The History of Walcott School

The city of Walcott is located 15 miles west of Davenport.

William Walcott shrewdly donated $500 in 1855 for the construction of a school building, with the stipulation that the fledgling town along the railroad tracks near Davenport be named after him.

The first school was built on Block 2, Lot 8 and 9, facing Otis Street. Later, an addition was built to handle increasing student enrollment, making the building L-shaped.

Block 2, on Lot 5, facing Henry Street was the site for a second school in 1895 (shown above). Ninth graders joined the little school in 1921, and when a tenth grade class was added, one teacher was assigned to teach only the older children.

Walcott students completed 11th and 12th grade on tuition at Davenport's Central High School. Some students attended all four years of high school in Davenport, if their parents were willing to furnish tuition for the freshman and sophomore years.

The Walcott Community School District brought many one-room schoolhouse districts together and upgraded rural education when it was formed in 1955. A new building (shown above) was constructed in northeast Walcott in 1956.

In 1965, the Walcott School District was absorbed into the Davenport Community School District. Today, the building erected in 1956 serves both elementary and intermediate students, grades K-8, from Walcott and rural Davenport.