Like all other things, this organization had its beginnings in a past more remote than we realize. In 1873 the territorial legislature had divided all of the area into 27 counties. To quote from THE HISTORY OF North Dakota by Elwyn Robinson:
"As soon as the Dakota Territory was organized the legislature began to pass school laws. It gradually gave the people a school system, a territorial superintendent of public instruction, county superintendents, a pattern of SCHOOL DISTRICTS and standards for the training and certification of teachers.
In 1883 Dakota Territory passed a law declaring that Township and school district areas should coincide. Many alterations took place before this was actually true. More immediate to our purpose is an action taken May 18, 1895 by the county commissioners by which Bartley School District #12 was created from that portion of the original Helena Township embraced in Township 144-60.
Evidently pupils from what became the new District # 12 had been attending the Helena School for at a meeting held in Cooperstown June 22, 1895 a motion was passed that warrants issued to Ethel Warner for $70 for two months' wages in the White School be paid by the joint districts. James G. White, Helena, Nicolai Swenson, Bartley, and Andrew Sinclair, County Superintendent were members of the committee. They also made arrangements for the division of property as follows:
All money now on hand and to hereafter come in from assessments already made to be equally divided and that Helena #3 pay warrant #110 for building and furniture for new school for which warrant has not been issued and that Bartley #12 pay warrant for removal and repair of schoolhouse on Section 8-144-60 and that Bartley keep the desk used by the treasurer and that Helena keep the desk used by the clerk.
Shortly thereafter Superintendent Andrew Sinclair sent to John B. Armstrong (probably because he was chairman of the Township Board of Bartley) the papers calling for the organization of Bartley School District # 12. Those attending the organizational meeting were Peter C. Nelson, Isaac Dobbedahl, Ole Fogerud, Nicolai Swenson, Richard Larson, August Palm, Andrew Fortney, Donald Campbell, Rasmus Larson and John B. Armstrong. Chosen as members of the first school board of Bartley were Rasmus Larson, president, August Palm, Isaac Dobbedahl, and John Armstrong, Clerk. The first known school census sent to Superintendent Andrew Sinclair in December 1898 shows that 21 boys and 20 girls over six years of age and under 20 had legal residence in the area of Bartley.
Four schools were built to serve the district. From the private diary of the school district clerk the following is taken:
"On Monday, January 22, 1900 a special school meeting was held at Dobbedahls to locate a site in the SE Division of Bartley Township # 12. Bids were received for the construction of the building and at a February 22 school board meeting the contract was let for $412. WOW! This was located on the NW corner of the NE quarter of Section 26 and was likely called the Dobbedahl School as long as the Dobbedahls lived on the land. Again a quote:
"On Tuesday, April 10, 1900, a district meeting was held to locate ~ schoolhouse in the NE Division of Bartley. A location in the center of Section 11 was selected. Votes were Yea - 17, Nay - O. Records dating back to 1895 show that School Number 1 (Palm School) was in operation and was located in the center of Section 8 and School Number 2 (Swenson School) was also in operation and located in the center of Section 29.
On May 24, 1916 a tornado destroyed three of the four Bartley School Houses. The Palm School was the only one not destroyed. A special election was held June 22, 1916 for the purpose of determining the question of consolidating the schools destroyed by the tornado or rebuilding three separate structures. Eight votes were cast for 3 separate schools and 16 for consolidation. The site chosen for the new school was the south quarter line of Section 16. Acting upon a petition signed by 25 legal voters a special election was held December 5, 1916 to determine the question of issuing bonds for $7500 for the purpose of purchasing a site and for the building and equipment of the school. The question was carried by a majority of seven votes.
Russell Wahl, Kenneth Hanson, Mrs. Joe Gruman, Swen Swenson, Treasurer and Mrs. Herbert Sonju, clerk, served on the last Board of Education in Bartley Township. The last teacher was Mrs. Glen Broten. The school was closed in 1956 and the children then attended the school in Hannaford. In 1963 a Bartley School Reunion was held at the school.
Source: Griggs County History 1879 - 1976 page 214