who is still living is Willis Stirk. His birthday is March 2, 1871. He was born on the family homestead three miles east of Battle Creek. He now resides about a mile east of Norfolk.

The above mentioned school building was later moved to Battle Creek and was located near the present site of the Charity Cox home, across the street from the present public school ground where it served as the first school in Battle Creek. The teacher in the original location was Sarah Cook. After the building was moved into the new townsite, the first teacher was A. C. Wilburger. The district then comprised all of Battle Creek Precinct, south half of Valley Precinct, part of Deer Creek Precinct, and great sections of Highland. Other early day teachers were Mrs. Tom Dugher, Lizzie Brecheisen, who is still living and is a patient in a Norfolk Rest Home. She reached her 102nd birthday on December 24, 1966. John Zohner, Sr., was one of the first students. H. H. Kilborn, at one time Battle Creek's leading legal light, was also a teacher in this school. The old building served as a school until 1884 when the new brick building was erected a block to the north. This was part of the building that was torn down in 1963. The part to the east which was also torn down at that time, was erected in 1913. The old frame building was then bought by F. J. Hale who moved it to the corner lot east of what is now Pete's Cafe. Here, for many years, it was the Maxwell Opera House and later Charlie Martin's Grocery Store. The old building was sold for taxes during the 1950's and was bought by William Werner and Henry Klein for the material that they hoped to salvage. When they took off the siding, they soon found very few usable 2x4's in the walls. There were too many windows. They did not know that they were buying the old school building erected south of Battle Creek about eighty years before!

The original townsite of Battle Creek as it now stands was as follows: A survey was made June 13, 1873, certified by J. D. Hoover, that he on that date "did" accurately survey and cause to be marked with proper mounds and posts the streets and alleys, lots and blocks in all that portion of the town of Battle Creek, that part within the NW1/4 of Section 6, Township 23, Range 2, Madison County, Nebraska, etc. Twenty-five blocks, each with eight lots 66x124, streets and alleys were laid out."

The incorporators were Patrick J. O'Neill, John F. Tiedgen, Herman Hogrefe, and F. J. Hales "to the town of Battle Creek, Nebraska." The plat was dated July 25, 1873, acknowledged before Samuel Light, Justice of the Peace for Madison County on date of March 15, 1878, and filed for record in Madison County on date of March 15, 1878, and filed for record in Madison County Court records May 6, 1878. It is not known why acknowledgment and recording was delayed for so long.

Mr. Hale moved his store into the present townsite, and he also built a residence in the town and it is the first known residence in the Village. It was situated on the lot where the Elmer Johnson's now live. Old timers of today will remember the Hale home as it was torn down in the 1940's.

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