USA > Minnesota > Douglas County > History of Douglas and Grant counties, Minnesota : their people, industries, and institutions, Volume I > Part 21
USA > Minnesota > Grant County > History of Douglas and Grant counties, Minnesota : their people, industries, and institutions, Volume I > Part 21
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Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47
With the rapid development of the automobile as a means of rapid and convenient transportation, local travel throughout this part of Minne- sota, as well as all over the country, has been practically revolutionized. Since the farmers have found that an automobile is one of the best invest- ments that can be made on a farm, there are few well-equipped farm plants in the county that have not an automobile now, the farm thus being brought within easy distance of the market, and in consequence the growing cry for better roads have resulted in much more systematic attention to the con- struction and maintenance of highways. The many attractive lakes through- out the county bring thousands of tourists into Douglas county during the summer season and most of these come in by automobile, the license plates of widely remote states being noted among these touring cars, covering a range from Oregon to Florida and from New York to Texas.
County road No. I, the St. Cloud and Breckenridge, or Ft. Abercrombie road, already referred to, was surveyed in 1858 and 1859 by Theodore H. Barrett and opened up in part during the year 1859. In 1869 this road
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was resurveyed as far as the village of Alexandria by the then county sur- veyor, Henry Blackwell.
County Road No. 2, the Osakis Townsite and Ottertail Lake road, was surveyed by W. Adley in 1866.
County road No. 3, the Lake George and Ottertail lake road, was sur- veyed in 1869 by Charles Tengwall.
County road No. 4, the St. Paul & Pacific railroad and Ft. Ripley . road, was surveyed by Henry Blackwell in 1869.
CHAPTER XI.
EDUCATIONAL INTERESTS.
The development of the schools of Douglas county from the days of the little log school house in the wilderness to the present highly organized and effective high-school system with a course as good as that offered by the colleges in that earlier day is one of the wonders of modern social progress. So gradual has this development been, however, that those of the present generation of pupils are hardly sensible of the wonderful advance- ment that has been made along that line, accepting, as a matter of course, advantages in the way of schooling that hardly could have been dreamed of by the pioneers who cleared the way in this region a couple of generations ago.
There was little time lost, after the settlers began to make over the wilds hereabout, in getting schools established and very soon after a set- tlement was found to possess a sufficient number of children to warrant the effort, the district school came into being; districts being organized in accordance with the effective Minnesota system until there finally came to be one hundred and two school districts in the county, all of which now are doing effective work. In many instances at first these little district schools, by reason of the natural and inevitable limitations of the circumstances and surroundings, were but crude affairs, indeed; but they served their purpose in their own day and generation and the torch of learning was bravely held aloft in the wilderness. By the time of the early seventies, when the settle- ment of the county was rapidly progressing, there had come to be excel- lent schools in all the considerable settlements and villages, while even in the remoter districts there had come to be a well-organized system with respect to the schools, no neighborhood being without a fitting place of schooling for the youth of the same. The wonderful impetus given to the cause of education throughout this state generally by Minnesota's wonderful educa- tional system was felt from the very beginning throughout Douglas county and the gradual development of the schools of the county, as a result thereof, has been a matter of course, the high-minded men and women who took the lead in school matters, as well as in the general social matters of this community in an early day, having built very wisely and very well a founda-
First School House. alexandria Min
THE J. A. JAMES CABIN, ON THE WEST SHORE OF LAKE AGNES, WHERE THE FIRST SCHOOL IN ALEXANDRIA IS SAID TO HAVE BEEN TAUGHT BY MISS JANVIER IN 1861.
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tion upon which today rests the county's excellent school system, one of the most effectively organized in this part of the state.
THE COUNTY'S SCHOOL SYSTEM EPITOMIZED.
