Contact Us

Isanti County
Historical Society
1700 E. Rum River Drive S., Suite K
Cambridge, MN 55008
Phone: 763-689-4229
Email: ichs@izoom.net

See Us

The Heritage Center is open
Monday, Tuesday and Thursday 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

It is located in the northwest corner of the Isanti County Fairgrounds, off Highway 95 and Flanders Street in Cambridge.
Click for directions

Help us

    * Become a member.
    * Donate items.
    * Donate money.
    * Volunteer.

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West Riverside Museum School

Each summer, about 25 kids each week attend school as transport themselves back to the turn of the 20th century. Four weeks are offered, and registration can be made through the historical society.

Details on the 2013 summer camps:
June 10-14 - 9am-1pm
June 17-21 - 9am-1pm
June 24-28 - 9am-1pm
July 1-5 (no school on the 4th) - 9:30am-1:30pm
 
Cost this year will be the same as last: $50 for nonmembers and $40 for members' children or grand children.

Click for registration form

History:
It was about the year 1867 that the first immigrants from Sweden came to the west side of the Rum River near Cambridge, Minnesota. Some homesteaded and others purchased land from the railroad company. By 1880 there were 21 families who had cleared land and built log cabins in this community.

On March 22, 1882, a petition to establish a school district was presented to the County Commissioners certifying that there were more than 35 people ages 5 to 21 years residing in the area. With the commissioners approval a school could now be financed by taxation. The West Riverside District was given the district number 38 because it was the thirty-eighth school organized in Isanti County.

School was first held in a wooden structure located west of this building. On February 5, 1898 a special bond issue in the amount of $800 was approved so this building could be erected. The clay for the bricks was taken from the banks of the Rum River and the bricks made in the Springvale brickyard.

In the first years, school was held in two terms per year. Sometimes as many as 55 pupils were in attendance. As time passed, 8 months became the standard school year with two weeks off for potato picking vacation and 2 weeks off at Christmas. The students were seated in double desks (sometimes 3 to a seat, until about 1917.) This was about the time a law was passed forbidding the use of the water bucket and dipper, so a bubbler fountain was purchased for $12.

An interesting and important purpose of the rural school was to help the Swedish immigrants to learn the American language and prepare them to take the examination to become American Citizens. The new citizens had to have knowledge of American laws and history. Because of this, a number of older young people attended school each year.

In contrast, the Swedish settlers of the district wanted their children to better understand their native language, so the Cambridge Lutheran Congregation conducted a "Swede School" each summer for four to six weeks. Religious training was also a part of these sessions. Records show that in 1902 forty pupils attended the "Swede School" at West Riverside and this continued for many years.

The rural school, in addition to being a place of learning, was the community center for social and cultural events. Political meetings, home talent plays, ladies aid socials, young peoples meetings, telephone meetings, farmer's club meetings and monthly church vespers were a few of the social events held regularly in the school house; however, the outstanding big events each year were the annual Christmas program and the "End of the Year Picnic."

In 1971 a law passed by the Minnesota Legislature made it mandatory that every school district in the state be a part of a district which had a high school. This forced the consolidation of the remaining rural schools in the county, one of which was West Riverside. The Board of Cambridge-Isanti District #911 put this building up for sale. However, over 900 people signed a petition that this building be retained as a historical site, representative of the 67 rural schools, which once served the educational needs of thousands of children in this Country.

The Board then leased the property to the Isanti County Historical Society and the West Riverside Restoration Committee has restored it to the era of 1900.

COMMITTEE
The West Riverside Museum School Committee is chaired by Roger Wm. Anderson.