After The Fire

Long exhausting hours and days of hard work in the summer heat paid off and the modern, larger than before, building was ready for the 1934-35 school year. Over 60 students with their principal, Mr. W. R. Binns, and teachers planned an open house for the community. Everyone was proud of the large 72' by 93' two story brick and stone building. After playing ball in "the hole" it was decided to build a good regulation sized court with class rooms around it. There are 4 class rooms on the north side of a balcony which overlooks the gym. Also upstairs is a large study hall. This time a stage with dressing room had been added. In the basement besides the gym are a boiler room, vault, 2 restrooms and a manual training room. A very up to date facility for 1934.

The School in 1935


Mr. Don Hoglund shares the following experiences with us.

"The year was 1939 when I arrived at Appanoose, my first teaching job. My fraternity brothers at Emporia said that Appanoose was an Indian reservation. I remember my pay was $100.00 a month, but I received a bonus of $15.00 a month to drive the only school bus."

"I soon learned that Appanoose had some very good students and the parents were very friendly and cooperative. We had several community meetings a year where the students would entertain the parents and all had a fun evening."

"Oh, how I remember driving the old school bus. We had dirt roads and some gravel but no blacktop roads. We were stuck in snow drifts several times and in the ditch at least twice. The most scary was when we were going down a hill and I saw a wheel rolling by us. Fortunately, we were having engine problems so we weren't going fast. Suddenly, a second dual wheel came off. I managed to stop the bus before we went into the ditch. I walked half a mile in zero weather to a house and called Centropolis to alert parents to come after the students. Mr. Gilliland and I worked until dark to get the bus road worthy so I could drive it back to Centropolis. Really it wasn't so bad because I was getting $15.00 a month!"

"Then I remember the senior trip to Washington, D.C. We were all loaded into three cars and at times would lose sight of one of the cars which caused great concern. The third day in Washington one student came down with three- day measles! What to do? Five boys had not had measles, so I was elected to drive them home at once. We had already had a Senate Cafeteria lunch with our host, Senator Arthur Capper. We had also taken a moonlight ride down the Potomac and had seen many historic sights so I didn't mind leaving for home at 7:00 p.m."

"On the trip home, my car's battery cable shorted out and burned out the lights. In Columbus, Ohio. we had to replace the starter in the car. St. Louis was our first night's rest and the six of us stayed in one small motel room. Money was scarce. and there were no credit cards then. We arrived home safely, and the next day one of the boys came down with measles. The other two cars of seniors completed the trip to New York, Niagara Falls and other points of interest."


Original School Buss

Original bus 1936: The box built by Principal W.R. Binns. Passenger is believed to be Pauline McNeese

The front pages of the Ottawa Herald in April 1942 were full of news about the war in Europe and the Pacific. Each month the draft took more men from Franklin County. The red cross asked volunteers to knit bandages, vests and sweaters. Sugar, cotton and tires among other things were being rationed. Men and women were leaving teaching positions, the farm and other low paying jobs to either join the Military Services or take advantage of better jobs in defense plants. Mr. Hoglund left Appanoose and joined the Air Force.

The war affected everybody in one way or another. Small schools were threatened because of the man power shortage many one room schools were forced to close for lack of a teacher. In order to make room for these extra students at Appanoose the manual training shop moved to an outside building and the room used for the primary classes from the closed schools which included Columbia, Fairview, Kaub, and Diamond Ridge. That was the beginning of Appanoose Grade School orgenized as District #101.

Soon there were a number of busses. The largest one came out of Ottawa and was driven by Mr. Raymond Flory, principal. He also remembers that one year Miss Mary Spessard, a teacher living in Ottawa, drove the bus and Mr. Flory drove his car, a 1935 Ford tudor, with a load of students. Also Ike Cearfoss, one of the students, drove a panel van made over with seats along each side. Mr. Jake Wismer owned his bus (another panel van) and brought kids to school. These busses, of course, would not be allowed today (driven by 17 year olds, seats not facing front and not padded, no emergency exits). Actually they were safe for the road conditions and lack of traffic at that time. Speed was seldom a factor! Since all the seats were along the sides we all faced each other and enjoyed some interesting conversations, much joking, teasing and a lot of fun.

When the war was finally over Mr. Hoglund returned to Appanoose and here are some more thoughts from him - -

"After 3 years in the Air Force, I returned home and married Ann, my college sweetheart. The Appanoose school board asked me to return as principal, teacher and coach. They also needed a commerce teacher, and Ann had several years of experience in that field so we decided to take the job in 1946. Again we found likeable, fine students and supportive parents. The school now included the elementary grades."

"We continued with the scholarship trips to Emporia and won many medals. The basketball teams did fairly well and made it to the regional tournament twice. The trip to Osage City for regionals was hectic, as there was about a foot of snow on the ground and our basketball players had to help push the bus up several hills. It's no wonder we lost. the game - but all got home safely."