Included in the one hundred and two districts which comprise the sys- tem of public schools in Douglas county are two high schools, one at Alex- andria and one at Osakis; two graded schools, each doing two years of high-school work and a course in manual training, at Evansville and Bran- don; nine semi-graded schools and eighty-nine rural schools, with free uni- form text books throughout the county, except in one district. Every school has a library. All rural schools except three receive state aid, and nearly all teachers have had special normal training. Five districts are known as consolidated districts and transport pupils living more than two miles from school, these districts being those at Alexandria, Osakis, Melby, Mil- tona and Nelson. Graduation exercises for the rural schools are held annually at the county seat, the class of 1916 numbering fifty-four, and graduates from the graded and rural schools are admitted to the high schools. Industrial education along the lines of agriculture, sewing and cooking, is successfully taught in the graded and rural schools and an annual county industrial contest is held in connection with the county fair, where the work and products of these schools are exhibited, there being large enrollments in the corn, potato, pig and bread contests.
The high school at Alexandria was one of the first ten high schools in the state to introduce the teaching of agriculture, and the district now maintains a ten-acre farm for the use of the pupils in both the grade school and in the high school. The Alexandria high school also maintains special departments, for which state aid is provided, such as agriculture, manual training, domestic science and art, commercial and normal training, and music also is taught. The high school at Osakis, though not numbering so many pupils, has the same departments and is doing excellent work, as are the graded and semi-graded schools in the county. The system of super- vision of the schools compels a high standard of competency oin the part of the teaching corps and Douglas county boasts of a highly trained and very competent force of teacher's, practically all of whom hold first-grade certificates. With the improvement in the curriculum and in the methods of teaching in recent years there also has come a wonderful improvement in the manner of construction of school houses, all the newer school build- ings in the county being built along modern lines with respect to sanitation
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and for the better comfort of the pupils, every effort being made to render the school as attractive a spot as possible, bringing it more and more in harmony with the home and at the same time developing it as a social center of large influence throughout the entire district.
ALEXANDRIA CITY SCHOOLS.
In connection with the ceremonies incident to the dedication of the present magnificent high-school building at Alexandria in the spring of 1916, a brief sketch of the history of the Alexandria schools was read by R. C. Bondurant, of the Alexandria Post-News, who, as pupil, teacher, patron or school officer of the Alexandria schools, had enjoyed exceptional oppor- tunities for observation of the gradual development of the same. In opening his review. Mr. Bondurant pointed out that it had been a difficult task to trace the earliest history of the school district. Old records, if any, had been .destroyed, but, fortunately, his access to the early files of the old Alexandria Post and correspondence with friends of the early days had enabled him to prepare what is regarded locally as the most accurate history of the schools of the county seat of Douglas county that has ever been compiled.
The first school in the district was taught, probably, by Miss Janvier in. 1861, in a little log cabin, the home of J. A. James, near where Major von Baumbach's residence now stands on the west side of Lake Agnes. It is claimed that Miss Olive Darling also taught in that building in 1865. The next school was taught in the old stockade, a small log building being used to accommodate the few pupils who attended. It seems that three women taught in the stockade, Mrs. Haynes probably having been the first. Miss Kate Platt, who later became Mrs. W. H. Cowing, was the second, and Miss Wright, of St. Cloud, also taught there. The first school up town was taught in the winter of 1867-68 by Miss Anna Worthington, the school room having been on the second floor of the old court-house building, which in later years was occupied by N. P. Ward as a grocery store. Miss Worthington also taught during the following winter and in the winter of 1860-70 there seem to have been two or three teachers, who met with indiffer- ent success, the first having been a man of the name of Williams, whose reign was short. Just who followed Williams is not recalled. It is prob- able, however, that the third teacher of that winter was Miss Hannah Ben- nett, daughter of a Methodist preacher. During the summer of 1870 a short term was taught by Miss Mary Amelia Pye, in an old frame build-
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ing which stood where the middle portion of the building of the Alexandria Hardware and Lumber Company now stands.
