The bell is back.
Iola’s first school bell has been installed at the new Iola Elementary School.
A crew from McShane Bell Company in St. Louis, Mo., finished restoring the 1868 bell and installed it on a new concrete base southwest of the entrance to the new school.
The bell was moved in March from its previous location at Jefferson Elementary School, where it had sat since 1941.
The history of the bell is a little murky, but it is believed to have been installed in one of two bell towers at one of Iola’s first schools in 1868.
The restoration process allows the bell to ring again. A large wheel was added to the side; when turned, the bell will ring.
In future years, the plan is to have kindergarten students ring the bell on the first day of school.
Then, as they prepare to leave elementary school at the end of fifth grade, they’ll ring it again.
