PHOTO OF THE DAY: LOOKING BACK – LOOKING SOUTH
This photo is part of the collection at Heritage Hall Museum & Archives and was posted by the museum this past Monday as part of its weekly look back. Here’s an explanation included with the post.
This photo, looking south and likely taken from an elevator on the northwest side of Freeman, offers a unique look at two of Freeman’s schools shortly after the turn of the century some 120 years ago.Freeman Public School, built in 1901 (in the center) is facing east on the west side of Juniper Street; that’s the site of Lions Park today. The first public school (Freeman School District 33-1) building was erected in the same general area in 1882.
South Dakota Mennonite College (today Music Hall on the Freeman Academy campus) built in 1903, is visible on the upper left side of the photo. It appears the dormitory built east of the college building in 1905 is not there, putting this photo in the 1903-05 range.
The Freeman Public School burned in 1923; a new building was constructed on Wipf Street in 1925.
The third school in Freeman at the time (not pictured) was St. Paul Lutheran School. It was located on the east side of Poplar Street between what is now First Interstate Bank and the Freeman Post Office. It opened in 1888.
The photo is from our archives/library and is a valuable resource in helping tell the history of this community. They are open to the public for research during our regular hours; weekday afternoons from noon to 4 through this month. Our new summer hours begin May 1, when we’ll be open 10-4 Mondays through Saturdays.