About that time a change for the better came in the affairs of the Alexandria school. In July or August of 1869 the first site for a school house was purchased. A half block of land, a part of the present school site, was acquired and has since remained the property of district No. 2. The old Alc.randria Post records the fact that on Saturday, March 26, 1870, a school meeting was held for the purpose of electing school officers. Eighty votes were cast at that election and John McLeod was elected direc- tor : Smith Bloomfield, clerk, and F. B. Van Hoesen, treasurer. Mr. Bloom- field was later county superintendent and Mr. Van Hoesen was for many years a member of the school board.
In the spring of 1870 work on the first school building in Alexandria was commenced. The Alc.randria Post of November 12, 1870, says of that building : "It is 44 by 24 feet on the ground, and about 24 feet from the ground to the eaves. The pitch of the roof is one-third. The frame is of oak. The studding, 2 by 5; the joists, 2 by 8. It is filled with grout to the top of plate of first story. The sheeting, flooring and lining are of basswood-the siding also, and carefully dressed. There is a porch in front, nine feet wide-six feet projection and eight feet posts, the roof, pitch and cornice correspond with the main building. There is a hall-way, or vesti- bule, in the lower story, formed by running a partition across the building eight feet from the entrance. This leaves a lower room 35 by 22 feet ten inches, and 10 feet 6 in the clear. This room is ceiled with matched pine flooring three feet from the ground. It is lighted by six twelve-lighted windows, size of glass, 10 by 8. The vestibule is lighted by two windows of same description. The upper room is 43 feet by 22 feet 10 inches, of same height as the lower room, and is lighted by eleven windows. Of these, there is a central front, sixteen-lighted, with a circle head; two front side windows, twelve-lighted, size of glass, 10 by 16, and four on either side of same descrip- tion.
The Post of the same date says of the teacher who taught the first term of school in the new building: "Miss M. Frank Reynolds, a graduate of the Winona Normal School and a teacher of experience and ability, has been ap- pointed to the charge of the school during the winter term. School will com- mence on Monday morning next, 15th instant, at 81/2 o'clock." The follow- ing from the same issue of the Post should be of interest. "With such a building to instruct in, and with a teacher who is entitled to our confidence, let us help the excellent cause by showing our interest in the work of educa-
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tion and by that co-operation and assistance in the households, without which the efforts of the best of teachers will meet with very partial success." This lady was the daughter of Judge Reuben Reynolds and a sister of George H. Reynolds, one-time attorneys of Alexandria.
About 1872 the second floor of the new building was furnished as a school room and two teachers were employed. A Mr. Willis was hired as principal and Miss Kate McClellan taught the primary pupils. These two teachers remained until the school closed in the spring of 1873. From that time on there is a complete list of principals and superintendents, which will be given later. In the summer of 1876 a "twin" building to the first one was erected about one hundred feet to the east. That fall one room in the new building was used. In 1878 the second floor of the new building was finished and four teachers were employed, Miss Mary Gunderson (Mrs. F. B. Van Housen) being the principal. About 1882 the schools became so crowded that one of the rooms in the old building was divided into two rooms. Also about that time the Norwegian Lutheran church was rented and used as a school room, this making the employment of six teachers necessary. In the summer of 1883, what is now known as the old high school building was erected, John Aiton having the contract. Just the two floors of this latter building were used for school purposes, they being considered ample for some time. The school grew faster than the town, however, and in 1888, the Ward school was opened and continued for several years, during the later years with two teachers. After being closed for some time, that building was reopened in 1910 with one teacher. About that time two routes for trans- porting pupils were established, one north and one to the west. In 1911 the district came under the consolidation act, and the Ward building was closed and three other routes established. The Washington building had been thought large enough to accommodate the schools for years, but in the course of a short time they were again crowded and during the summer of 1908 the old high school building was remodeled, rooms being furnished in the attic and in the basement, these rooms being added to later until four floors of the building were crowded.
