History of Stearns County, Minnesota, Volume II, Part 101

Author: Mitchell, William Bell, 1843-
Publication date: 1915
Publisher: Chicago : H. S. Cooper
Number of Pages: 1110

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The first officers of District Number 54 were John C. Veeder, Abraham Veeder and David Cleveland. Emma Madland was the first teacher, and had her school in a building occupying the present site, but later replaced by the present structure. Eleven pupils attended. Other teachers employed in this school were Maud Mur- rell, Annabel Morris, Ethelyn Allen, Carrie Irish, Margaret Irish, Catherine Kinsella, Mabel Brown and Emma Working. Unfor- tunately the names of the remaining teachers are unknown, no records being available.

District Number 61 was organized in 1868. School was first taught in a log building which stood a short distance

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northwest of the present location. It is a singular fact that, although the present residents of the district are without a sin- gle exception of German descent, the first teacher was an Irishman and two members of the school board were of the same na- tionality. The teacher's name is unknown, but the school officers were Mr. Riley, Mr. Davis and Mr. Krieg. Another matter of interest is the marked growth in the at- tendance. Although the district is much smaller now than it was then, the enroll- ment is just six times as large, During the first year twelve pupils attended while at the present time over seventy are enrolled. Some of the teachers employed in this dis- trict were James Davis, Christian Gebhart, Benjamin Veeder, Mr. Jubel, John Eltrich, John Wimmer, Stephen Mondschein, John Marsch, Miss Riley, John A. Beck, Caspar Kramps, Anton Kramps, Frank Kramps, John Schwinghammer, John Schwegler, Jacob L. Hohmann, Anna Marschall, Mi- chael Theisen and Mary Folmer.

District Number 82 was organized in 1870 .. Joseph Miller, Adam Botz and Anton Miller were the first officers. Mrs. B. W. Veeder was the first teacher, ten pupils attending, which number exceeded the present enrollment by three. Other teach- ers employed were Mary Fuller, Della Vee- der, Agnes Kinsella, Rosalie Weisser, Ma- rie Kells, Edna Brophy, Katherine Minette, Rosalie Krebs and Katherine Bierbaum.

District Number 173, the Unity school, was organized in 1895. Herman Quade, B. W. Veeder and George Kind were the first officers. Mr. Veeder holding the office of clerk for nineteen years. Minnie Neu- mann, now Mrs. Henry Wilke of Two Riv- ers, Wisconsin, was the first teacher. She was followed by Ernestine Wehrhahn, Laura Bohne, Agnes Egan, Annie Allen, Charlotte Tracy, S. E. Reed, Annie Laugh- lin, Minnie Bohne, Olive Williams, Bessie Manwell, Margaret Macfarlane, Nellie B. Graham and Mary H. Graham.

Holding Township .- The first school in this township was taught by William Mur- phy in a log shed attached to the home of Mr. Young within the present boundaries of District Number 87. This is known as the Arban district, although Mr. Murphy taught before any organization was at- tempted. About fifteen children attended, but on account of the irregular attendance

and the poor accommodations the first term of school was not productive of great results. Mr. Murphy taught for about three months in the spring of 1870. He was followed by Sister Clara Thorpe of Wisconsin (presumably a member of the Benedictine order) who taught in the same quarters. Within a year or two a Catholic church was built, and this was for some time used for school purposes also. The district was organized March 15, 1871, but the old log church continued to be used for the school until after the ar- rival of more settlers when a log building was put up in the woods about half a mile east of the present location. This stood till 1893 when the present frame building was erected. The Hon. Henry Stoetzel, member of the Minnesota house of representatives, attended this school when a boy and later taught it for several terms. Norbert Schneider, now principal of St. Stephen's school in the township of Brockway, and for four years teacher of the Arban school, also attended here. Oth- ers who received their early training in this district and later became teachers are William Schneider, Regina Schneider, Louis Ruf, Floriam Widmann and Rose Widmann. The teachers in the order of their employment were William Murphy, Sister Clara Thorpe, J. A. Steichen, Mr. McIsaac, Wendelin Ruf, Leonard Kremer, Henry Stoetzel, Norbert Schneider, Frank Plemel, Anton Brommenschenkel, Joseph Wiechmann and Elinor Theisen. The first school officers were Henry Young, Wolf- gang Voit and William Luckeroth.

