• About Us
    • Membership and Donations
  • Presentations and News Articles
    • Commercial Hotel Vilas
    • Canova Quilt Donation
    • Sheriff Bradbury
    • Argonne
    • Burbank School
    • Fedora
    • Mastodon Tusk
    • Tree-Stump Tombstones
    • Norwegian Independence Day
    • South Dakota Suffrage Movement
    • Twin Lakes
    • World War 1
    • National Suffrage Movement
    • The First "Town School"
    • History of the SD State Fair
    • Vilas
  • Family Research
    • Birth, Death and School Records
    • Genealogy Research
  • Photographs
    • Argonne
    • Canova
    • Carthage
    • Epiphany
    • Fedora
    • Howard
    • Roswell
    • Vilas
RURAL LIFE MUSEUM
  • About Us
    • Membership and Donations
  • Presentations and News Articles
    • Commercial Hotel Vilas
    • Canova Quilt Donation
    • Sheriff Bradbury
    • Argonne
    • Burbank School
    • Fedora
    • Mastodon Tusk
    • Tree-Stump Tombstones
    • Norwegian Independence Day
    • South Dakota Suffrage Movement
    • Twin Lakes
    • World War 1
    • National Suffrage Movement
    • The First "Town School"
    • History of the SD State Fair
    • Vilas
  • Family Research
    • Birth, Death and School Records
    • Genealogy Research
  • Photographs
    • Argonne
    • Canova
    • Carthage
    • Epiphany
    • Fedora
    • Howard
    • Roswell
    • Vilas

BURBANK SCHOOL

  The Burbank School was an independent consolidated school located in Rock Creek Township in Miner County. It was named after the famous ''plant wizard'' Luther Burbank, who was born in 1849 in Massachusetts and died in California in 1926. He was an American Botanist who developed more than 800 strains and varieties of plants during his impressive 55-year career. He is also famous (infamous?) for selling the rights to the Idaho potato for $150 to pay his fare to California.

  After the school was erected, a name had to be chosen. The school was made up almost entirely of farm children and many felt that it should be named after Burbank. The school's first instructors, Mr. and Mrs. E. W. Gehring, and the school’s students sent a letter to Luther Burbank asking for permission to name the school after him. He agreed and sent an autographed photo of himself that later had its own place in the school.

  The Rock Creek area’s ability to provide a high school was very important to local residents.  It was difficult for area families to provide room and board elsewhere for their children and that made it nearly impossible for many of the area children to receive a high school education.  The total enrollment in the fall of 1935 was 76 students -- 43 in high school and 33 in grade school. The Burbank High School yearbook, The Owl, was first published in 1936.  That year, the graduating class included Dayton Ritzman, Lena Pederson, Harold Gehring, Fay Harper, Grace Gullickson and Hazel Raske.

  The Burbank school had a basketball team, but it was difficult for the team to be competitive since they only had an outdoor court to practice on. In 1935, a 50- by 72-foot building was moved in to accommodate the team and the Owls won third place in the Miner County Tournament that year. They also had a skilled baseball and track team. 

  In 1912, Rock Creek Township residents started a literary society which developed into a community club that all members of the area participated in, giving monthly programs. The club united the citizens of the area. They discussed problems and listened to well-known speakers with their primary focus on improving the quality of their everyday lives.

  Enrollment at the Burbank school began falling in the 1940s and the school eventually closed in 1965.  These teachers served the Burbank school during the years it remained open: 

  1917-1918. Supt. Steele, Minnie Thom, Miss Molumby

  1919-1920. Mr. & Mrs. G. B. Maple, Agnes Davison

  1920-1921. Mr. & Mrs.  G. B. Maple, Marie Seaton

  1921-1922. Mr. & Mrs. Klaude D. Dick, Marie Seaton

  1922-1923. Mr. & Mrs. L. W. Connely, Marie Seaton

  1923-1924. Mr. & Mrs. L. W. Connely, Myrtle Fisher

  1924-1925. A. E. Hackett, Myrtle Fisher 

  1926-1927. J. W. Fisher, Mabel Willard, Eva Hummel

  1927-1928. J. W. Fisher, Elizabeth Garvis, Eva Hummel

  1928-1931. J. W. Fisher, Elta Fisher, Eva Hummel

  1931-1932. Clement Molumby, Victor Larson, Eva Hummel

  1932-1933. Clement Molumby, N. C. Staley, Eva Hummel

  1933-1934. Clement Molumby, Mr. & Mrs. N. C. Staley, Eva Hummel

  1934-1935. Clement Molumby, Eva Hummel 

  1936-1947. Ada Gehring and several other teachers taught during this period. However, no records are available on the other teachers during this time frame.

  1948-1949 Lura Thomas, Elizabeth Hofer

  1949-1950 Elizabeth Hofer

  1950-1951 Maude Zietschel

  1951-1952 Geraldine Gates

  1952-1953 Florence Bengsten

  1953-1955 Ida Burke

  1955-1956 Roy Case

  1956-1958 Irma Peterson

  1958-1964 Leona Bailey

  1964-1965 Luella Siegel

​-
Written by Justice Forster, originally printed in the Miner County Pioneer.

Board members
Cecelia Wittmayer: President
Chloe Andenas: Vice President
Christy Stock: Secretary
Chrysti Protsch: Treasurer
Renee Forster
Justice Forster
Renee Laible
Bob Miller
​Gary Moschell
​Michele Neises
Dennis Wills
Colin Wunder


ALWAYS
FREE ADMISSION!

​ The museum is open 
when the "Open" flag is
​flying!


Extended Hours
June through December:

​Thursdays, 10-2 p.m.
Every Saturday and Sunday
1 to 4 p.m.
(except for major holidays and really inclement weather) 


Street Address:
217 South Main Street
Contact us: 
If you'd like to visit at another time, please contact us, using the information below.
Email: 
[email protected]
Mail:
PO Box 245
Howard SD 57349
Contact the MCHS President:
​605-480-0125​
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  • About Us
    • Membership and Donations
  • Presentations and News Articles
    • Commercial Hotel Vilas
    • Canova Quilt Donation
    • Sheriff Bradbury
    • Argonne
    • Burbank School
    • Fedora
    • Mastodon Tusk
    • Tree-Stump Tombstones
    • Norwegian Independence Day
    • South Dakota Suffrage Movement
    • Twin Lakes
    • World War 1
    • National Suffrage Movement
    • The First "Town School"
    • History of the SD State Fair
    • Vilas
  • Family Research
    • Birth, Death and School Records
    • Genealogy Research
  • Photographs
    • Argonne
    • Canova
    • Carthage
    • Epiphany
    • Fedora
    • Howard
    • Roswell
    • Vilas