POLAND – In the shifting sands of time, Ron Brake remembers the legacy of a tiny school house that once resided in the town of Poland.

Brake is a bit of a local historian, and said he was thrilled to share the information he had on the Fargo School House No. 9 that once stood at 3751 Sprague Hill Road.

Spanning the time from 1828 until 1938, Brake shared several accounts with The Post-Journal which gave insight into the way things once were.

“There are people still living on that road that still recall it,” Brake said. “There’s a lot of memories.”

Even though the old school house isn’t there any more, there is a lot of history that remains, he said.

In the 1830s, several families lived in this area of town and a teacher, Mrs. True, taught the children in her own house. Then, a log house was built and many children were taught in that area.

According to an article provided by Brake written by Donald Young, a 1937-38 student of the school, all grades were taught in the same room, and each student had their own duty to perform such as splitting wood, cleaning the erasers or filling the water container for the day.

The school was heated with a wood stove, and if it was dark, students could light the room with kerosene lamps hung on the wall – a big difference from the classrooms of today.

Brake’s wife grew up in that area, giving him a strong sense of attachment to the school house and what became of it afterward.

In 1965, the property was purchased by Gordon Overturf, Sr. and over the years changes were made. The old school house is no longer located on the premises, however an old fashioned water pump where students could draw water is still visible in a recent photo, Brake said.

“When Gordy and Dolores bought that in 1965, all through the years they started adding on to it,” he said.

Overturf passed away over the summer, and the future of the property is unknown, Brake said. Going forward, no one is sure what will happen, but Brake said it is important to keep the history alive.

“It all goes back to the old days, the old schools and life in the country,” he said. “Things have drastically changed. It’s nice to have something tangible that you can see of the old days.”