The townsite of Waverly, South Dakota, was surveyed by W.S. Dawly, civil engineer, and was platted by Chas. F. Hatch, trustee, Minneapolis, MN and the Waverly Townsite Company of Codington County. Macaulay Arthur, president, and Charles E. Wingate, treasurer, of the Waverly Townsite Company executed the transaction on October 31, 1884. It was witnessed by George Kirk and James F. Harkness and filed on November 5, 1884. Thus began the village as we know it today!
The town's first store was built by Harkness and he moved into town the old hotel building from his established settlement a mile and half northwest of the new town. Harkness, trainmaster from Glasgow, Scotland, along with other immigrants from Scotland and England had come to the area in 1877, settling on Section 19, building a small settlement to meet their needs. It consisted of a store, a post office, a hotel, and a school, which was later converted into a cheese factory and prospective flour mill. The stage coach line went directly through the section from Milbank to Watertown. The town site of Waverly would have perhaps been on the site had not the new rail line gone 1 1/2 miles east, which prompted Harkness to move his hotel to the new site and construct a new store as well. David and Isabella Harkness Jellis homesteaded land further north in a stone masoned home and James and Ruth Jellis raised their family of eight children in the old "store, post office home" from the original Section 19 settlement. They lived in the home until 1938. The land is still owned by Ruth Jellis, who is now 99 years of age and in relatively good health. The "old hotel" still stands on the corner of Main Street, uptown Waverly! It is the home of Rick and Theresa Riley and family.
Photo of schoolhouse in 1890
About 1890 a wooden school house was constructed on the platted school lots on the east end of First Avenue North. It was a two story building that would accommodate fifty students and the teacher. A picture taken in 1898 of pupils and the school in the background revealed over forty students from families in the community. Many of the students went only the winter months and were quite advanced in age by eighth grade graduation! Exams were taken at the end of the year and determination made as to being ready for the next grade. The old school was in session until 1921, when the present new brick building replaced it and offered high school. Population of the town was listed as 35 in the city and county directory of 1916-1917. Other businesses in the town about that era were Western Union Depot, Farmers Elevator, Melham Lumber Company, a Saloon, Railway agents and foreman, Post Office, General Store, Blacksmith, Frank Achartz Store and St. Joseph's Catholic church.
In 1920 the Waverly Consolidated School District was formed. It was in the same year that bonds were issued for $100,000 for the purpose of building the present school, superintendent's house and garage for the buses, to be completed in 1921. The first year there were 122 grade school students and 15 freshmen. Many of the early graduates will remember the five Reo buses that brought the students in from the country. The bodies were made of wood and had a 25 pupil capacity.
Photo of first Waverly schoolbus
Photo courtesy of Jean Wall
In July, 1949, over 500 persons witnessed the burning of the bonds and the District being free of indebtedness. In 1956, a Vocation-Agricultural Shop was built to the south of the school. In 1958, the District again bonded for $130,000 to build a school gymnasium auditorium. In 1960, they saw the completion and it was considered one of the community's finest achievements. In 1978, a new metal shed was erected to house the school's buses. Leading the way for donations and volunteer services to construct new lighting for the football and baseball fields just east of the school complex. The project was supported entirely by donations and implemented during a summer of severe drought.
