See reverse side. 4th Ward school; 1868c-1897, This building was moved twice. It was the original 4th Ward (SE Waverly) school, built about 1868, and sat on the same corner as Lincoln school (3rd St. SE and 1st Ave SE). In 1897 it was deemed unfit for school rooms.
The teacher had to wear boots to keep her feet warm and students were rotated from near the stove to far desks. A bond vote was held and women were allowed, even, encouraged to vote and a good number did. When Lincoln school was constructed. John Sager, a real estate agent, bought the building and moved it to his lots on E. Bremer Ave. across from the courthouse. In 1902, the Chicago Great Western railroad began buying property for their right of way, including Sager’s property. The railroad donated the building to the Woman’s Relief Corp. who moved it to the lot (purchased in 1909) just west of the Post Office [111 1st Ave.SE] and remodeled it for use by their society. It faced south and was on the site of the present [2025] Bremer County Mutual office. The WRC sold the building to the VFW in 1944. They owned it until it was destroyed by a gas leak explosion and fire September 30, 1953. The only occupant at the time was a Wartburg student acting as caretaker. He escaped the building but died from his burns.
Additional photographs and resources can be found at the Waverly Public Library on the local and family history page
http://www.waverlyia.com/public-library/research/local-and-family-history-collection.aspx Accession No, 91L0024
Comments:
See reverse side. 4th Ward school; 1868c-1897, This building was moved twice. It was the original 4th Ward (SE Waverly) school, built about 1868, and sat on the same corner as Lincoln school (3rd St. SE and 1st Ave SE). In 1897 it was deemed unfit for school rooms. The teacher had to wear boots to keep her feet warm and students were rotated from near the stove to far desks. A bond vote was held and women were allowed, even, encouraged to vote and a good number did. When Lincoln school was constructed. John Sager, a real estate agent, bought the building and moved it to his lots on E. Bremer Ave. across from the courthouse. In 1902, the Chicago Great Western railroad began buying property for their right of way, including Sager’s property. The railroad donated the building to the Woman’s Relief Corp. who moved it to the lot (purchased in 1909) just west of the Post Office [111 1st Ave.SE] and remodeled it for use by their society. It faced south and was on the site of the present [2025] Bremer County Mutual office. The WRC sold the building to the VFW in 1944. They owned it until it was destroyed by a gas leak explosion and fire September 30, 1953. The only occupant at the time was a Wartburg student acting as caretaker. He escaped the building but died from his burns.
Additional photographs and resources can be found at the Waverly Public Library on the local and family history page http://www.waverlyia.com/public-library/research/local-and-family-history-collection.aspx Accession No, 91L0024