"I remember one basketball game with Rantoul when their coach sat down in the middle of the court until the referee could decide what call to make when the ball came to rest on the flange of the basket hoop. Another time the Pomona coach was disgusted with the referee and with ten minutes left in the game and Pomona far behind in the score, he took his team off the court and went back to Pomona."

1944-45 Basketball team
Back row: Roller, Chapman, O. Cearfoss, Gilliand, Detwiler, McNeese, B. Stockdale, Hoffman
Middle row: Catuska, Bainer, A. Cearfoss, Anderson, Benander
Seated: Brown, D. Stockdale, North


"I will never forget the senior trips, especially the trip to Chicago in an OLD, OLD school buss. I had planned to stop in the suburbs where we had motel reservations. I missed seeing the motel, and before I knew it we were down in the Loop, which was Chicago's busiest street. No parking lot would take the bus. Finally, at the third stop I told the attendant to name his price. He charged us for the price of 4 cars. I paid him and we were off to see the city and attend a TV show Called "Welcome Travelers". After driving in the Loop, Lake Shore Drive was a snap. Oh yes, I did have a visit with the Highway Patrol on the way home about the bus license -- luckily, no citation."

"Then there were the trips to New Orleans where we had great fun - especially the night club tours and Bourbon Street. After seeing the sights of Baton Rouge and New Orleans, we were off to Galveston, Texas to play on the beach."

"There are so many good memories we have about Appanoose and the great support we had from students and parents. I am impressed by the fact that so many Appanoose boys married Appanoose girls."

"After all these years, we enjoy attending the Appanoose reunions and visiting with some of our former Students who are now in their early 70's. Oh, youth where art thou?-- and how time doth fly!" Don Hoglund, principal 1946-50."


Mrs. Ann Hoglund adds her thoughts and remembers AHS in the late '40s.

"I came to Appanoose as commerce teacher in the fall of 1946. Don and I were married in June, 1945, and I had taught in three other high schools prior to that."

"I found the students at Appanoose to be among the best I had ever worked with. It was a closely knit group, like a family unit, friendly and caring toward each other. We are proud of the students we were privileged to teach and their subsequent accomplishments."

"Things were different in the '40s. We all had to take our lunches - there was not even a way to warm things. All students rode the bus - no cars of their own for transportation. I remember on cold, snowy days the north windows of the classroom could not keep out the cold or snow and we might have 6 inches of snow inside on the window sill. It is nearly impossible to type wearing gloves and coats. We had no spring break nor time off at Easter nor many of the one-day holidays observed now. Sense of community was very evident at the last day dinners every year, and the good food was verification of the culinary talents of the Appanoose women."

"I remember the fun working with the intricate (or maybe not so) marching patterns the girl's pep club performed at half time of the basketball games. Junior/Senior Proms were important affairs with the girls in their pretty formals and the boys in their best suits. We had the dinners and dances at the North American Hotel, Oak Lodge north of Ottawa and the Ottawa Country Club. Making the decorations, the dance programs and planning the favors and entertainment were also enjoyable activities."

"The senior trips were events to remember. Students worked together on various fund raising projects through the years to provide all the money to finance the trips. My first trip with the group was to Chicago, followed by New Orleans the next two years. These were pleasurable experiences for us, as we couldn't ask for better groups."

"Lest this sounds like it was all fun and games, I hasten to add that much emphasis was always given to classwork and striving for excellence. Producing the annual, The Appanoose Indian, was a major project with students gaining salesmanship experience getting ads from local merchants. The school newspaper, Appa-News, was published monthly and also a learning experience. Both were printed on a mimeograph resulting in ink-stained hands and even smudged faces. How wonderful it would have been to have had electric typewriters, Xerox machines and a word processor! Students participated and did well in music contests and other educational contests."

"The success of Appanoose graduates speaks well for the merits of a small school."


Estella DeWald remembers the noon hour fun. Volley ball was a regular pass time of the boys. They would let the girls play but only if they agreed to play boy's rules. She thinks the boys really liked having the girls play since they could play as rough and good as the guys and no one ever got hurt.

Also at noon hour we enjoyed ping-pong tournaments and shuffle board. Darrell Lauver was the "store keeper" and sold pop and candy bars out of the vault.

Maxine Barnhart remembers another time they had bus trouble and Mr. Hoglund walked to a house to phone for help on a very cold morning. His feet were so cold but the lady of the house made him take off his shoes before coming in. They were all glad to get to the warm school even though late.


Winter 1946-47: Centropolis Bus slides off the road.
Back row : A. Cole, J. Clark, B. Motter
Front Row: O. Cearfoss, F. Alterman, B. Stockdale, Jr. Morton, L. Clark

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