State Historical Society of Iowa

Horse-Drawn School Bus in Webster, Iowa, 1928

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Large, horse-drawn wagon with four older and six younger students posed in front of it. “Webster Consolidated School District” is painted on the side of the wagon.
Courtesy of the State Historical Society of Iowa, 1928

Description

This photograph shows children standing beside a horse-drawn bus for the Webster Consolidated School in Keokuk County, Iowa. In 1930, 178 people lived in Webster, Iowa, and in the 2010 census, the population had declined to 88 people living there. Today, students from Webster attend school in Sigourney.

Source-Dependent Questions

  • Is Webster, Iowa, urban or rural? Use evidence from the image to support your answer.
  • How did kids get into and out of this bus? Is that the same or different than today's school buses?
  • Compare this photo with the bus in Georgia, the buses in Tipton, Iowa, and the bus in Pella, Iowa. How is this image the same, and how is it different?