Leach School in Rako, Minnesota

More about Grandpa and Grandma . . . and how the Leach School happened. . .

My Uncle Phil told me on a past visit that when Grandpa and Grandma homesteaded in Rako, Minnesota  in 1915, the community called them the “kids” and everyone said they would not last long up there in the cold north country.  But time tells the story, and they soon had a log house built and started their family and their long time home where they became icons and very well respected leaders of the community of Rako.  So I don’t know who was more surprised, the “community” or Grandma, but they did last;  they lasted 49 years before they moved back to Ava, Missouri in 1964.

Grandpa and Grandma donated a corner of the section of land they homesteaded for a school house.   It was right on the corner of County Road 17 in Kiel Township, later known as the “Rako Road” which led to the Rako School House where the next generation (including me) went to school.   The Leach School with first teacher, Margaret Asp

This is the Leach School when it was first built, on the south east corner of Grandpa’s homestead.   

Later it was fixed up a bit and a front porchwas added  as you can see in the next picture . . .

. . . My uncle Phil told me that the first teacher was called Margaret Asp and she was young and pretty and, of course, needed a place to stay.  So, she boarded with Grandpa and Grandma and to this day, Uncle Phil reports, those boys still do not know where she slept or, how there was even room for her in that small log house.  

A CLOSE UP PIC OF THE PEOPLE GIVES YOU A LOOK AT MY AUNT LENA (ft row rt). 

(My sister Katherine looks like her a lot and Grandma always said that.)