In 1887, during the superintendency of Mr. Gaines, the school was put in the high-school class. When the Putnam act went into effect in 1909 a complete industrial course was added. Sewing and manual training had been taught during the two years previous and in 1909 the normal and commer- cial courses were added. In the fall of 1914 the normal department was crowded out of the school building and quarters were secured in the court house. That fall the school board began agitation in favor of a new and modern high school building; bonds were voted on, February 8, 1915, and
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the contract was let to the National Contracting Company on June 4, 1915, forty-five years from the time the first school building in Alexandria was erected. One of the interesting features of Mr. Bondurant's sketch is a list of teachers who were at the head of the school from the time of its beginning in the little log cabin on the Baumbach hill. It may be that the order in which the first three or four teachers is given is not wholly accurate, as the memory of early settlers had to be depended on for the list and dates and these individual recollections do not all agree.
Miss Janvier seems to have been the first, teaching in 1861. She was a sister-in-law of George Kinkaid, one of the townsite proprietors. Whether Olive Darling or Mrs. Haynes is the next in order, is a question, Miss Darl- ing probably having the honor. Then came Miss Platt and Miss Wright, Mrs. Haynes, Miss Platt and Miss Wright having taught in the stockade. Then came Miss Anna Worthington and a man named Williams, and it is thought that Miss Hannah Bennett taught a short term, followed by Miss Pye. The first school building then was occupied, Miss M. Frank Reynolds having been the first teacher in the same. The heads of the school since that time have been as follow: Mr. Willis, in the fall of 1872, with Miss Kate McClellan as primary teacher ; J. H. Dunn, in the fall of 1873, Miss Mary Alden as primary teacher; A. H. Graham, who came in the fall of 1875 and taught during the following winter and until his death in the fall of 1876, W. H. Sanders finishing the winter term and J. H. Dunn returning to con- duct the spring term of 1877, after which C. A. Carson taught until Christ- mas, 1877, when W. H. Sanders again took charge; Miss Mary Gunderson, in the winter of 1878-79; C. E. Norton, beginning the term of 1879, to be succeeded by J. W. Chaney, who finished the same ; C. J. Gunderson, term of 1880-81; Joel N. Childs, 1881, remaining two years, during which time the school increased to six rooms, H. H. Kingsley and C. L. Greenough follow- ing, each remaining one year ; A. D. Gaines, fall of 1885, remaining five years, a period of progress for the school; J. H. Manchester, one year, succeeded by J. E. Phillips, who remained three years, after which followed John Cranston, C. F. W. Carlson and W. P. Dyer, under the latter of whom the industrial and normal departments were added; C. S. Yeager, 1910-II, fol- lowed by J. B. Hagen, who remained two years, at the end of which time he was succeeded by F. M. Yockey, the present superintendent.
CLERKS OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS.
