Country schools were important in the growth and development of North Dakota. While most of the early schools were constructed of wood, some were constructed of stone, sod, or logs. Standardization was established by 1915, and the white framed one-room school was duplicated in every township of the state until the end of World War II. A former student described his school as a simple frame structure about 20 by 30 feet; a barn and outhouses were on the schoolgrounds; inside, the school was equipped with desks for the children and teacher, a pot-bellied stove, and a bucket of water and dipper. The number of one-room schools dramatically decreased between 1945 and 1961, from 3,043 to 817 actually in session. Although consolidation of rural schools in North Dakota was largely postponed between the World Wars, its basic thrust was established by 1918. Neil Macdonald, with 25 years' public school experience, was consolidation's foremost advocate. Recommendations made in 1912 by a newly formed Rural School Commission formed the basis of much state legislation over the next two decades. William Langer, a state's attorney, provided leadership in educational law enforcement. The one-room school and the consolidated country school served North Dakota's educational needs for decades. (Author/CM)