District Number 93, the village school in Holdingfold, was organized January 3, 1872. The school was first located on the southeast corner of the southwest quarter cf Section 8, about half a mile west of the village. The first school officers were Ran- dolph Holding, Harvey Morgan and Wil- liam Tuckey. These engaged Sanford A. Blood in the spring of 1872 to teach for a term of three months. Ten children at- tended, and for many years only one teacher was employed. As the village grew the attendance increased and it be- came necessary to engage an assistant. At the present time three teachers are em- ployed. The teachers following Mr. Blood were Mr. Wardville, Mary Darling, Alice Bridgeman, Erastus Morgan, Mrs. Erastus

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Morgan, P. J. McNulty, Miss Keller, Emma Murphy, Odilia Blattner, Miss Abeln, Julia Slattery, Katherine Slattery, Josephine Stein, Miss Walthmann, Miss Sjoberg, Miss Harrington, James L. Barrett, E. D. Van Vradenburg, Morgan Adams, Alois Phillips, Miss McBride and E. W. Collins. Following Mr. Collins two teachers were employed, B. J. Keppers being engaged as principal and Hannah Dauris as assistant. After five years the accommodations again became inadequate and another teacher was engaged, Vivian Murphy taking the po- sition. Upon the resignation of Miss Dau- ris, Miss Mayme Lynch took charge of the primary room, while Mathilda Hilt suc- ceeded Miss Murphy, who had declined a re-election. In 1914 Mr. Keppers, who had been principal for a number of years, ten- dered his resignation and Mary Burns suc- ceeded him as principal. During the year Miss Hilt received an appointment in the Treasury department at Washington, D. C., and her place was taken by Caroline Hartz.

District Number 88, known as the War- czecha and also as the Washington school, was organized in 1871. The first school officers were a Mr. Hall and a Mr. Collins, the name of the other member of the board being unknown. The first school- house was a log building which stood on the northeast corner of section 10. It is not known who was the first teacher, al- though it is known that he had only six children to instruct. After several years a frame schoolhouse was erected on the southeast corner of Section 3. This build- ing was destroyed by fire in 1909, and when a new one was built the site was changed to the southeast corner of the southwest quarter of Section 2. Events in this district during the forty-two years of its existence did not always run smoothly. The present well-regulated school would scarcely indicate that, many years ago, a scene was enacted which stands alone in the history of the Stearns county schools. It seems that one of the teachers in the early days, who had engaged the school with the understanding that order must be maintained, had by his strict adherence to duty incurred the enmity of a consider- able faction. He was not a very robust man, though he did have a wonderful amount of moral courage. One afternoon

a number of irate women appeared in front of the schoolhouse and clamored loudly for the teacher. The gentleman came forth, but he had no sooner set foot upon the doorstep than he was seized by the infu- riated Amazons and pinioned against the wall. A can of maple syrup was poured over his head and a feather pillow ripped open and its contents mixed with the syrup. After otherwise insulting the teacher the women returned to their homes. Fortunately for themselves none of them were recognized, else it might have gone hard with them. Only a few of the teachers who taught in this school are known. These are Edward Collins, Miss McNulty, Emma Murphy, John Welna, Louis Ruf, Frank Gaida, Alex Steward, Jo- seph Swienty, Peter Szyperski, Hilda Carl- son, Grace Burt, Rose Widmann and Frances Perlowski.

District Number 118, the Excelsior school, located in the northwestern part of the township near the Morrison county line, was organized in 1882. It has one of the largest enrollments of the county, the number of pupils attending the present year being 77, all in charge of one teacher. The first school officers were Henry Chesny, Richard Milner and Daniel Stew- art. Julia Delaney (now Mrs. Frank M. Wright, St. Cloud) was the first teacher, who instructed 45 children in a frame building occupying the present site, but since replaced by a newer structure. The teachers employed in this district were Ada Simons, Louise Brodhead, George Garreis, Patrick McNulty, Emma Jackson, Grace Stanley, Minnie Saunders, L. C. Kelley, Ella Orth, Emma Murphy, Flora Joslin, Mary Davies, Florence Newell, James L. Barrett, Addie Lawrence, Alex Stewart, Anna L. Buckley, Josephine Stein, Marilda Morgan, Erma Kiley.

