Prosper School District No. 23 Records

Collection

Identifier: Mss 105

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The Prosper School District #23 Records cover 1892-1962. The miscellaneous records include school inventories, inspection records, and accreditation certificates. Other records include PTA minutes, Clerk’s Records, and Teacher’s Registers.

Dates

1884-1966.

Creator

Prosper School District No. 23 (Cass County, N.D.) (Organization)

Access

The collection is open under the rules and regulations of the NDSU Archives.

Copyrights

Copyrights to this collection are held by the NDSU Archives.

History

The village of Prosper, located on Section 8 of Raymond Township, was obtained from Charles Footer and Elias Bowman. According to local lore, a Great Northern Railroad official noticed the prosperity of the area so the sign on the depot was painted to read “Prosper.” The depot was erected in 1912 with a reservoir and water tower. The railroad eventually ended service to Prosper and the depot became an upholstering shop.

A one-room schoolhouse was built in 1915. The first teacher was Sever Severson. A second room was added to the school when enrollment reached 43 students. One room accommodated the first six grades and the other was for seventh, eighth, and ninth grades. The school also served as a community center. The P.T.A., American Sunday School Union, 4-H, Community Club, and Card Club held meetings there. It was also the site of box socials, carnivals, and youth group gatherings. After a gym was added, local young people used the school for basketball games and roller skating. In 1964, the school was annexed into the Casselton School District. The school was demolished in the 1960s.