Category Archives: Sequences

May 06

O is for Otranto

Posted on Friday, May 6, 2016, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

September 29, 2015: Iowa’s Prairie Castle of Otranto. The vines certainly add a gothic touch. The school in tiny Otranto, just south of the Minnesota border, was in use for 50 years and closed in 1966, according to a reprinted … Continue reading →

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Apr 18

P is for Pilot Mound

Posted on Monday, April 18, 2016, at 10:15 AM by Jeff

June 4, 2014: The Pilot Mound school was built in 1920. The middle window says “Garage Sale May 31, 8:00-?”. A reorganization vote between the Grand (Boxholm/Pilot Mound) and Ogden school districts failed in November 1984. Had the vote succeeded, Grand … Continue reading →

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Mar 30

Q is for Quarry

Posted on Wednesday, March 30, 2016, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

October 18, 2009: Where am I? The village of Quarry, near Le Grand, returned to the state map in 1999 after a 50-year absence. Quarry made the news last year when an old wooden bridge over the railroad connecting to … Continue reading →

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Mar 29

R is for Rake

Posted on Tuesday, March 29, 2016, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

September 29, 2015: The large white doorway was the connector to the original Rake school building. The gymnasium is all that remains of the former Rake school district. It merged with Buffalo Center in 1978 and the school was closed … Continue reading →

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Mar 09

S is for Swan

Posted on Wednesday, March 9, 2016, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

September 30, 2014 The tiny village of Swan (2010 pop. 72) built a school in 1928. Swan is two miles into Marion County off IA 316.

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Mar 03

T is for Thornton

Posted on Thursday, March 3, 2016, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

July 29, 2010 The Thornton school in all its Art Deco glory met the wrecking ball in April 2012, leaving both a literal and metaphorical empty space in the heart of town. It lives in photos like these.

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Feb 26

U is for Ute

Posted on Friday, February 26, 2016, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

July 20, 2012 The Ute school building last had students in May 2012, despite its continued inclusion on a statewide directory of active buildings in 2014-15. The Charter Oak-Ute school district sold it for $10,010 on Oct. 21, 2013, according … Continue reading →

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Feb 24

V is for Vincent

Posted on Wednesday, February 24, 2016, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

July 6, 2011: Entrance to the Vincent school building in northeast Webster County. At the time the picture was taken, a sign outside said “Vincent Antique Galleries.” The Eagle Grove school district closed the Vincent attendance center at the end … Continue reading →

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Feb 23

W is for Wyman

Posted on Tuesday, February 23, 2016, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

June 1, 2015: The Wyman building is on the cover of Barb and Dave Else’s book “For All the Small Schools: A Photographic Pursuit of Iowa’s Forgotten Schools.” The village of Wyman, east of Crawfordsville, has a scattering of houses and a Farm … Continue reading →

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Feb 19

X is for Exira

Posted on Friday, February 19, 2016, at 10:00 AM by Jeff

(Hey, that’s cheating! — Ed.) May 22, 2014: Five weeks after this picture was taken, the school building used in Exira for most of the 20th century was destroyed in a controlled burn. There is an easy way to tell … Continue reading →

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