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The Country School


category : Historic Schoolhouses
The Country School This one room country school was built around the year 1880, on a site nine miles north and west of the City of Cozad on land owned at that time by David Adle and Christiana Frost Adle. This school was called "The Adle School" because it was on Adle land, although it should have been called "The Block School" because so many Block children attended it. There were five Block brothers who came from Germany and all settled together west of Cozad and there were 47 children produced from these five original families and all of the Block children attended District 86.

In one room was a big coal burning stove. There were from 20 to 30 pupils who attended from grades one through eight. The teachers always stayed at Block or Adle homes. Every day the pail of water was carried to school until eventually a pump was put outdoors near the schoolhouse. There was a teacher's desk, a blackboard, a recitation bench, a stage curtain, a piano, and various kinds of student desks. Some of the desks were on runners.

This was a very active school, not only full of students in the daytime, but many evening community activities were held there. The desks were on runners so they could be pushed to the side of the room for social activities. There was a neighborhood PTA, a Literary Society, and a Grange Group that met there monthly.

In the 1950s, some consolidation of schools began because it was more feasible as the rural school child population declined. District 86 merged with 81R but it had been in consistent use for seventy-eight years.

The school house on the Adle property was given by Dorothy and Archie Smith to the Cozad Historical Society in 1960. It was 80 years old at that time. It was placed south of Cozad for many years, waiting for a permanent location. In the spring of 1985, it was moved to its permanent location beside "The Little Church By the Park" on the north side of Cozad City Park. It was moved by the Robert Henri Museum and Historical Walkway Foundation and will be repaired and restored as nearly to its original state as possible. The school contains most of the original furniture; the large curtain was from the Ringgold School south of Cozad. It contains advertisements from businesses in Cozad. This was a popular item in early country schools. The school contains the original teacher's desk, students' desks and a map case. Eventually, there will be a piano, a teacher's log, a school bell, a collection of original text books and antique playground equipment.

It is the hope of the Foundation that modern children will have some idea of what it was like to attend a country school 100 years ago. Although the old country school may have lacked the modern technology of computers and projectors, it was a place filled with love, fun and dedication to the learning of the basic skills necessary for all children. An old country school house is a place of lovely memories.


Come visit us in Cozad, Nebraska

Attractions and Upcoming Events

Union Pacific Depot

On October 15, 1866, the Union Pacific Railroad track laying crews reached the "100th Meridian"

Cozad, NE Railroad History

Robert Henri Museum and Historical Walkway

The Henri Museum and Historical Walkway features mementos from the boyhood home of world famous artist Robert Henri, including original art and sketches.

Cozad, NE Museums

"The Little Church By the Park"

In 1909, a little white frame church was built on an acre of ground donated by Ernest and Mary Love. It was called New Hope. Around the year 1920

Cozad, NE Historic Churches

Historical Markers

Three major pioneer trails, the Oregon, the Mormon, and the Chisholm, as well as the Pony Express went through the Cozad area.

Historical Markers

Cozad, NE Monuments

Willow Island Pony Express Station

The Pony Express Station which stands in the Cozad City Park was known officially as the Willow Island Station and was located just south of the present Darr Bridge. The station began in 1838

Cozad, NE Pony Express

Things to do Historic Schoolhouses near Cozad, NE