District Number 116, whose schoolhouse is situated about half way between Hold- ingford and St. Anna, and which is gen- erally designated the Reinke school, was organized in 1880. Henry Sant, Carl Reinke and Christ Rayers were the first officers. Miss Sophie Hagemann of St. Cloud was the first teacher, twenty-five pupils attending. Other teachers employed were William Martin, Mr. Danzl, Christ Janski, Martin Skaj, Frank Gaida, Miss Iche, Miss Kuklenski, James L. Barret,

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Frank Waite, Maymie Zamorski and Pau- line Kulick.

District Number 174, located in the southeastern part of the township, was or- ganized in 1895. The school officers elected were John Philipsek, Charles Werner and Stanislaus Shipinske. Leonard Kremer was the first teacher. His enrollment numbered twenty-five pupils, which has since increased to fifty-eight. Other teach- ers employed were Henry Stoetzel, Lizzie De Wenter, Mary Eich, William Schneider, Louis Ruf, Margaret Kosel, Mary Heisler, Amelia Kalkmann, Cecilia Bettenburg, Margaret Murphy, Susan Rassier, Eva Carey and Agnes Kosel.

District Number 203, the Katzmarek school, was organized in 1909. The officers were Stanley Katzmarek, clerk; John Solorz, director, and Frank Dziewezinski, treasurer. Sarah Fearon, of St. Cloud, was the first teacher, sixty-four pupils attend- ing. Helen Katzmarek, now teaching in District Number 86, this county, attended this school and was its first eighth grade graduate. Miss Fearon was followed by Minnie Kaufmann, Catherine Barry and Rose Godbout.

Krain Township .- The first school in Krain was taught by Joseph Gasperlin at his residence, the term commencing Janu- ary 12, 1874. It is not known how many pupils attended. Shortly after a school- house was erected near the present loca- tion in the village of St. Anthony, across the road from the Catholic church. For many years one teacher did the work, but it was finally found necessary to engage an assistant. A fine two-room schoolhouse was built and completely equipped with all modern conveniences. The teachers em- ployed in this school were Joseph Fahn- lander, Mr. Rinker, Mr. McDonnell, Mr. Heringer, Cyrus Brock, Michael Gores, J. C. Diekmann, George Gareis, M. C. Baltes, J. A. Schritz, William Mechtenberg, Mr. Kindervater, Miss Roesch, Valentine Hen- kel, John A. Kraus, Frank Herzog, Joseph Kruchten, B. J. Herzog, Sophia Kranz, C. A. Boerger, Theresa Bauer and Lucy Spengler.

District Number 114, whose building is located on "Fluermann's Corner," was or- ganized in 1879. John Muyres was the first clerk, Joseph Moonen, treasurer, and Anton Vos, director. There is some dis-

pute as to who was the first teacher, some claiming it was William Day and others that it was Cyrus Brock. During the first term fifteen pupils attended, instruction being given in a log building situated on the northeast corner of the southwest quarter of section 23, just two miles south and east of the present site. Later the school was moved to section 15 and about twenty-three years ago the present site was acquired. The teachers employed after Mr. Day and Mr. Brock were Louis Polly, August Richter, Cornelius Walker, Joseph Herberger, Henry Meyer, Nicholas Neisen, Amonica Aschenbrenner, Con- stance Seifert, Nicholas Young, J. E. Lemm, Bernard Reiter, Leonard Vos, Bea- trice Wolf, Helena Popp, Alma Kaufmann, Michael Tschida, Wendelin Lemm and Julius Schmidt.

