Spencer Brook in Isanti County, Minnesota — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)
Spencer Brook School District Number One
1858 1945
Photographed by McGhiever, July 12, 2016
1. Spencer Brook School District Number One marker
Inscription.
Spencer Brook School District Number One. 1858 1945. With vacations scheduled around potato picking, Christmas and springtime mud, Spencer Brook School opened its doors in 1858 to become the first of 67 rural schools organized in Isanti County Minnesota. It was also the first school in the county to conduct lessons solely in the English language.
Classes were initially held in private buildings. By 1874, however, the need for a school house became apparent and this land was purchased from W. Higbie as a school site. Lumber was obtained from E.G. and Gilbert Clough and a carpenter, John Satterstrom, was hired as the builder. With the help of neighbors, Satterstrom completed this building in 1877.
John Stadden, the school's first treasurer, met Spencer Brook's operating costs with patrons subscriptions ranging from 30’ to $1.50, adding to the funds accumulated from a special tax levy. Part of those funds covered the salary of the school's first teacher, Miss Haskell.
A total of 301 pupils attended Spencer Brook School from 1895 until it was closed in 1945. The enrollment for the period of 1858 until 1895 is not known.
Initial Spencer Brook School Board 1869 , Louis Blomquist – Director , William J. Evers – Clerk , E. G. Clough – Treasurer
. This sign was originally erected in 1974, and was reproduced in 2008 to commemorate the 150th anniversary of School District Number One by the Isanti County Historical Society.
With vacations scheduled around potato picking, Christmas and springtime mud, Spencer Brook School opened its doors in 1858 to become the first of 67 rural schools organized in Isanti County Minnesota. It was also the first school in the county to conduct lessons solely in the English language.
Classes were initially held in private buildings. By 1874, however, the need for a school house became apparent and this land was purchased from W. Higbie as a school site. Lumber was obtained from E.G. and Gilbert Clough and a carpenter, John Satterstrom, was hired as the builder. With the help of neighbors, Satterstrom completed this building in 1877.
John Stadden, the school's first treasurer, met Spencer Brook's operating costs with patrons subscriptions ranging from 30’ to $1.50, adding to the funds accumulated from a special tax levy. Part of those funds covered the salary of the school's first teacher, Miss Haskell.
A total of 301 pupils attended Spencer Brook School from 1895 until it was closed in 1945.
The enrollment for the period of 1858 until 1895 is not known.
Initial Spencer Brook School Board 1869
Louis Blomquist – Director
William J. Evers – Clerk
E. G. Clough – Treasurer
This sign was originally erected in 1974, and was reproduced in 2008 to commemorate the 150th anniversary of School District Number One by the Isanti County Historical Society.
Erected 2008 by Isanti County Historical Society.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Education. A significant historical year for this entry is 1858.
Location. 45° 31.31′ N, 93° 26.636′ W. Marker
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is in Spencer Brook, Minnesota, in Isanti County. It is on 305th Lane NW west of Feldspar Street NW, on the left when traveling west. Marker is mounted on the north faηade of the school. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 6823 305th Lane NW, Princeton MN 55371, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the Twin Cities Metropolitan Area. It is also in the American Midwest and in the Corn Belt. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once Ruperts Land, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, and the Northwest Territory.
2. Spencer Brook School, with marker mounted between the front doors
Credits. This page was last revised on April 10, 2020. It was originally submitted on March 19, 2020, by McGhiever of Minneapolis, Minnesota. This page has been viewed 584 times since then and 29 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on March 19, 2020, by McGhiever of Minneapolis, Minnesota. • Mark Hilton was the editor who published this page.
