6 Photos of North Dakota Schools From the Early 1900s

It's interesting to think of what it must have been like to grow up in the early 1900s here in North Dakota. The first school ever built in North Dakota was in Bismarck, and that was before the state was even a state at all. By the 1930s, student enrollment had increased, but school quality and teacher certification had declined due to the Great Depression. These historic photos of North Dakota schools will give you a glimpse of what it was like back then.

It was a rocky road to establish a decent public school system in North Dakota history, especially with many rural students. Still, we, as a state, strove to bring education to all children, even when many students attended only grade school and did not graduate from high school, choosing farm or other work at an early age. The following photographs were taken mainly in rural schools in North Dakota and show what a transition it has been from the one-room schoolhouse to today.

1. "Education in rural school, early grades."

These young girls are getting a reading and writing lesson up at the chalkboard. Today, of course, that would be a squeaky white marker board. Which would you prefer?

2. "Rural school. Williams County, North Dakota"

These old desks are certainly very different from their much simpler counterparts today. At least three of the students here seem hard at work - the rest were a bit distracted by the photographer.

3. "Stark County, North Dakota. Rural school"

It was hard to find certified teachers in the state at the time, but by the 1920s, only one percent of teachers lacked a high school diploma - today that would not be allowed. To be a certified teacher in any state, you must have at least a bachelor's degree.

4. "Morton County, North Dakota. Going outside to play for noon recess at a rural school"

This hasn't changed much over the years! Students are getting geared up for the cold to play outside at recess. Nowadays, they'd probably be wearing an entire snowsuit rather than just boots and a coat.

5. "Lunchtime in a rural school of three pupils"

This school apparently only had three students, and they all enjoyed their lunch together with the teacher right in the classroom. If you thought your graduating class was small, it probably wasn't this tiny.

6. "Williams County, North Dakota. Rural school"

Students are hard at work. You can see a map of the state on the board behind them as well as some portraits of historical figures on the walls. It's a bit different than the colorful cut-outs usually decorating today's classrooms.

Right now, we have about 119,000 students enrolled in public schools in North Dakota. In 1923, that number was 176,000. Many students back then did not graduate from high school, while today we have an 87.5 percent graduation rate—which makes us darn proud of our North Dakota roots. Times have certainly changed - not only in the way schools look but also in how we treat education in general. What do you think of these historic photos of North Dakota schools? Can you remember what life was like in North Dakota during your childhood?