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.

Men of Ely

Click on the photo to enlarge it.
You may also be able to click on the enlarged photo to make it bigger.

This photo of men in front of a tavern in Ely, complete with their beers, may be familiar to some. Perhaps your parents or grandparents happened to mention who the men in the photo are?

UPDATED: At present the only known identities are:
 - 3rd from the left - Joseph Dvorak (aka JC Dvorak), the "Barefoot Mayor" of Ely, behind the big man's shoulder. He ran Dvorak Implement and Hardware Store on the corner of Dows and Main Streets, across from the present Ely Post Office.  
 - 4th from the left - Ely druggist Joe Lorenc
 - 7th from the left - Probably Louis Francis Konicek, (the tall young man)

We are looking for identities of the other men. Please help us out! If you know where the tavern stood we'd appreciate knowing that as well.



 

Ely High School Graduates

We have recently removed all the Ely High School graduation photos from their frames and stored them safely. Before storing them we took a photo of each year, 1930-1946. You may access the photos by clicking GRADUATION PHOTOS.

Click on the first photo and a slide show should appear with an arrow to the right, which advances you to the next photo.  There is a magnifier on the upper right above the photos. Note: The 1931 photo looks like 1951, but it is 1931.

View all the graduates' names below.

GRADUATES - FROM TOP MIDDLE, THEN CLOCKWISE

1930 - Chas. Becicka, Helen Sladek, Florence Netolicky, Adeline Horak, Adelaide Swenka, Georgia Jirasek, Kathryn Netolicky, Lillian Swenka

1931 - Walter Wagner (Supt.), Louis Stanek, George Lorenc, Gladys Holets, Rudolph Pisarik, Milton Kriz,

1932 - Walter Wagner (Supt.), Alma Netolicky, Robert Fajmon, Justina Fajmon, Frank Becicka, Chas. Konecny, Ernest Horak, Lester Horak, Mary Kadlec, Andrew Clark, Alma Klouda

1933 -Walter Wagner (Supt.), Helen Nemecek, Marvin Lustik, Joanna Buresh, Fred Telecky, John Phillips, Edna Sladek, Ivan Lorenc, Dorothy Lockwood, Victor Krob, Hilda Upmier

1934 - Walter Wagner (Supt.), Rose Mary Codec (or Codee?), Loren Frederick, Gilbert Hynek, Martha Krob, Norbert Vanorny, Martha Lorenc, Margaret Malatek, Marvin Horak, Wilma Skalsky

1935 - Walter Wagner (Supt.), Emily Binko, Verne Upmier, George Pisarik, Bessie Cesticky

1936 - Edward Osborn (Supt.), Florentine Lustik, Charles Vavra, Adelaide Nemecek, Joseph Becicka, Robert Krob, Norbert Krob, Dean Lockwood, John Clark, Lumier Skripsky, Olga Lorenc

1937 - Edward Osborn (Supt.), Keith Carson, Phylis Peet(?), Louis Jones

1938 - Supt. Osborn, Edna Fuhrmeister, Joseph E. Pennington, Charles S. Vanourny, David H. Clark, Frank C. Sladek, Hattie Ann Konecny, Joseph E. Kadlec, Leo H. Stahle, Wilbur W. Smyth, Henry F. Fisher, Mary L. McNamara

1939 - E.E. Osborn, Sup't, Doris Krob, Joe Zbanek, Evelyn Elias, Rose Skripsky

1940 - Edward E. Osborn, Sup't, Mildred Sladek, Charles See, Albert Konecny, Raymond Truhlar, Doris Zbanek

1941 - Anthony Blankers, Sup't, Rachel E. Truhlar, Emil W. Skripsky, Helen V. Burian, Vernon Neiderhiser, Margaret V. McNamara, Joseph J. McNamara, Annie M. Jonas, Ella J. See, George L. Kadlec, Olive R. Lorenc

1942 - Anthony Blankers, Sup't, Ozella J. Stastny, Maxwell D. Netolicky, Maxine D. Netolicky, Caroline Fuhrmeister, Wilmer L. Koss, Martha R. Horsky

1943 - Anthony Blankers, Sup't, Barbara Reif, Edmond Jones, Jean Dolezal,

1944 - Wm. H. Sedlak, Sup't, Mary See, Betty Langer, Evangeline Burian, Doris Becicka, Kenneth Lensch, Marie Moses, Georgia Dostal, Mary Jones

1945 - Nellie Krueger, Sup't, Juanita Hovorka, Marie Benesh, Eugene McNamara, Edna Randall, Irene Vanorny

1946 - Clarence E. Rundall, Sup't, Everett Spidle, Lorene Divoky, Wencil Bata