The clerks of the school districts in Douglas county for the current year (1916) are as follow: No I, J. P. Olson, Osakis; 2,.A. A. Urness, Alex-
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andria : 3, Sylvester Chase, Forada: 4. Emil Gulbranson, Farwell; 5, J. O. Brandon, Kensington: 6, Henry A. Dau, Alexandria ; 7. Aug. J. Mechels, Alexandria ; A. Alfred Foslien, Garfield; 9, Fred Sweet, Alexandria; 10, Otto T. Olson, Nelson; II, A. A. Rooney, Osakis; 12, Mary A. Pollard, Osakis; 13. Reinhold Roth, Alexandria : 14, Chas. Danek, Lowry: 15, Emil E. Gahlon, Nelson; 16, Albert Covel, Alexandria; 17, John A. Norgren, Garfield: 18, Peter Cassell, Alexandria: 19, Frank Radil, Alexandria; 20, WV. R. Guiles, Farwell; 21, Chas. Robertson, Osakis ; 23, Walter C. Havens, Garfield; 24, T. J. Barros, Alexandria ; 25, Eug. Korkowski, Brandon; 26, Alfred Strand Evansville; 27, Ole J. Holm, Kensington ; 28, John Kelly, Garfield: 29, E. O. Steen, Farwell; 30, E. H. Boerner, Alexandria; 31, C. WV. Meckstroth, Brandon; 32, Edward Erickson, Evansville: 33, M. G. Dockham, Osakis; 34, Frank Buscher, Brandon; 35, T. O. Bakken, Evans- ville: 36, R. J. Vickerman, Alexandria; 37, John Hopfner, Brandon; 38, Albert J. Flor, Ashby ; 39, Peter Beheng, Carlos; 40, Martin Dahlberg, Nel- son; 41, Thos. Collins, Osakis; 42, C. O. Colmark, Kensington; 43, Peter Faber, Parkers Prairie; 44, John Feigum, Brandon: 45, John P. Edman, Kensington : 46, John Eggleston, Parkers Prairie; 47, S. M. Carlson, Alex- andria : 48. John H. Strom, Brandon; 49, Nels Christopherson, Hoffman; 50, Joseph Schlecter, Alexandria : 51, John Sundquist, Eagle Bend; 52, N. D. Anderson, Evansville; 53, Geo. Freudenberg, Parkers Prairie: Ole O. Lea, Brandon: 55, Nels A. Johnson, Carlos; 56, J. M. Prazak, Evansville; 57. H. A. Pries, Evansville; 58, Edwin Johnson, Melby; 59, Chas. Miller, Garfield: 60, Emil Johnson, Alexandria; 61, Chas. G. Olson, Garfield; 62, P. L. Blank, Carlos; 63, John Johnsrud, Kensington; 64, Frank Pexsa, Carlos: 65, Albert Engstrand, Carlos: 66, Frans Anderson, Carlos; 67, Phoebe Withers, Osakis; 68, C. J. Christopherson, Alexandria; 69, Swan Anderson, Alexandria; 70, Henry Oberg, Brandon; 71, N. M. Anderson, Hoffman: 72, C. A. Beckman, Evansville: 73, Roy Downing, Parkers Prai- rie : 74, C. A. Anderson, Alexandria ; 75, Chas. Braunscheveig, Alexandria ; 76, Frank Schwartz, Evansville: 77, C. J. Lindstrom, Alexandria ; 78, Elling Ellingson, Hoffman : 79. A. S. Peterson, Farwell: 80, Emil J. Wahlstrom, Kensington: 81, Theo. Johnson, Kensington; 82, Henry Olson, Brandon; 83, J. H. Kapphahn, Osakis: 84, H. J. Marthaler, Osakis: 85. William Bosman, Osakis; 86, G. E. Willett, Osakis; 87, N. H. Strand, Evansville; 88, Henry Eggen, Garfield: 89, A. G. Olson, Evansville: 90, L. O. Larson, Evansville: 91, R. L. Smith, Villard; 92, M. Clark, Carlos; 93, A. L. Chapman, Alexandria ; 94, John Tvrdik, Alexandria; 95 J. J. Sursely, Car-
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los ; 96, Frank Freske, Vining: 97, Albert Roth, Villard; 98, Peter Streed, Carlos; 99, F. L. Berglin, Garfield; 100, Henry Kloehn, Garfield; 102, R. A. Johnson, Melby; 103, Chas, F. Schelin, Nelson; 104, Aaron Edman, Evansville.
TEACHERS OF DOUGLAS COUNTY.
