Atwater School - District No. 8 - Cimarron Township

Atwater School was organized in March of 1886. It was disorganized January 5, 1946, and became District #75. Later it was disorganized again and attached to District #51... then unified as part of 226.

It was located in the southeast quarter of Sec. 34, T33-R29. The boundaries of the school district changed over the years, but the school remained in the same location, long after the town of Atwater was abandoned.

At the north end of an area known as the "Irish Flats," this little school served as a community center for a large group of immigrant farmers, mostly German Lutherans who settled heavily in this area. Sunday school and church were regularly held at the Atwater schoolhouse. After this school closed the building was said to have been moved to the Dye farm northeast of the Meade State Lake.

Teachers of Atwater School

Fred Shore - 1925 - 1926

Margaret H. Smith - 1925 - 1927

Jessie Cochran - 1927 - 1929

Josie Bohling - 1929 - 1930

Fern Ford - 1930 - 1931

Jessie Davidson - 1931 - 1932

Irvin Vogt - 1932 - 1940

Sophie Welk - 1940 - 1941

Jessie Davidson - 1941 - 1942

Opal Cordes - 1942 - 1944

Iva Vanderpool - 1944 - 1945

Phyllis Weaver - 1945 - 1946

Surnames of students that attended Atwater school over the years:

Adams, Bonham, Burnett, Byrns, Carrell, Cochran, Cordes, Feldman, Griffin, Haddox, Heskett, Hesman, Hunter, Kolb, Lauderdale, Mein, Mohler, Nolting, Potter, Rhodes, Scott, Sexton, Sturm, Sumpter, Vanderpool, and Wickizer.

FROM THE BONHAM FAMILY STORY:

My grandfather's claim was south of the present State Lake and east of the late Jake Kolb home now the Irvin Vogt home. Here on the claim or near it was Sand Creek where the water was better than usual and if there was no water in the creek there was always water a few inches below the surface. After grandmother arrived, looking over the claim and noting the good water she remarked, "This is a good place to be, at water." So here they stayed and called it Atwater. A post office was established here and served the community for a number of years, also a school house was built where they had church and Sunday School. The Kolb's filed on a claim just west of the Bonhams' and lived there until their death.

FROM THE JACOB KOLB FAMILY STORY:

As was mentioned, mother taught 11 years, all in the home district. "The Atwater School District 8" which was organized soon after they came to Meade County. The school house was made of sod, and the seats were piles of sod with boards laid over them. I remember her telling us that every so often the big boys would sway back and forth and upset the whole seat.