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The Civil War paused the growth of railroads and pioneer settlement. By 1863, the county’s population had dropped to 93. Two schools were open with 19 students enrolled and an average attendance of 11. The age of enrolled students ranged from 4 to 21. There were 2 men and 2 women teachers. Schools were taught only 2 or 3 months of the year.* With the advance of the railroad, the population in Plymouth County grew. Consequently, by 1869, there were 20 schoolhouses. Schools were in session for 6 months each year.* Within Plymouth Township, the author gave a glowing report of schools during the 1870s and 1880s: “School matters have ever been properly conducted, and hence eminently successful, and today one finds an intelligent class of people as the result. The township has now five sub-districts, each containing a good sized frame school-house. The average enrollment in 1889 was 131 pupils.” The official report to the state also noted there were 20 shade trees growing on the township’s school properties.*

The first school in Merrill was built in 1889 when the town’s population was about 160 people. The building was 32 x 44 feet and was built at a cost of $1,450. Three additional lots were added to the school’s property in Merrill in 1894.** In 1898, the district decided to expand to include 10 grades. Most students went to Le Mars to finish high school. The north part of the main building was built in 1912 and the first class graduated in 1914.**

The gymnasium and four classrooms were added in 1925. A new elementary school was occupied in September 1959, the first year of the newly organized Le Mars Community School District. The Kissinger Elementary School was completed and occupied during the 1969-70 school year.**

Sources

• *“History of the Counties of Woodbury and Plymouth, Iowa.” Published by A. Warner and Company. 1890-1891. • **http://iagenweb.org/plymouth/Schools/MerrillSchoolEarlyHist.html

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From Lubricants to Premium fuels to the service your equipment and vehicle needs to keep you going is just the beginning of what your Coop Gas & Oil can do for you! PROPANE

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TIRES

Providing the most respected names in tires and on-farm tire service.

WINTER ON THE FARM.

PHOTO BY CHRISTIAN BEGEMAN.

Kurt, Mary, Jordan, Brittany and Justin Korver; and Brittany’s sister, Libby Ranschau. Front: Liam and Niko Korver.

PIGS PAY THE BILLS; DAIRY GOATS PROVIDE THE FUN

By Bob Fitch

The last Holsteins at Meadow Valley Farm were sold and hauled away 28 years ago. But Kurt Korver says, “I was born a dairyman and I always will be a dairyman.” To prove the point, he said every now and then his phone rings and a grandson says, “Grandpa, we overslept, can you do the milking?”

So Kurt heads to the barn and hooks up the milking machine to the dairy goats. “Dairy cows and dairy goats are the same thing. They're just a lot smaller,” he laughed. Kurt and Mary Korver farm near Alton with their son and daughter-in-law, Justin and Brittany, who have two sons, Liam and Nikoli. Justin and Brittany, along with her sister Libby Ranschau, own the 50-head dairy goat herd. Kurt and Mary’s daughter, Jordan, helps out wherever she is needed, whether that’s loading out hogs, clipping goat horns or mowing. Even though he continues to wear the title of dairyman, Kurt is also proud to wear the hat of pork producer. He and Mary put up 4 hog finishing barns in 1996 and 1997 and added 2 more in 2000. Initially, they custom-fed for New Fashion Pork, but today feed hogs for Smithfield. In the early years, they brought in feeder pigs, but later switched to bringing in iso-wean pigs. Korvers turn the barns twice a year. Kurt rarely