The teachers in these several districts for the term 1916-17 were as follow: No. 1, Superintendent E. N. Hamilton; 2, Superintendent F. M. Yockey: 3, Elvira Flint : 4, Fanny Lehto; 5, Jennie Halverson; 6, Hattie Werline: 7. Susan Thirmesch; 8, Eunice Landa; 9, Tessie McIlravie; 10, Lydia Johnson: 11, Anna V. Donahue; 13, Mathilda Renner; 14. Sigrid Johnson: 15, Minetta Sweet; 16, Myrtle Parmeter; 17, Signe Peterson, principal, Ellen Sangstead; 18, Hilda Bostrom: 19, Meda Drussell; 20, Peter Nordby, Myrtle Weatherwax; 21, Martha Olson; 23, Clifford Lar- son : 24, Nora G. Viker: 25, Mary V. Schirber: 26, Alma Moen; 27, Rose Knutson, Minnie Stenberg; 28, Cathyrn Augustine; 29, Frankie Nelson; 30, Minnie I. Johnson; 31, Mr. Hawley, principal, Jennie Beckman, Clara Nelson, Esther Erickson; 32, Minnie Johnson; 33, Bessie Lowry; 34, Mar- garet E. Lawler; 35, Mary Norem; 36, Grace Franklin; 37, Lillian Erick- son : 38, Clara Tweeten; 39, Mary Palmer; 40, Rose Nelson; 41, Emma Feda; 42, Grace Bondurant, principal, Lillian Johnson, Alphild Lund: 44, Jennie Barsness; 45, Ernest Olson, principal, Amelia Nelson; 46, Anna Owen; 47, Nettie McFarlane; 48, Isabelle Angus; 49, Constance Erickson; 50, Anna G. Olson; 51, Hazel Johnson; 52, Elizabeth Swenson : 53, Cecelia Donahue, Christine Ekman: 54, Elvera Johnson: 55, Jacob Bixby, principal, Freda Dahlstrom: 56, Mamie Tamble: 57, Herman Steubner, principal; 58, Alma Gradin; 59, Edith Anderson; 60; Olive Olson; 61, Victor Ostlund, principal, Mrs. Nelson; 62, Margaret Julig; 63, Louise Tax; 64, Amelia Feda; 65, Ellen L. Hedin; 66, Hannah Clark; 67, Esther Lee; 68, Myrtle Olson ; 69, Agnes Dahlstrom; 70, Mary Jacobson; 71, Petra Reckadahl; 72, Teckla Anderson; 73, Carrie Smith; 74, Ellen Anderson: 75, Alice Modahl: 76, Ruth Werner; 77, Clara Larson; 78, Alma Westerberg: 80, Nettie Maroney; 81, Jennie Larson; 82, Edna Sweet; 83, Mabel Brink- man; 85. Helen Schmid; 86, Frances Blakeslee; 87, Bertha Norem; 88, Helga Knutson ; 89, Olga Anderson; 90, Clara Olson; 92, Margaret Tay- lor ; 93, Edna M. Anderson . 94, Ino Cowing; 97, Mabel Palmer ; 98, Myrtle Benn, principal, Mrs. Bessie Swetland: 99, Edith Hanson; 100, Elvera Engstrom, principal; 102, George Hanson, principal, Cecil Rinehart; 103: Ralph Borman, principal.
CHAPTER XII.
CHURCHES OF DOUGLAS COUNTY.
No definite history of the earliest religious services held in the beautiful lake region now comprised within the boundaries of Douglas county is avail- able, but it is known, as a matter of tradition, that unorganized services were held from time to time in the groves or in the humble homes of the earliest settlers by itinerant preachers long before there was any definite church organ- ยท ization in the county, Congregationalist services having been held in the Gregory cabin as early as 1859. Though not the first church to file its articles of incorporation, it is pretty clearly established that the Congregational church at Alexandria was the first formal church organization in the county; having been organized in December, 1867, though the claim is made that the church erected by the Methodists at Alexandria was the first church building erected in that city. That was in the fall of 1868 and the church stood just west of the present church building, near where the parsonage now stands, adjoining the church, which stands on the northwest corner of Sixth avenue and F street, just one square west of the business center of the city. With char- acteristic liberality the Methodists permitted the use of their church build- ing to other denominations which soon sought to effect organizations in Alexandria and the old church thus was the point of beginning for several others of the churches of Alexandria. None of the charter members of the Methodist church is still living and no full records of the early days of Methodism thereabout are now available, such information as the present congregation has regarding the early days having come from the recollec- tions of the late John Bondurant, a pioneer of the church, a record of whose narratives were carefully penned by the Rev. J. M. Brown, during the time of the latter's pastorate at Alexandria, 1895-1900.
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