village school was segregated from the rural district for the first time.
The following spring, two of the board members landscaped and planted the school grounds with shade tree because the district felt itself too poor to expend funds on extra improvements. A school reference library was one of the immediate needs. Fred Underwood had an idea and appointed himself a committee of one to execute it. A form letter was prepared, which in substance stated that Enderlin was a new frontier town without adequate schools or money with which to equip them ,(and) that with increasing attendance there was dire need of a school library. Neither money nor subscription were solicited, but would the recipient of the letter feel disposed to search his own private library for some book or books which might be discarded, but which would serve as a book of reference or otherwise in the little school away out on the prairie. If so, it would be appreciated if such book or books might be autographed by the donor and forwarded for library purposes in the Enderlin School.
�Mr. Underwood was not bashful in his connection, but a copy of that letter went to the President of the United States, to the Vice President, to U.S. Senators, Congressmen and on down the line to persons of lesser note, and even to some who had local investments but resided elsewhere. The results were startling, and few failed to respond. Autographed volumes came from Grover Cleveland, Benjamin Harrison and many others. One person donated a complete set of Encyclopedia Britannica, a set of instructive mechanical works came from the general manager of the Soo Line, and there were books and books galore, until they totaled around five-hundred. These were all placed in the school library and without cost to the district. Unfortunately, those books with large additions made later were destroyed by the fire in 1933.�
�By 1900, we find the city of Enderlin again studying and deliberating the educational facilities. The frame structure was proving inadequate. By 1903 the Enderlin School had an enrollment of two-hundred twelve and was again using private buildings to accommodate the students. In part, this was due to the fact that two years of high school work was now offered. By 1904 a four-year high school course had been permanently established. The year 1905 saw the realization of the hopes of the entire community, for this year marked the completion of the first brick school building. (This is the building which was destroyed by fire on March 4, 1933.) The high school faculty was increased to three who taught botany, mathematics, English, drawing, music and Latin. The following year, 1906, saw the first class graduating from the high school. All four of the graduates had completed all 12 years of their education in Enderlin schools.�
Sue�s comments: I found it interesting that Liberty Township was once Maple River Township and that students from the village went to the country schools! There are many artifacts from early schools and school days on display in our Museum. Perhaps you have an interesting artifact from one of our country schools or from our early Enderlin School which you would like to donate to the Museum. If so, please contact me.