We Are Ottumwa Volume 4 | Page 6

Residents of Ottumwa and parts beyond started their education in many schools that are now part of the city ’ s past . These schools sprouted up to meet the needs of a growing population in various areas , then met different fates — some were torn down or burned down , another was “ moved ,” and some were repurposed as other buildings . Regardless of the fate , the following schools carry significance to those who attended them :
Adams School
One of the more storied schools in the city , Adams was built in 1865 , and was the first public school built in Ottumwa . The original building sat on “ College Square ,” the current location of Ottumwa High School . The building was torn down in 1883 , and a new school was built on the same site as the original , and then physically moved just east of where the current high school sits . It did hold elementary and secondary grades until 1899 , when Washington Junior High was given that honor until OHS was built in 1923 . Adams was taken down in 1982 .
Onlookers gather to watch firefighters extinguish a fire at the Adams School in 1933 . Adams has an unusual history among Ottumwa ’ s schools , as it was first built in 1865 as the first public school in the city , then later replaced by this structure in 1883 . Though the roof was destroyed , it was replaced and continued to serve the city . It was finally torn down in 1982 . / The Lemberger Collection
6 We Are Ottumwa
“ People always talk about the wood floors , how they always smelled like they ’ d been freshly polished . To me , they smelled like furniture polish ,” she recalled of her time at Lincoln from 1947-55 . “ We had a great janitor , Ivan Blomgren . He struck the fear of God in your heart , and he looked very gruff , but he had a heart of gold , and he took care of that building , like it was his own home .”
Naumann also recalled sliding down a hill near the school on a zipped-up binder as the sidewalk was layered in ice because of a freezethaw-freeze winter .
“ There were a lot of ways for me to walk to school , which of course we all did ,” Naumann said . “ But they were all uphill , and I had good friends that lived along there . I was an only child , so it was fun for me to walk by other kids ’ houses and sort of pick them up on the way .”
By the time Naumann was at Lincoln , it already had a past . Naumann attended the second version of the school , and there would be one more to come before it finally closed in 2002 .
“ When recess was over or it was time to go in , one of the teachers