Webster is in Ramsey County, just north of Devils Lake. Someone has done a fantastic job of preserving the former Webster School. We couldn’t tell what it’s used for today, but someone told us it’s occasionally used as a hunting lodge, and it looks fantastic. We’ve taken the liberty of removing the power lines which ran through the foreground of this picture so you can appreciate the structure more fully.
Photos by Troy Larson and Terry Hinnenkamp, copyright Sonic Tremor Media LLC
Ghosts of North Dakota 
From what I understand, some descendants of the founders of the town wanted to buy just the sign from the school, and ended up buying the whole thing. When I first moved to the area, I mentioned to my husband how awesome it would be to buy the building and restore it-glad someone was able to do just that!
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The school was bought by a family with ties to Webster and renovated in about 2004 or 2005. My wife and I happened to pass thru Webster on a day it was opened up for another family with ties to Webster to tour it, so we got to check it out as well. They kept the interior, classrooms and all pretty much the same. It is very nice. They use it occasionally, and someone in town watches it.
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My Mother-in-law, Doris Stewart Lein, taught at this school from 1947 until 1950. If anyone has a photo of what it originally looked like, I would love a copy. rwlein@comcast.net
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May 2014 – Just a follow-up…..Just returned from a trip to Webster, (from the Seattle area,) where we visited this school. A local resident treated us to a tour of the inside. It matched Doris’ description, with some minor changes. She would have been thrilled to see it. I have a 1950 year book from this school. Wendy’s Tavern was next door, but it is long gone and even less remembered. I wish someone could scan in the school records still there!
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There are school records that can be scanned in? Would love to make a road trip to Webster and get this done if they’d allow me to do so. I believe my grandfather attended that school for a time. Important history that needs to be preserved. Northerners don’t seem to place the same value on the preservation of history as my “deep south” family does, sadly enough.
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Hi Kim – Yes, there are records that should probably be scanned in; however, I don’t know who you’d talk to regarding permission and access. I only peeked a little bit, but I could see records for different years of classes. I couldn’t tell you what years though.
Not to contradict you, but I’d say that the northerners DO place a high value on records and that’s why they are still sitting as they were back in the 30’s and 40’s. They are such hard working people and many do not have the time that we do for the leisure, fun stuff like scanning old papers!
If you were to get permission, it would be best to take your scanner to the old school house and save the documents to a disk for later uploading. I believe there is power to the building. Please don’t remove records from the school – they belong to either the school house for later display or to the City, County or State historical society. I would hate to see the original copies go into private ownership.
The information stored there is invaluable, so best of luck with your endeavor. If I lived there, I would try to scan them myself.
Sheila
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My grandfather taught there around 1910!
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Actually my grandfather was superintendent there in 1919-1920!
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I lived on a farm 10 miles out of Webster till I left for College I did not go to this school I went to a one room school closer to our farm which closed my sister did go to school here I believe for 8 years They did a fine job redoing it
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Several years ago, my wife and I got to tour inside the renovated school. It is really set up very nice, and yes, I think it was for hosting hunters, and a single family group’s reunions (the family that did the rennovation). Superb preservation effort.
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Yesterday’s obit on the person who renovated the school
https://www.devilslakejournal.com/news/20190419/obit-dr-thomas-moore-webster
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