District Number 126, known as the Roesch school, was organized in 1884. Pe- ter Slough was the first clerk, Ezra Mc- Farland, director, and Michael Ebnet, treasurer. Emma Murphy was the first teacher, thirty children attending. The schoolhouse then stood on the southeast corner of the southwest quarter of section 24. Later it was moved to its present lo- cation, the northwest corner of the south- west quarter of section 25. The continued growth of the enrollment and the ex- tremely inconvenient location of the schoolhouse resulted in the organization of a new district. For a number of years over seventy-five pupils were enrolled, all under the care and supervision of one teacher. Emma Murphy, the first teacher, had thirty pupils enrolled. She was fol- lowed by Adam Keppers, George Schutz, Joseph B. Himsl (later county attorney and judge of probate for Stearns county), Henry Meyer, Lizzie Seifert, Kate Wim- mer, Kate Christen, Miss Rosenberger, Jo- seph Ehresmann, John Schwinghammer, Lizzie Alsheimer, Veronica Rieland, Aure- lia Theisen, Celia Hammerl, Margaret Roesch, Anton Brommenschenkel, Mathilda Schillo, Anton Theisen, Ursula Dreis and Isabel Krebs.

District Number 160, the Rooney school, was organized in 1890. Joseph Lehner was the first clerk, Fred Geise, director, and Anton Timmer, treasurer. Anna Christen was the first teacher, being followed by Josephine Wimmer, Joseph Lemm, John

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Lauermann, Anton C. Seifert, Mary Jack- ale, John Kraus, Michael George, Joseph Sauer, Michael Tschida, Wendelin Lemm, Mathilda Wimmer, Anna Eschpeter.

District Number 177, known as the Pleasant View school, was organized in 1897. The first officers were Louis Law- .

rence, William Schindler and Henry Schmidt. Anna Stein was the first teacher. The enrollment numbered eighty- four pupils, which number has steadily de- creased since the district was organized. Other teachers employed were Josephine Stein, Carrie Gumper, Mary Roesch, Lil- lian Schauble, John Winkler, Mary McAr- thur, Magdalen Burns, Magdalen Eschpe- ter, Rose Schmidt, Hattie Haselkamp, Mathilda Hilt, Mary Zierten and Josephine M. Tilley.

District Number 202, known as the Lange school, was organized in 1909. Frank Lange, Frank Herbes and Henry Lange were the first officers. Lucy Spengler was the first teacher. She was followed by Anna Gerding, after which she was re- employed for another year, to be succeeded by Frances Berger.

District Number 206, known as the Lake- view school, was organized in 1914. The organization was effected after much trou- ble, an appeal to the district court having been taken from the order of the county commissioners establishing the district. A fine modern schoolhouse was erected at a cost of over $3,000, including the equip- ment, which is complete in every respect. The first school officers were John F. Heinz, Ferdinand Lang and Lyman Lysher. Rose Preice, of St. Cloud, was the first teacher.

Le Sauk Township .- There is consid- erable divergence of opinion concerning the early school history of this township. It is stoutly maintained by some that the first school was taught by a Mr. Hodgden in the government blacksmith shop at the Winnebago Agency, the exact time being unknown, while others claim that Sarah Becker was the first teacher and that the room placed at her disposal was in the second story of the home of Mr. Hodgden. In either event it was a private venture.

District Number 5, the Sartell village school, was organized in 1864, Frank Arn- old and William Connell being two of the first board members .. The schoolhouse was

a log building placed near the ravine on the bank of the Mississippi river, about one and one-half miles south of the pres- ent village of Sartell. This structure was destroyed by fire, whereupon a frame building was erected at the extreme south end of the village. In the summer of 1907 a fine two-story schoolhouse was erected in the center of the village. Some of the teachers employed were Mabel V. Stokes, F. A. Gordon, F. L. Brockway, Eva Grimes, Verna Carrington, Theresia Cassidy, Re- gina Eldred, George A. Selke, D. A. Podall, Fay Wood, George Chapman, Mary T. Fla- herty, Davis Elliott, Mary Burns and Susan M. Barthelemy. The assistants were Lois Gordon, Viola E. Cousin, Alice Cass and Mildred Sartell.

