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Teachers of Oakport (Des Plaines) School

Our research has taken us to records from local school census materials to local tax records, as well as to the state census records.  From using these materials, plus information we have received from Marvin and Jean Jacobsen, Cathaleen (Jacobsen) Koenig and Raymond and Mavis (Gilbery) Jacobsen, we have found the following information.  

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Above are documents of the School census taken by the district clerk: Click on Image to enlarge.

In 1928, Louis A. Hajek was clerk of the district.  Carius Jacobsen and Ernie Knuth were two persons on the school board for District #23.  Carius would make out the pay vouchers then send his son, Marvin over on his pony with them to Ernie so he could make out the checks.

Teachers salary was $60.00, plus room and board but it could have been as little as $45.00.  Nora Jacobsen would clean the school before school started in the fall and also during Christmas vacation.  She received $3.50 for her work each time.

The teachers would got to the school early and start the stove to warm the building before the children came.  Water for drinking and washing hands had to be brought from a neighboring farm or where the teacher stayed.

The teacher would have a Christmas program preformed by the children for the parents.  One teacher made a Santa suit for Ernie Knuth (an eighth grader) who played Santa, he also was in charge of opening and closing the curtain for the program.  She would also have a Mother’s Day program and the children would recite poems.  The pledge of allegiance to the flag was said at the beginning of each day.

Some of the teachers who taught at Des Plaines were; Cornell, Fern McManus, Hendrickson, Carol Rue, Mae Lutjen (who stayed at the Christian Jacobsen home), Laura Vista (who played the pump organ), Mrs. Oscar Samuelson, Eunice Orvik, Frances Marquardt (who was from Georgetown, MN and stayed at Carius Jacobsen home.  After 1936 teachers stayed at the Herman Jorgenson farm, which was ½ mile east and ½ mile north of the school. 

The information below was compiled from a book titled “The Rural School Its Methods and Management.”  Written in 1913.  This book was a composition to help teachers in setting up their classroom and learning the dos and don’ts of pedagogic.  

The average pay for the rural teacher in the early 1900’s was $40.00 to $50.00 dollars a month.
A teacher should have set aside about 15 to 20 minutes a day for each class grade.
Recite works daily
Practice music three times a week
Set twenty minutes for
Reading time
Handiwork 
Basketry
Sewing 
Domestic Science (canning, sweeping, fires, wood, water, cleaning)

Manual Training was from 3:00 to 4:00 where the boys had tool training

Care and management of the school, which was part of the Domestic Science class, and the school would obtain a small stipend from the school board for the janitorial work.  This money was used for the purchase of materials in other classes. 

This web page was created by Senior American Studies Students at Minnesota State University Moorhead Janet Hohenstein and Vusala Bentley.