Early settlers and homesteaders came with their families to the area, now known as Menno, in the 1870s. Little is known of formal public education in Menno prior to 1884. At that time a new two story wooden building was built and classes for grades 1-6 were held in this building grades 7-9 were added a year later. Some early teachers were J.H. Warner, F.C. Beers and Miss Ivy Swanton. In 1895, John S. Headley (later editor of the Hutchinson Herald) became principal of the school and was an instructor in the grammar department.

General W.H.H. Beadle, Dakota Territorial Superintendent of Public Instruction, chose Menno as the location of the first teachers institute in the county, since Menno was the only school district in Hutchinson County that had a two story school house large enough to host such an event. The one week institute was conducted by A. W. Barber of Yankton, who was an experienced teacher. The program that was held on Monday, February 4, 1884, with 47 teachers attending consisted of sessions in reading, arithmetic, vocal music, geography, penmanship, school management, sounds of letters, and spelling. Teachers traveled from all over the county through the cold, attended meetings in the day time and slept on the floor at night. In the late 1800s, Menno was growing quickly and the student population in four departments was 160. The School was soon too small. By September 1899, work on a new two story building was begun at another location in Menno.

For the next ten years, no record is found of the use of the old school house. One theory is the Menno School might have used it as additional classrooms. In April 1910, the Peace Lutheran Church Congregation, who had erected a church building house to the west of the schoolhouse in 1889, bought everything east of the church, including the old schoolhouse building from Annie (Lenker) and J.C. Johnson. Peace Lutheran remodeled the schoolhouse and used it as a parsonage. In August of 1945, ownership of the schoolhouse, empty lot and the Peace Lutheran Church was transferred to the Immanuel Lutheran (Missouri Synod) for $5,000 and the two churches merged. For the last 57 years the school house has been used for Sunday School classes, a meeting room and social hall for the congregation.

No information can be found on the addition shown on some photos. However, on early photos from the teacher’s institutes in 1884 it appears that there is no addition. There seems to be no evidence in the present schoolhouse building where the connecting entrance was to this small add-on. Perhaps it had its own front and back entrance. This and other questions may remain a mystery, unless… as Earl Rames, a current member of Emmanuel Lutheran Church quips “… you can find someone 100 years old to ask.” Many renovations were made to this building over the years as evidence not only by old photos, but by marks on the siding, ceiling, walls, and floor. The original stairway to the second floor classrooms was presumably in the center of the building, not on the east side. Some windows were removed and others replaced. In a photo from 1950, one can see an upstairs porch and railing on the south side. This was removed when an entry on the front was added. In 1953, a kitchen area, furnace room and bathroom was added to the north. Both of these additions were removed prior to moving the schoolhouse to Pioneer Acres.

The Immanuel Lutheran church congregation voted earlier this year (2002?) to build a new social hall and Sunday School wing, to be connected directly to their church building. They then made plans to donated the Social Hall – the old schoolhouse building, to the Pioneer Heritage Association, if the association would move the building off the church grounds. The soliciting of donations from friends and alumni of Menno School began in April 2002, in hopes of reaching their goal of $16,000 for moving, electrical disconnects, new foundation, wiring and inside renovation expenses. At this writing there are still a few dollars to be raised and hopes are to finish this project in 2002. The list of contributors is on pages 60 and 61 of this booklet. Preparations for the move of this building began weeks ahead of the scheduled date, with the removal of the additions, water and electricity disconnects, etc. On May 29, Ferd and Richard Hybertson arrived prepare the building for the move. Then on Thursday May 30, the building made its promenade down the main business street of Menno to arrive a few hours later at its final resting place – Pioneer Acres. The school was not set up again as a schoolhouse at Pioneer Acres.

Some information for this article taken from “Menno-The First 100 Years: 1879-1979”