-Submitted photo
The Iowa Rural Schools Museum in Odebolt will be the starting point for the Iowa Country School Conference to be held on October 8 and 9.

SAC CITY — Country School enthusiasts will gather in Sac County Oct. 8 and 9 to celebrate Iowa’s rich history of education and agriculture. The two-day conference will feature tours of several well-preserved rural schools, speakers, and the opportunity to learn about the interaction between agricultural and educational programs from the past 150 years. Janet Secor, of Fort Dodge, and Bruce Perry, of Sac City, will be two of the featured speakers.

The annual state-wide conference is open to all who love history and enjoy sharing stories. The program will begin in Odebolt, home to one of the finest rural school museums in Iowa.

In addition to participating in programs about the preservation of country schools and family connections to country schools, attendees will visit preserved country schools in Odebolt, Sac City, and surrounding areas.

As communities sprang up on the prairie, public schools were among the highest priorities for new settlers. Parents’ desire to improve their children’s lives inspired the conference theme, “One Room Schools: The Start of Big Dreams”.

Attendees will visit Sac City Chautauqua Pavilion, which was home to yearly county eighth-grade graduation ceremonies, have dinner in the Sac Community Center which is a repurposed school, and visit the Peterson Pioneer Home in Odebolt to get a taste of life in the early years of Sac County. Additional attractions will include tours of the Adams Bank (now First State Bank), Grant #5 School House at Moorhead Park, and Prairie Pedlar, visiting Cook #8 School House, the Pedlar gardens and a Sears pre-fabricated barn.

Pre-registration is encouraged. Forms are available now at www.iowaruralschoolsmuseum.net or by calling 712-668-4285.

This event is sponsored by Preservation Iowa, Rural Legacy Project, Iowa Rural Schools Museum of Odebolt, First State Bank, City of Sac City, Tlobedo Questers #485, Odebolt Historical Museum, Sac City Historical Museum and Village, Odebolt Betterment Committee, Prairie Pedlar, and Western Iowa Tourism.