These stories can also be heard on Sunday mornings around 10 am on WILD 102’s “Look Back in Time” program. Each week’s radio story will be posted here on our website.
Weekly radio stories are researched, compiled, and read by Sheila Winstead, RCHS Board Member.
March 29, 2026
In July of 1957, the Roseau Times-Region published parts of a letter from a schoolteacher in the early days of Roseau county. Editor Bill Adams encouraged any of her former students and people who remembered her to write to her in Spokane, Washington. In October, a follow-up to that original letter was published in a column, which I’ll read now.
One of Roseau county’s early school teachers, Mrs. Ida Combs Dieter, writes that she has been very pleased with the after-effects of the write-up in the Times-Region. “I am sure you will be glad to know that I have also received a number of letters from former students, Ole Lerhaugen,
County Commissioner Edward Erickson, Mrs. Marie Reed, Edward Riley of far-off Thief River Falls, and H. Dieter, a distant cousin.
“I have answered each and every one and am hoping to still hear from others,” she remarked.
“Since you seemed to have appreciated the little story I sent, possibly a description of one of those early day schools may not be amiss. Take for instance the one north of Roseau about five miles, which was the first one there, commencing in August, 1894, and extending four months.
Having no school house, the sessions were held in the largest room of the home of some student whose name has slipped my mind. The term was divided, being held the first half in the east end of the district and the last two months in the west end.
“This was arranged so that the younger pupils would be able to attend 40 days in order to obtain state apportionment.
“There were 42 pupils enrolled, only two of whom had a book. They had second readers, having attended school elsewhere previously.
“I had five yards of tar paper for a blackboard. Of course only a few of the children could speak a word of English and my stock of Scandinavian was extremely limited!
“Mr. Pearson, a Roseau drug store proprietor, whom I had known in my home town of St.
Vincent, accompanied me out the first morning, and I am sure if he were there, he would tell you
how discouraging the set-up seemed.
“Two members of the board were out at what we called the ‘front’ harvesting, and they brought
us a supply of books just as the term was about to close. We did not even open the box!
“But my! How those students did learn! And sing! They could just raise the roof, reading from
the tarpaper blackboard.
“About the end of the term County Superintendent W. G. Peters came to visit us, bringing Mr.
Pearson along. They were agreeably surprised to find the excellent progress we had made. We
had two long tables with benches on each side and plenty of slates, pencils and tablets.
“Isaac Winterhus was clerk and I remember he came one evening to take me home with his
yoke of oxen. Seeing me on the steps with my bright red dress, his oxen took fright and ran
away, while poor Isaac frantically lashed them back to the school house steps.
“Yes, those were pioneer days alright, a far cry from the number of times I have flown between
cities out west!
“A short entertainment had been prescribed by the students (she is describing her last day of
school there) and naturally all the pupils were present, even those from the farthest corner of
the district. Perhaps you can imagine how crowded we were since many of the parents were
present also. The little ones all were sorry to see school close and many a tear was shed.
Perhaps I shed a few myself as I had become very attached to my students.”
Mrs. Dieter enclosed a picture of her as she appeared in those early days.
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