Rogers Grove School

We really don't have a lot of information or photos of Rogers Grove School at the Archives Room. If you have photos or info you can share, please send us an email. (Our email is on the right column.)

The earliest mention of the Rogers Grove School we have found was February 25th, 1864, during the civil war from the Cedar Valley Times, a Cedar Rapids newspaper. It announces that the voters have cast their ballots for Abraham Lincoln.

Transcription:
Cedar Valley Times, Cedar Rapids, Thursday, February 25th, 1864
President Making in Putnam Township
     The Union citizens of Putnam Township met at the Rogers' Grove School House on Monday, February 22, 1864, for the purpose of putting in nomination a candidate for the next president. The meeting was called to order by Mr. Arrasmith, and on his motion, James Thompson was elected President and J. Moorhead, Secretary. On motion of Mr. Arrasmith, Abraham Lincoln was unanimously chosen said candidate.
     On motion, it was resolved that the proceedings of this meeting be published in the Cedar Valley Times.
     On motion, the meeting adjourned.
     JAMES THOMPSON, Pres't
     Joseph Moorhead, Sec'y

 

Ed Vavra provided the below photo with comments, "The original log school was located at the NE corner of the Ivanhoe and Palisades Access Rd.

Below is the second Rogers Grove school building. This was moved in the late 1920's and the new school constructed in its place. It was located at the NW corner of Ivanhoe Rd and Old School Rd (so named for it)."

 Below are photos of the Rogers Grove School from the Ely History Archives collection. 

The "new" school house was located on the NW corner of Ivanhoe Rd and Old School Rd.
Year the photo was taken is unknown.

 

Estimated to have been taken in the 1940s. If you can identify any of these children, let us know!

 

This photo is from about 1981. The school has since been torn down.

The below image is from the 1875 Map of Linn County, State of Iowa (Putnam Township) and in Section 21, near the upper right, is the original location of the Rogers Grove School  and just to the east, the Rogers Grove Church. The church was later the Bohemian Reformed Evangelical Church, a branch of what is now the First Presbyterian Church near Ely. The town of Ely is in the lower left corner.

Karen (Clark) Fiala contributed these photos of Rogers Grove school children.

From left Joann Moses, Karen Clark (married name Fiala), Bob Havlicek. Mr. Hertz, Ron Nezerka, Betty Koutny, Mary Carson, Karen Clark's sister, Barb Clark. 

                               Karen's sister Barb Clark and her brother, Jim Clark - teacher, Mr. Hertz

 

 

 On left is Bill Carson, Lumir Nezerka, and brothers Will and Mark Clark.

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Nearest row starting at back:. Karen Clark, Bob Havlicek, Mary Carson and Ron Nezerka.

Dvorak Hardware in Ely

Click the photo to enlarge it - then click again.

 

 

DVORAK'S STORE circa 1909

J.C. Dvorak, Hardware, Tinware, Farm Machinery and Pumps. On the side of the building - Moline Wagons. To the left of the man's head - Jewel Stoves and Ranges. On the second building, below the upstairs doors - Moline Wagons and small sign to the right of downstairs door - J.L.Case. The I.O.O.F Lodge met in the rooms above the store (Independent Order of Odd Fellows). Note the wooden slat sidewalks and unpaved street.

JC Dvorak was born February 9 1861 in Luzany, Bohemia and in 1865, came with his parents to Linn County. He worked on his fathers farm and married Mary Cerveny in 1884. In 1888 he began a hardware and farm implement business in Ely which he operated until 1935. He was a prominent member of the Odd Fellows Lodge (IOOF) and served on the City Council and as Ely's Mayor, known as the "barefoot mayor" because he apparently had the habit of going barefoot.

The building on the corner was built jointly by Dvorak and the Ely IOOF Lodge No. 531, each paying half the cost with the understanding that the upstairs would be the Odd Fellows Hall.

Lumir Biderman operated the business from 1938 to 1972. Clary Illian had her pottery there for many years. This is the building that in 2020 is painted black.

Old area photos

Thank you to Sharon Furler for submitting these old photos. Two of them appear to be taken at a school, most likely at the Buresh (originally Bureš) School which used to be located just south of the present First Presbyterian Church near Ely, on Spanish Road.

It could be that they are from George Motycka, who used to live near the church and Buresh School.

 Click the photos to enlarge them. Once enlarged, if you click it again,
it may enlarge more!

A teacher and her students (back of the photo says "George Motycka, 1904)

Inside the school. (back of photo says "Charlie, June 17, 1904)

No description on the back of this photo. The women at the top of the photo appears to be the same as in the first photo ... the teacher.

 1911 photo of Buresh School

This 1914 map slice shows where the Buresh School was located in College Township, Section 35.