Country School House Project

In 2009, the theme of the ND Governor's History Conference was education. As part of that conference, the State Historical Society asked members of the public to help document the country school houses that remain on our landscape. Several individuals sent in information about schools, but one lady, now known in many parts of the state as "The School Lady," has compiled information on over 730 country schools. Kathy Wilner started with one school in particular, the Ingersoll School, and then decided to do some schools around her county. Over time, she partnered with County Historical Societies and won grants to continue documenting schools around the state. Ms. Wilner was awarded the Heritage Profile Honor Award in 2017.

Hard copies of all the information Ms. Wilner compiled are available for viewing at the County Historical Societies, and digital copies are available on this page. In some cases, the names and locations of schools have changed over time, and these records are based on the information available at the time the record was made. The State Historical Society will continue to add records about country schools as it receives them.

Name: Crystal School
ID: 32ML01274
County: McLean     Township: 150     Range: 084     Section: 16
Geographic Location Key: 015008416ML
Name: DOUGLAS SCHOOL #3
ID: 32ML01275
County: McLean     Township: 150     Range: 085     Section: 20
Geographic Location Key: 015008520ML
Name: BLUE HILL SCHOOL
ID: 32ML01276
County: McLean     Township: 150     Range: 086     Section: 16
Geographic Location Key: 015008616ML
Name: HIDDEN WOOD SCHOOL; HIDDENWOOD SCHOOL #2
ID: 32ML01277
County: McLean     Township: 150     Range: 087     Section: 11
Geographic Location Key: 015008711ML
Name: SVERDRUP DISTRICK #9
ID: 32ML01301
County: McLean     Township: 145     Range: 081     Section: 18
Geographic Location Key: 014508118ML
Name: BYERSVILLE TWNSHIP SCHOOL
ID: 32ML01399
County: McLean     Township: 149     Range: 078     Section: 09
Geographic Location Key: 014907809ML
Name: MELLER SCHOOL
ID: 32ML01400
County: McLean     Township: 150     Range: 079     Section: 11
Geographic Location Key: 015007911ML
Name: OTIS TOWNSHIP SCHOOL
ID: 32ML01401
County: McLean     Township: 150     Range: 080     Section: 33
Geographic Location Key: 015008033ML
Name: GREATSTONE SCHOOL #2
ID: 32ML01402
County: McLean     Township: 149     Range: 081     Section: 26
Geographic Location Key: 014908126ML
Name: THE HAT RANCH SCHOOL
ID: 32ML01403
County: McLean     Township: 147     Range: 080     Section: 10
Geographic Location Key: 014708010ML