From front to back , the students in the agricultural class of 1933, led by teacher Harold Lawrenze, are identified as Fred Tan, Charlie Niemi, Hjalmer Stohlberg, Arnold Kuusiko, Elmer Hongisto, Eli Forstie, Toivo Jarvi, George Niemi, William Niemi, Oscar Sunnarberg, George Sunnarberg, Toivo Oja, Hjalmer Olson, George Maunu, Andrew Forstie, William Johnson, Hjalmer Niemi, Charlie Anderson, Leonard Saukko, Teacher Harold Lawrenze, Toivo Saukko, and Rudolph Oja. The photo was taken by Mr. Olson in 1933.
At far right is teacher Aluise Knuti and her class at the Washington School in 1952. This was her first year of teaching, and she was only 21 years old. Some years later, the classroom pictured was named the Aluise Knuti Lounge in her honor, as well as being dedicated to Aluise as being one of the organizers of the active Esko Senior Citizen's group.
This photograph shows A.L. Winterquist, the first superintendent of the newly consolidated Thomson Township (Esko) School District, wearing his World War I (WWI) uniform. He's sitting on the seat of a vehicle on the Alex Esko farm.
Pictured are students and a teacher at the Esko Corner one-room school during Christmas time in 1907. Sitting on the floor are Adolph P., George Tan, Arvid O., Fred Esko. In the second row are Ellen Hiukka, Helen Johnson, the teacher Hilda Swenson, Hilda Esko, Selma Juntunen, Isaac Esko, Sophie Johnson, Henry Juntunen, Sophie Peterson, Erick Tan, Charles Polo, Emil Peterson. Students identified in the third row are Lydia Peterson, John Peterson, Ed Juntunen, Alice Hiukka, Sophie Tan, Joseph Juntunen, and Hjalmer Juntunen. The tallest girl in the back center is Julia Sunnarborg. The rest are unidentified.
This shows an Esko one-room school, during the 1907-1908 school year, showing a teacher and the students. The far left person is identified as "Esko Boy - Janitor." The teacher is identified as Hilder Swenson (Archer). All the youngsters were Finnish except one, it was noted. On the back of the photo it was written that this was ""a one-room school near Esko Corners where I taught Sept. 1907 to May 1908. All were Finnish but one family, the Johnsons, with whom I stayed. I am the one in the doorway with the funny hat that must have been home made. One of the Esko boys was janitor."" The back of the photo has a small cut-out photograph of Hildur Archer and Olga Johnson to her right, who was the oldest daughter of the Johnson family with whom she stayed.
Here is the proud graduating class of 1933 from the Esko High School, including Millard Olson, Henry Anadahl, Anne Nygren, Elvira Thompson, Albin Johnson, Iver Olson, Bill Stenman, Mr. A. L. Winterquist, Irene Lukkanen, Lila Frederickson, and Lillian Fredrickson.
The students and teacher are posing in front of the Maunu School, which was an old one room school located near intersection of present day Canosia Road and Forstie Road.
The students in Miss Helia Branwall's class during the 1923-1924 school year are identified as the following; in the left row, Raymond Kemp, Matt Korby, Vieno Kotka, Frances Hiukka, Lila Fredrickson, George Kangas, and Arnie Nygren; in the second row, front to back, are Edwin Mattila, William Stenman, Fanny Marks, Carl Sariin, Laura Kangas, and George Kesty; the middle row, Elsie Nynas, Martha Korby, Uno Siltanen, Bernice Juntunen, Milo Current, Rudolph Murto, Arnie Manisto; the fourth row, Edgar Peterson, Ida Juntunen, Arnie Murto, Jennie Thompson, and Alma Laakso; and the right row, Walter Sarkela, Lila Mattson, Walter Polo, Millard Olson, and Toinie Raisanen. Note the cloakroom recessed area in the back left of the photo, and the three bars hanging on the wall for students to hang their coats.
This is a photograph of an early one-room schoolhouse shortly after it was moved to its present site as the first building at the Esko Historical Society's museum in Esko. The general membership at the time is photographed in front of the school house and next to the monument, which is inscribed with the following: "In Memory of the early Pioneers (1872) and the Early Finnish Pioneers who arrived in 1873." It was designed by local artist Edgar F. Olson. The smokestack to the left is from the Arrowhead Creamery. In the front row are Emil Johnson, Vieno Hill, Selem Lamminen, Hulda Heikkinen, and Julia Sunnarborg. The second row has ?, Mrs. Emil Johnson, Emerth Nynas, Mrs. Lamminen, Waino Heikkinen, Mrs. Palkie, Edgar Olson, and Ed Tan. In the third row are ?, Evert Myllymaa, and Jack Kinnunen.
