FRAN:


                              F

    Franklin school district 13
was officially named the Frank-
lin school in honor of Benjam-
in Franklin, the great Ameri-
can statesman and inventor. To
most residents in this section of
the county it is referred to as
the Pfeffer school because the
school is located near the Pfef-
fer farms.
    Franklin No. 13 was organ-
ized when Franklin township
included the town of Cato and
was the 13th district set up in
that combined municipality.
The district was organized in
the summer of 1856, just before
Franklin No. 14 was set up.
Since its organization, areas of la
school districts numbers 1, Jt. 3, a
The original No. 13 included all of
Early settlers of this area in 181
Nolan, Theo. and Reuben Piper, A
ham.
    The first schoolhouse was bi
structure was located on a site oi
land now owned by Thos. Koste
school because the available wri
early settler, furnished some - in
wooden benches, blackboards, ani
Summer and winter sessions wer
sion beginning in December and
Clementine Robinson, the teachei
mer and $25 per month in the w
teach school in the winter when,
was voted for books at that early
    In 1871 this log building was
it into living quarters. Later on,
log building was located, razed it
voters at the annual meeting in
frame building. Oleus Olson w
schoolhouse, 18 x 24 x 8 feet, wit
tending across the width of the
long side, said windows to be ma
dow. The building was placed c
the ground. The outside of the I
and the material Mr. Olson was
purchased from Ole Nielsen and
     Mary Doolan was the first tb
 for her services.. The two term
 kept the school fairly warm duri
 paid $50 to make some building
 four to six pupils each. Yearly
 until 1901 when the voters autho
 old frame building was turned i:
     The present school was bul
 frame construction, and placed o
 windows for each long side and o
 from a concrete platform open uq
 trance at the southeast corner w
 storage purposes. Between the t
 window with this part of the ro


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