District Number 13 was organized in 1863. School was first taught in a log building occupying the present site. This building was later destroyed by fire, where- upon a frame structure was erected. This served the district until 1911, when a fine modern one-room schoolhouse was built. The first school officers were Adam Len- ger, Peter Ferschweiler, and Peter Sand. Henry Duerr was the first teacher. He was followed by J. Doerner, Nicholas Hoff- mann, Math Trauthen, Nancy Waite, Theo- dore Muellermeister, Stephen Martinic, J. Rebmann, Th. W. Richter, August Richter and Anna Zimmer. Then for a number of years Sisters of the Order of St. Benedict taught in this district. They were fol- lowed by Dominik Galama, John Galama, Mary Kosel, Simon Meyer, Mathilda Wim- mer and Rose Schmidt. John Ferschweiler, nephew of one of the first county commis- sioners, was treasurer of this district for thirty-nine years, unquestionably the long- est uninterrupted term in the entire county.

District Number 6, comprising the north- ern half of the township of Le Sauk, was organized in 1861, but unfortunately nei- ther records nor tradition reaches further back than 1890. Kitty O'Brien taught the school in that year, twelve children attend- ing. The largest enrollment was reached in 1912, when thirty-two children attended. The teachers following Miss O'Brien were Eleanor Cramb, Burleigh Van Etten, Grace Stiens, Lee Campbell, Annie Peterson, Agnes Holm, Edna Gilette, James L. Bar- rett, Grace Lambert, George Lindsay, Bir-

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dena Eldred, Jennie Smart, Nora Sartell, Rose Parent, Mae Gregory, Meliss Rowe, Jennie Smart, Effie Bull, Alma Gordon, Margaret Smith and Jessie Greenhalgh.

Lake George Township .- Number 62 was the first district organized in the town- ship of Lake George. It was established June 8, 1869, and the organization was completed by the election of Mathias Eis, Bernard Stalberger and Andrew Stalberger, The first teacher was Katy Mary Frank. She was followed by Katherine Meagher, S. P. Schaefer, Michael Waltz, Thomas Collins, William Broker, John Mersch, P. H. Schomer, F. E. Minette, Peter J. Se- berger (for twenty-seven years principal of the Franklin school in the city of St. Cloud, and the present mayor of that city), M. S. Weyrens, F. Kramps, J. Kramps, George Haupt, Michael Gans, J. J. Nieren- garten, A. C. Seifert, Stephen Zenner, Anna Molitor, F. Sauer, Jacob Jacobs, Ben Eves- lage, Rose Sandbrink, Clara Sandbrink and Lena Pletschett.

District Number 128, in the northwest- ern part of the township, was organized in 1885. G. Quill was elected clerk, Reier Thostenson, treasurer, and W. B. Whitney, director. Nellie Whitney was the first teacher, in the present building, which oc- cupied the present site. Thirty pupils at- tended. The Rev. John Quill, the Rev. Martin Quill and the Rev. R. K. Palmer at- tended this school in their boyhood. Other teachers employed were A. H. Hendrick- son, Julia Nelson, Nora Emerson, Josie Emerson, C. C. Gieri, Effie Stauffer, C. C. Juul, T. E. Lynch, Agnes Hannen, Hilda C. Nelson, Frances Spieker and Marguerite Hines.

District Number 127 was organized the same day with District Number 128. Mathew Cowlthorp, John Cowlthorp and Michael Weller were elected officers. Clara Decker was the first teacher. The school- house occupied the present site, but was replaced by a new structure. The teach- ers who followed Miss Decker were Alice Galusha, Myra E. Barnard, John W. Kramps, A. J. Schwinghammer, Valentine Haehn, Carl Rettenmaier, Katie Berg, J. E. Lemm, Joseph Dufner, Joseph Molitor, Joseph Fahnhorst, Edward Linster and Aloysius Schmitz.

District Number 156, the Elrosa school, was organized in 1890. The first school

officers were Joseph Breitbach, Nicholas Kuefler and Gregor Adrian. School was first taught in a frame building situated half a mile east of the present location. A modern one-room school building was erected in 1909. The teachers employed in this district were Nicholas Rausch, John Kalthof, Nicholas Thomey (the present county auditor), Arnold Bertram, Barney Eshpeter, Leo Bauer, A. C. Seifert, Joseph Sauer, Andrew Bauer, Mary Zapp, Mayme Pallansch, Anna Sandbrink and Edward Schmidt. Several state fair prizes were awarded this school in 1914.

