Woodland School

The Woodland School, District No. 9, was built about 1870 after John Clabaugh submitted a petition to the Faribault County Commissioners calling for the formation of a school district in the far northwest corner of Faribault County, which was later called Winnebago Township. The Woodland School was moved by teams of horses about one mile west of the old community in about 1905 to be more centrally located in the district. The school closed its doors in 1949.

The community of Woodland boasted a school, mill, post office, store, etc. According to Margaret Hanks, a Winnebago historian, the Woodland area was originally made up of three “collections” of people called Jerusalem, Coronet, and Jerico. They were groups of people who joined together near the west banks of the Blue Earth River for protection, wood and water. During the summer months, many of the families would move to the prairie to farmand then return to the Woodland area in the winter for protection from the Indians. The little town of Woodland went out of existence about the turn of the century.

For 34 years, the Woodland School lay dormant, overgrown with brush and inhabited only by animals seeking shelter. The abandoned school was discovered by a Faribault County Historical Society member who thought it should be preserved. John and Henry Staloch, owners of the property, made it possible for the Historical Society to acquire the Woodland School. It was moved to History Lane at the Faribault County Fairgrounds in Blue Earth on February 24,1985. Through the efforts of many, the school was restored and furnished for future generations.