Lil' Red Schoolhouse

10/05/2026

We're looking for a Field Trip Guide to help children learn more about the history of education! Contact us for more information!

New volunteer opportunities just hit MC Volunteers! 🙌

Looking for a way to get involved this fall? The Chautauqua Isle of Lights is gearing up for the holiday season and could use extra hands with setup from mid-October through mid-November. 🎄✨

There’s also a new opportunity to serve as a field trip guide at the Lil' Red Schoolhouse, a great fit for anyone who enjoys kids, education, or local history.

A few hours of your time can make a big difference for the organizations and traditions that make Mitchell County special.

👉 Check out these opportunities and more at https://www.solomonvalleycf.org/mc-volunteers

09/18/2026

We had a great time with the St. John’s 3rd grade class today! Many of them dressed up for the occasion with bonnets, aprons, and suspenders!

The 18 students got a taste of what it was like as a school-aged child in the late 1800’s. They had to fill the water buckets, pick up the fire wood, and clean the chalk board erasers. They even got some learning in with reading and math!

Outside, we taught them the importance of the school bell, for not just the children, but for the whole community. We also told them the pranks that were pulled if you were in the outhouse!

Some old-fashioned recess games were played like Ante-over, chalk, Jacob’s ladder, cup and ball, and red rover!

All of the pictures were too cute not to share! Thank you to the St. John’s 3rd grade class for coming to the Lil’ Red Schoolhouse to learn about the early days of education!

09/11/2026

The Little Red Schoolhouse has been part of Mitchell County's story for more than 150 years.

Its history began in 1874 with the original Honey Creek School. After that building was destroyed by fire in 1942, the community had students back in a newly constructed school within a month. Years later, local residents once again stepped forward to preserve the building as a living example of pioneer-era education.

In 1976, retired teacher Helen Bab and other former rural schoolteachers helped move it to its current location, gave it its familiar red paint and brought the Little Red Schoolhouse to life.

And when the building needed help again decades later, the community answered. A major renovation beginning in 2017, supported by the Harold J. Boettcher family along with the City of Beloit and Mitchell County, helped ensure this piece of local history could continue to be enjoyed.

Because preserving our history isn't only about remembering where we've been. It's about making sure future generations get to experience it, too.

09/02/2026

We found our first “dunce” of the day! He drove all the way from Ohio to stand in the corner! 😂

09/02/2026

Today is the last Lil’ Red Schoolhouse open house of the summer! We’ll be open 4-6 so stop by with the kids and let them draw, read, and see what school was like over 100 years ago!

08/27/2026

Thank you to Steve Richardson for his story about how the women of Cawker City in the late 1800’s built their own library!

Did you know 14 other libraries in the area are modeled off the original Cawker City Library?

Thank you to anyone who supported our Lil’ Red Schoolhouse Storytelling Nights this summer! We will have one more open house next Wednesday from 4-6 then the schoolhouse will be closed for the winter, besides private events.

08/20/2026

Old Honey Creek School near Beloit, Kansas was destroyed by a fire in 1942 but was rebuilt on the same foundation and remained in operation until 1961. It was moved to this location in the roadside park on Kansas highways 24 and 9 in 1970.

08/12/2026

Step back into history! The Lil’ Red Schoolhouse will be open today from 4-6 pm during the Solomon Valley Farmers Market.