Wyman Park Dedication

"More to Live For in Livermore

Going Forward, Looking Back”

Marguerite Wyman 1954

LIVERMORE

Wyman Park Dedication by City Hall

Friday July 15, 2005

5:00 PM

Marguerite Wyman

Livermore 2nd Grade Teacher

February 1, 1938

Marguerite Wyman is remembered by generations of her students as one of their best teachers during their Livermore Public School years. She believed the kids were there to learn and it was her responsibility to teach them before the moved on to third grade.

Born in 1901 in Benton County, Miss Wyman’s direction in life, and with her students, was derived from the sign of the times – the one-room country school that she attended through the 8th grade – no running water, no electricity, no central heat, no flush “water closets”. Instead, a water pail with a mutual dipper, kerosene lamps, wood-burning stoves, a narrow cloakroom where they hung their “wraps” on nails with their lunch buckets or sack lunch nearby, and a Sears Roebuck catalog! It was not deprivation – it was just the way it was! Teachers stoked the stove, tended the lamps and bought supplies from their meager wages. Then there were 8th grade exams given by the intimidating County Superintendent that was the right of passage into high school if successfully completed! Marguerite attended Vinton High School, taking the “normal training course”, earning a teaching certificate upon graduation at 18 years old. She then taught in country schools while also taking various college classes along the way until she earned a “lifetime teaching certificate”. She taught at Vinton, Lytton, Huxley, and Otho before coming to Livermore in 1932, at the height of the depression, to teach second grade, and stayed 32 years! She brought with her a dedication to her profession that was timeless in the classroom and beyond. Honesty, discipline, and respect were benchmarks for her students. She responded with understanding, patience and compassion. Miss Wyman retired in 1964 after having been an educator for 50 years – 24 years in the Livermore Public School and continued an additional 8 years in the merged Twin Rivers District (Livermore, Bode and Ottosen) a total of 32 years with the second grade in Livermore. Each of those students has their own individual memories! After retiring, Marguerite and a sister, Fran Dickson of Cherokee, lived together, sharing time in each of their homes in both locations. Fran preceded her in death. Marguerite’s vision failed in later years. She became a resident of a care facility in Cherokee where her death occurred on September 6, 1992. She was 91 years old. Her cremains are in the family plot in Evergreen Cemetery in Vinton, IA. Remembering her lifelong interest in youth and those communities that played a major role in her life, Livermore, Cherokee and Vinton, were among the beneficiaries of her estate. The City was notified of the bequest in April of 1993. Marguerite’s Livermore property of 6 lots could be transferred to the City of Livermore together with an unspecified cash bequest to be used for a cultural or recreational project for the benefit of its residents. After nearly 8 years of exploring many worthwhile options that included a community center, city administration/maintenance building, fire station, library improvements and technology, no consensus was reached. It was in April of 2000 that the City Council approved a plan for the development of a state-of-the-art outdoor basketball court to be located at the swimming pool park in south Livermore. The contractor was Kawel Track & Tennis of Laurens, a specialized subsidiary of Hersom Construction of Laurens. The project started in May of 2000. The court features six baskets, one regulation-length court going east-west and two courts going north-south. A post-tension concrete method was used to eliminate any cuts in the 5-inch slab of concrete. The joint-free slab is designed not to crack because of one-half inch cables that criss-cross through the concrete. The acrylic finish on the 2-color court is designed for low maintenance. The cost of the project was $43.500, a significant part of the cash bequest. The idea was advanced by citizen Steve Larson, with a group of high school athletes attending the April Council meeting, to which the Council responded favorably. The balance of the bequest was designated for a Wyman Memorial Park to be established on the Wyman property across west from City Hall. Efforts to restore one, or both, of the two houses on the property, with on-site inspection by the Iowa State University architectural department, and the advanced state of deterioration and vandalism, over the 8 year delay of any positive action, the idea was abandoned. The property was cleared of overgrowth and the two Wyman houses were razed in a controlled fire in October of 1999. The one house was Marguerite’s residence and the other was a rental for several years. The blazing remnants were the last vestige of the beloved Miss Wyman era! The location was of historic interest. In the long list of transfers of these six lots since January 15, 1882, titles to single lots changed hands multiple times during each of the years with familiar names of early settlers. Later, all six lots were sold together. The “Union” or “City” Hotel was located on these lots to accommodate train passengers. The Rock Island Depot was located south of the six lots with the railroad’s own water tower and coal bin and chute to supply steam for the train’s steam engine, but the Depot is a story of its own. Donovan Furniture was located in one of the houses before moving their furniture and mortuary business one-half block north on the east side of the street. Then came the Great Depression followed by WWII and property was lost to the County for unpaid taxes. Marguerite and her sister, Fran, acquired the six lots in 1941, 1942 and 1943 from Humboldt County by tax sale deeds. Subsequently, Fran relinquished her share and Marguerite became sole owner. Only in speculation, this property may have had special appeal to them for its close proximity to the Rock Island as their father was a Rock Island employee and the Rock Island took them to their home in Vinton. The 20 foot evergreen tree, the centerpiece of the memorial part, was planted in 2001 to replace the man-made Christmas tree that was a landmark in the intersection of Livermore’s main street for 30 years.

Development of the park was entrusted to Green Gables of West Bend in 2002. The lighted flag is of significance to the Wymans as their brother, Charles, was a veteran of WWII and lived in Livermore, with Marguerite, following his honorable discharge, until his death.

Marguerite Wyman House that was located at

502 4th Street, Livermore, Iowa

Marguerite Wyman Basket Ball Court located at

201 9th Avenue, Livermore, Iowa