In the fall of 1907, Lincoln County Normal School opened in the old
County Courthouse located in what is now Normal Park. The first
class graduated in 1908. The school offered one year teaching
certificates when it first opened and then added an additional year
when two year certificates were required by the state in the late
1930’s. The last class was held in 1967.
This building was originally the Lincoln County Courthouse. The
Training School was in existence from 1907 to 1967. The name of the
institution changed over the years: Lincoln County Training School,
1907-1923; Lincoln County Rural Normal School, 1924-1955; Lincoln
County Teachers College, 1956-1967.
Student teacher Lorraine Hagedorn (Muschinske) teaching reading to
four first graders at the Lincoln County Rural Normal School..
Principal Gerald Olson and 10 student teachers at the Lincoln
County Rural Normal School. Students, seated left to right around
the table include: Mary Schielke (Heller), Mavis Woller (Voelz),
Wilneita Gitzel, Helen Ullman Cotey, Sylvia Turner (Lemon), Louise
Reinhardt, Gladys Schmahl, Donald Batchelder, Leonard Bierlien, and
Marie Fischer.
Normal Park today is a 2 acre park that contains an outdoor
ice-skating rink with a warming shelter and a base ball diamond. It
is leased from the county on a land contract and the county
maintains the park.
The cache is located near a sidewalk that leads to the center of
the park. This is the path that lead up to the school/courthouse
and the only evidence of the once popular school.
This cache contains the letter A clue for the final in this
series, MCPS-Final - Athletic Park.