Garfield School District 14 in Lincoln County was organized in 1884 by Andrew Smith, Cyrus Fox, James Auble, and James J. Hughes. The first sod schoolhouse was south of where the Garfield Church stood for many years. (This sod building also served as a church.)
In 1901 a frame building was erected at the same location. An addition was built in 1916 and classes were held for ninth and tenth grades as well. A brick building replaced the frame building in 1928.
Garfield was one of the larger schools with 48 pupils reported in 1915-16 and a low of seven in 1967-68. Other area schools frequently had only three students and did not often exceed 20. The upper grades were dispensed with after the 1942-43 school year.
As was common in the early days, school sessions lasted only three months. For a time a neighboring school (Hoy) had their three-month term after the Garfield term ended. This allowed one teacher to serve both schools and some students to attend two terms of school in one year. Ed Fox reported walking an additional 2.5 miles to attend the second term.
Garfield School closed its doors for the last time on May 17, 1970, when the district was consolidated with District 89 in Arnold.
Garfield’s first soddy school was built in 1884 and served until 1890 when a new soddy was built in a different location. They then added another soddy on the east side of the district, having school for three months in one school and then three months in the other. This allowed at least three months of school for all in the district and six months for those able to attend both sessions.
Garfield Stories, pages 29-43, provides rich history of the Garfield School, including extensive coverage of their last day of school picnic held on May 17, 1970. Some 200 were in attendance, including 18 past and present teachers. Also printed are fascinating memories from past teachers who were unable to attend. Most interesting to me were memories of Margaret Aydelotte during the war years.
Location of school buildings: 41.364°N x 100.390°W.