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D.M.T. Revisited
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The Rolfe Arrow — December 30, 1976 Wednesday night after the Rolfe High musical two couples joined us in going to the D.M.T. Ballroom. The crowd was a nice size, the music was great and the people were having a good time. We stayed until closing and didn’t see a hint of rowdiness. This writer considers himself the world’ worst Arthur Murray and so was intrigued with the people that had some expertise in the graceful art of dancing. Russell Ives, Phil Brinkman and I speculated on the average age in attendance Wednesday night and came up with about 39 - not a Jack Benny - although there were several of Jack’s honest vintage there. The music was furnished by the Jane Russell band. Jane and Russell Thorson are a handsome pair and with a son and daughter play a great variety of music. Polkas and the great music of the 40’s and 50’s had sizable spots in the program. Russell Thorson did travel this part of the country selling for the Radio Trade Supply Co. of Fort Dodge. Until the band part became a steady diet he and Jane had a little time to indulge in duplicate bridge at the Fort Dodge Bridge Club. Not so lately. The D.M.T. building facilities seem to lend themselves neatly to being a ballroom. The floor is great, and there is plenty of room for tables and dancing. I didn’t sample the food except the onion rings. They were good and I bet the rest was too. The Rolfe Centennial Book gives a pretty good account of the D.M.T. school history but it does leave out one part, the frame building years. The township voted in April 1916 to consolidate the eight rural school districts. However, it was not until some time during the school year of 1918-1919 that the brick building was ready for occupancy. In the summer of 1916 Al Ralph, working at night during the threshing season, used his steam engine to pull six of the eight one room school buildings from their various locations to the present D.M.T. site. For two years, starting with grades 1-10 in the year 1916-1917 the school operated at the central site, but using the one room buildings. One building was used as a high school, and several others were used for two or three grades each. Sometime during the 1918-1919 school year the new brick building was occupied. Two of the one room buildings were used for a janitor’s home and for the superintendent’s home, at least in later years. They are probably the frame buildings that are still there. The first graduating class (1919) consisted of Chas. H. Lehnus, William R. Fisher, Melvin E. Struthers, Chester C. Harris, and Vinton Stinton. The early school busses were horse drawn and at the very first the students were transported to school in the ordinary farm wagons. Later enclosed vehicles were used. In 1969 the school closed the D.M.T. attendance center. The board member asked Swede Vote to check on whether it would be possible to move the gymnasium part of D.M.T. to the school grounds at Rolfe. The conclusion was that it was impractical because of the nature of the construction. The roof and the rafters could probably have been moved as a unit, but there wouldn’t be enough of the total structure to make it worthwhile. When Swede declines you know it’s not a good idea. I guess, though, that now you might say that D.M.T. is on the move again.
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