District Number 166 was organized in 1893, John Bleason, Clemens Althof and Frank R. Schmidt being the first officers. Of these Mr. Schmidt still holds his office. The greater part of this district lies in Crow River township, but the schoolhouse stands just across the line in the township of Lake George. The first teacher was A. F. Kramps, twenty-four pupils attending. Mr. Kramps was followed by his brother, J. W. Kramps, after whom came Josephine Sondermann (now Mrs. Christ Borgerding of Belgrade), A. J. Kruse, Joseph Krebs- bach, Gussie B. Wolf, A. C. Seifert, Jose- phine Reuter, Mary Molitor, Wilhelmine Halter, Anna Schultenover and Martin Kaufmann.

Lake Henry Township .- District Num- ber 24, the Barchenger school, was the first organized in this township, having been established by the county board in 1869. Nicholas Longen, Mathias Gross and Xavier Popping were the first school offi- cers. Frederick Rupp was the first teacher, about twenty pupils attending. The chil- dren came from all parts of the township and also from the township of Spring Hill. From 1870 to 1887 the schoolhouse was located on the southwest corner of section 9, but in that year the building was moved two miles further west to its present loca- tion. The other teachers employed in this district were Rudolph Ureck, Frank J. Weisser (now city clerk of Melrose, this county), John Mersch, P. M. Schomer, H. Laubenthal, Conrad Marschall, Nicholas Hemmisch, Peter Kuhl, Jacob L. Hohmann, Mathias Weyrens, Ignatz Zeltinger, John Lang, Lawrence Iten, Benedict Kruchten, Frank Sauer, Frances Spieker, Nicholas Schmitz, Andrew Bauer, Anna Marschall, and Leonard Kolbet. The school is

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equipped for the special state aid and the district provides a cottage for the use of the teacher.

District Number 131, the school in the village of Lake Henry, was organized in 1886 .. John Jaeger was the first director, Ernest Mueller, treasurer, and Nicholas Zirbes, clerk. The first teachers were Sis- ters of the Order of St. Benedict, and these have had charge of the school ever since. Instruction was first given in a small building on the west side of the road, near the church; but in 1908 a new two- room school building was erected.

District Number 115, known as the Neutzling school, was organized in 1880 with Marcus Komis, clerk; Henry Anders, director, and Jacob Neutzling, treasurer. Jacob Krantz was the first teacher, his pu- pils numbering eight. Other teachers were Miss Anderson, Joseph Haege, W. Smith, Frank Rieland, John B. Glass, Peter Wey- rens, Clemens Kost, John Mainzer, Thomas Reuther, Richard Boehm, James Butkow- ski, Charles Lake, Hubert Kuefler, Anna Schultenover, Victoria Glatzmaier and Henry Moser. Several state fair prizes were awarded pupils of this school in 1914.

District Number 196, known as the Gru- ber or the Crow Valley school, was or- ganized in 1901. Math Lieser was elected clerk, John Fuchs, treasurer, and Joseph Gardner, director. Anna Reiter was the first teacher. Her successors were Regina Baker, Peter Ahles, Leo Neutzling, W. Lemm, Mrs. J. Kienast, James Butkowski, Anton Theisen and Anna Moser.

Luxemburg Township .- The first school in this township was taught in District Number 64, known locally as the Koch district. The schoolhouse, in the early days, stood about one and a half miles north of the present location, on the south- west quarter of section 2. The first school officers were Nicholas Post, John Grange- net and Nicholas Ellenbecker. Lizzie Wol- ter was the first teacher, and after her the following were employed: John Fisch- bach, Nicholas Schmit, Jacob Lemm, F. El- lenbecker, Theodore Bauler, John Schen- enz, John Steichen, Math Weiler, M. G. Meyer, August Bechter, Michael Loesch, Peter Henricy, B. M. Greisen, Nicholas K. Stein (seventeen years), A. C. Seifert, Anna Schomer, Margaret P. Weber, Lucy Spengler and Anton Theisen.

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History of Stearns County, Minnesota, Volume II, Part 101

Author: Mitchell, William Bell, 1843- Publication date: 1915 Publisher: Chicago : H. S. Cooper Number of Pages: 1110

Author: Mitchell, William Bell, 1843-
Publication date: 1915
Publisher: Chicago : H. S. Cooper
Number of Pages: 1110