School Districts

Konicek School – Colfax County District 14 

Colfax County District 14 (the Konicek School) was established in 1873.  The picture above is actually the second, larger school building that opened in 1902 after the first building became too small for the immigrants’ growing families.  It was located 4 miles south and 0.5 mile east of the intersection of Hwys. 15 and 91, on a half-acre of land leased from Emil and Marie Konicek.  The teacher was Miss Cibulka, and the  man standing in the middle of the back row was F. J. Vogltance, Colfax County School Superintendent from 1908 to at least 1936.

The following information comes from Don and Sandra Novotny, who both attended Konicek School (the building was conveniently located at the end of their parents’ driveway):

“For nearly a century, the one-room District 14 schoolhouse hosted classes for farm children of the surrounding four to five square miles.  Many of Franz and Marie Novotny’s descendants entering 1st grade as late as the 1930s knew little if any English, speaking primarily Czech at home.  In early days, classes were held from mid October to mid June so that older children could help harvest crops each autumn.  Even the youngest of children walked to and from school, in some cases over two miles each way, and classes were suspended only by the worst of blizzards.  Well into the 1920s, 8th grade typically marked the end of their formal educations.

Commonly known as the “Konicek School,” District 14 opened in about 1873.  In 1902, a larger building was constructed to accommodate the growing community, at a slightly different location.  The original school building remained on the property (later becoming part of Joe W.  Novotny’s farm) and served as a storehouse for another 75 years, while the newer school bell still rings at the home of descendants.

Franz Novotny served as an early Director of District 14, and son Joe V., grandson Joe W., and additional descendants followed in his footsteps.  Descendants continued to attend the school until the final closing of its door in 1967.”

The Konicek School building that was constructed in 1902 burned, and was replaced by another one-room schoolhouse on the same site.  Here is a picture of the third District 14 school building a few years after it closed in 1967.

Edith (Novotny) Nepper, who had the distinction of being both a student and later a teacher at this school, related an interesting story:

“I always had to walk to school because the school was across the road from the end of our driveway.  One winter we had such a snow storm that my Dad came to school with a rope that he tied around everyones’ waists and led us in the storm to our house where we stayed for three days and had school there because no one could go anywhere at all.  Mom cooked for the whole bunch for three days.  Thank you God for canned foods and cellars to keep it in.” 

Sandra Novotny also passed on the picture below that also captures the atmosphere of many of these schools in their later years – a wall-length blackboard topped with sterling examples of cursive letters (for penmanship class), and small numbers of students.  The tall boy, Jerry Cech, was one of my contemporaries, and he looks to be several years older than the next oldest pupil.  It was that way in my school as well – when my classmates and I reached the 6th grade, there was no one older.  We were at the Top of the Heap for 3 years.

The picture, taken about 1963, shows a birthday celebration for the teacher (probably either Dorothy Oltmer or Alice Novotny).  Other teachers at the school were Marvine Koliha and Edith Nepper.

Front: Patsy Vanek, Paul Belina, Ricky Cech, Joey Konicek

Middle Row: Mary Jean Jonas, Richard Belina, Tom Cech, Sandra Novotny

Back Row: Jane Konicek, Jerry Cech, Judy Konicek

It is nice to see so many Koniceks attending the Konicek School in its later days.