| The year 1919 found a significant number of farmers and their families concerned about education. The northwest corner of Deuel County, southwest Garden County, and a piece of extreme eastern Cheyenne County were involved. These people with foresight and fortitude wanted more for their children than the basic one-room school’s education. The eventual result was a facility almost unprecedented in rural western Nebraska. A two and a half story, modern and beautiful brick building was erected for an approximate cost of about $20,000. Consolidated District 35 J was formed.
The new district was the successor of three: Withers School, (across the inter-section northwest of the Dale Kastens farm), the Mt. Vernon School, (across the road and to the immediate northwest of the prominent grass hill known as Mt. Vernon in northwest Deuel County), and Pleasant View School, located about one and one fourth miles east of the Wayne Bond farm. On June 9, 1919 the first joint meeting was held with at least 63 people in attendance. The Garden County School Superintendent, a Miss Johnson, was present with J.A. Talich, elected moderator as the first action of the body. R.O. Bond was elected chairman, Harvey Misegadis nominated Clem Cunningham, secretary and was elected by “acclamation.” A.E. Gausman closed the nominations as J.A. Talich was elected for a three year term as moderator. B.J. Watson was elected as director and Ernest Forell was elected as treasurer. J.A. Talich offered to donate the use of a five acre tract of land in 35/46/15 in Garden County. Joe Lindley offered for sale a site in 3/14/46 in Deuel County, and a third site was offered at 14/14/46 in Deuel County. The last site, east of the Ernest Kahrs farm in 14/14/46 in Deuel County received 30 votes with the Talich tract getting 26 votes, and the Lindley site only seven. The minutes show that later Mr. B.J. Watson moved for a reconsideration. The motion carried and a new vote on the site was held wit~h a total of only 33 votes cast, some 30 less than earlier in the evening. The Talich tract was finally selected with 31 votes and proved to be the permanent site for the buildings. The district was sizeable and encompassed about 40 square miles in the three county area. |
This area had an assessed value of abut $971,000. In December of 1919, Ernest Forell returned to eastern Nebraska and resigned as treasurer. In June of 1920, J.W. Lindley was appointed as a replacement. Treasurer’s bonds were filed for $1000 in each of the three counties with Alva Franklin and J.W. Isley listed as securities. A.B. Thompson moved a nine month school term be started August 30, 1920. A budget for operations was set at $8000.00; this amount would also include a staff of three teachers. Pat Dun moved and Ray Rexroth seconded a motion to set a 35 mill levy.
The students of 1921 walked into a new school, boasting steam heat, electric lights, indoor restrooms, gymnasium, a manual training shop, a science room, later converted to home economics, later still to the cafeteria for the hot lunch program. In October of 1921, $100 was approved to remodel the teacherage (presumably two former wood school buildings). This large, brick building soon became a well-known landmark on an otherwise vast expanse of table land producing wheat, cattle, corn and other small grains. As needed, grades were added into the high school and in 1924, twins, Dennis and Daniel Walsh, became Goodview’s first high school graduates. They proved to be the first of 80 people to be graduated. At this printing, 1986, 52 of these are still living. The gymnasium was apparently well used as Goodview competed several years in the Nebraska State Basketball Tournament. Records show Goodview defeated such teams as: Inavale, Henderson, and blasted Elkhorn 25 to five. Some losses were to Cedar Bluffs, Ohiowa, and state champ Bellwood, 14 to seven. Apparently these games were played in 1927, 28, and 29.
The first teaching staff hired was J.J. Byrne and his wife, along with Clara Franklin Kastens. The next year, three new teachers were hired: Mr. and Mrs. A.C. Hering and Gertrude Phelps. Bert Grimes moved for ~another $8000 budget for the year, and it was carried unanimously. The 1930s had to be difficult years for paying taxes to maintain a quality education, nevertheless the taxpayers persevered, and the long, dirty decade finally became history. In 1942, the last class of high school graduates received their diplomas: |
Evelyn Kastens Real, Rich Markel, Dorothy McNair Maahs, Betty Munson Christiansen, Phyllis Scharrel Heath, June Scharrel, Lewis Schneider, and Virgil Stoll.
Goodview continued into the sixties as a rural grade school. The importance of the school continued as a monthly meeting place for all the families in and near the district. A business meeting was held, followed by entertainment supplied by the school children, teachers and parents. Mrs. Leland (Edith) Forell played the piano ably for years as the group sang seasonal and patriotic songs in the gym. Before television, the community was close-knit, and any activity was looked to with anticipation by children and parents alike. The food alone was worth any trip out on a frigid night; home-made cherry pie, fried chicken, chocolate cake and potato salad just highlight the elegant dishes served throughout the year by the mothers of the community.
After the consolidation of June 26, 1951, Goodview became a part of District 4J, and 1962 proved to be the final eighth grade graduating class. The five graduates were: Joan Haskell Mashek, Pam Lindley Nienhueser, Maureen Petersen McNabb, Brent Stoll and Jolene Wellsandt Mares. Kindergarten students that year were Rick Christensen, Ben Jones, Kathy Petersen Buttle, Connie Rinewald, and Margo Wiest Wilder. Shortly afterward, the building, its contents, and the site were auctioned; Hubert Bondegard and Edward Schmid purchased and razed the building. The land was later purchased by Mike Wiest, grandson of A.B. Thompson. Mike and wife, Kathy, have since built a home on the property and now reside there with their son, Jason. 40 years passed while children raced up and down the stairs, played in the double row of elm trees ringing the five acres and busses driven by fathers who battled snow drifts and agonized over deep ruts and muddy roads. The Goodview (anyone who attended) Alumni still meet at Lodgepole in conjunction with the annual Old Settler’s Reunion and will continue to do so for years to come.
By Wayne Campbell and Dale Kastens |