The one room rural school was built in 1858. Located a short distance off the north road at Howard Center four corners. This is five miles west of Cresco on Highway 9. The school was first held in a hotel that was at Howard Center. Could have been the Parkhurst Hotel. The hotel burned down in 1857. The first teacher was W.D. Stone. The deed to the land was acquired in 1858 and purchased from the government for $20.00.
The building had a vestibule and a belfry. These were removed when it was moved to the Fairgrounds. It was given by the district for a 4-H center. Later a new building was built for the 4-H youth and the school was moved to where it is now in 2009. For a time, it was used as storage for Fairground supplies until the Howard County Historical Society acquired it in 1966 (the year of Cresco's Centennial).
Contents in the school:
- Two desks with divided double seats. May have been in the school when it was located in Howard Center.
- Four desks with stationary tops and four desks with fold down tops originally in the Burr Oak School. The Historical Society received them from the basement of the Seventh Day Adventist church.
- One ink-well donated by a 12-year-old boy from the county.
- Recitation bench from a school in the district donated by the Cresco School Board.
- 8 dinner pails - one regular dinner pail, one lard, one honey, one tobacco, and four syrup pails used for their dinners.
- One globe donated by Mrs. Kalischek, a teacher in Protivin.
- One small stand for the globe donated by Dr. Luehrs and wife.
- Two captain chairs, donator unknow.
- One teacher desk donated by Ray Webber which he bought at a sale for $0.25. Ray made two side boards for it.
- Folding slate board belonged to Emil Monthy family, purchased by Paul Barnes at a monthly sale.
- Organ donated by Irvin Walters from school in their district.
- Two black curtains for stage donated by Mrs. Ben Jacobson>
- School bell in use about 1871 and was donated by the Cresco School Board to the Society.
- Two pictures - Abraham Lincoln and George Washington - donated by Mr. & Mrs. Meyer, used in their school districts.
- Two lamps (flower brackets) donated by Harry Hamilton (at museum).
- One lamp and reflector donated by Mrs. Louis Barnes.
- One lamp, donator unknown.
- Stove donated by Mr. Arnold from Saude.
- Stove pipe donated by Ted Vagts.
- Books donated by Mrs. Dick Phillips from the Gerber farm home.
- Slate donated by Esther Vagts.
- Slate pencil bought in antique shop by the Luehers.
- Book slate donated by Bess Fye.
- Bell stand with two big wheels bult by Louis Billmyer and Don Scharnweber.
Every summer the bell in the bell stand is wheeled outside the schoolhouse during the MIGHTY Howard County Fair. Kids ring the bell to signify that the spelling bee is about to begin. A mannequin dressed as a teacher would have been in the late 1800s is at the front of the room by the teacher's desk.