Teacher Anna Swanson (top row, right) with her students in front of the Pantsar School in rural Thomson Township in 1905. Included in the photograph are Mary Marks, Mary Pantsar, Alice Carlson, Clara Moe, and teacher Anna Swanson in the top row. The second row of students are identified as Arthur Johnson, Robert Carlson, Emil Johnson, William Mattson, Edgar Olson, Hjalmer Mattson, Ed Kinnunen, Mayme Pantsar, Ida Sakrisson, Ida Point, Teena Sakrisson, Esther Olson, Anna Holm, and Mayme Point. In the third row are Olaf Moe, Arthur Point, Fanny Skarp, Oscar Pera, Thomas Holm, Ed Juntti, Charles Pykkonen, Emil Moe, Ray Palkki, Charles Point, Eino Poutinen, John Holm, Jacob Holm, Agnes Tweith, and Effie Holm. Sitting in the front row are Abel Palkki, Herman Skarp, William Perttula, and Eino Juntti. The Pantsar School was a one-room school in early Thomson Township, located northwest of the Church Road and Harney Road intersection. In the 1920s the building was moved by Ed Kinnunen and was converted into Mannila's Store.
First through eighth grade pupils are depicted, with two teachers, standing in front of the one-room Maunu School. This building was located on the present site of the intersection of the present Canosia Road and Forstie Road.
This is a photograph of pupils and teacher in Esko one-room School with desks in foreground, blackboards, and clock in background. The Esko one-room school was used from 1897 to 1920, and was located at Thomson Road and Highway 61, and was also known as Mallinen's School. The building itself was moved in 1959 and can be toured at the Esko Historical Society site as the school building. Although the teacher and many of the pupils are not identified, some of their names can be read on the black board, including, #10 - Juntunen, Ida; #11 - Juntunen, Eddy; #12 - Juntunen, Joseph; #13 Juntunen, Yalmer; Kangas, Selma; Mattinen, Mary; #16 - Mattinen, Yalmer; #17 - Peterson, John; #18 - Peterson, Yalmer; #19 - Peterson, Adolph; #20 - Polo, Olga; #21 - Polo, Charles; #22 - P., Hilda; Isaac; #23 - Perry, Charles; #24 - Perry, Bessie; #25 - Point, Eddy; Sunnarborg, Julia; ?; Charles; Annie; Matthews, Geo.; #1 - Esko, Henry; #2 - Esko, Fred; #3 - Hiukka, Alice; #4 - Hiukka.
This is a photograph of an early school bus and four bus drivers - Jack Ikola, Charles Johnson, Andrew Kinnunen, and Edwin Olson, next to the Washington School teachers' residence, known as a teacherage. Note the required formal uniforms of the bus drivers. The Washington School was located behind the photographer.
This photograph shows a young Superintendent A.L. Winterquist (Alfred L. Winterquist) and his secretary, L. Thompson, in his first office at the then newly built Lincoln School in Esko. The schools were consolidated shortly after his arrival in Esko in 1919.
Depicted here is teacher Helia Branwall standing in front of the Washington School in Thomson Township. She taught several generations of Esko residents, and was one of the longest serving teachers in the school system.
This photograph shows teachers of the Thomson Township (Esko) School District standing on a porch, perhaps of the Washington School teacherage, where they lived. The places of abode built for the teachers were called "teacherages."
Taken on the stage of the Washington School, this was the highly popular Teeny-Weeny Band in 1933. Note the wide range of instruments, including accordions, piano, violins, clarinets, harmonicas, xylophones, guitars, and percussion instruments, to name a few.
Pictured is the Washington School in the spring of 1923, along with horse-drawn school buses and four motorized school vehicles. The students were transported by horse-drawn school buses, but motorized vehicles were beginning to come into use during this era.
This is a photograph of school transportation vehicles and the Washington School. The second truck from the right side is Matt Pykkonen's panel truck, which was one of three motorized vehicles used to bus students. The three trucks were privately owned. There are seven horse-drawn school buses and three motorized vehicles, several of which appear to have students in them. The horses were also privately owned, but the horse-drawn wagons were owned by the school district. The Washington School was quite new in this photo, having been built in 1921. It housed grades 1 through 6.