USA > Minnesota > Renville County > The history of Renville County, Minnesota, Volume I > Part 76
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And thus we finish, leaving the next chapter for some future historian to relate. October 5, 1915. By Ernest Olson and Wesley Thurman.
Hector Public Schools. The Heetor Iligh School is one of the finest in the state. Soon after the village was founded a school distriet was organized and the first school building. which was a frame structure, was ereeted on the northwest corner of the present school square. Although there was but one teacher at that time the school spirit had already commenced to grow. It was only five years later, 1883, that a new building became nec- essary. The first building was converted into a dwelling house and is now the residence of John Hawes. The new building was veneer and was erected where the present building now stands. It was so large that at the time there was room to spare. Three teachers were engaged. but the spirit grew so rapidly that it was necessary to build additions three different times.
About 1895, H. W. Mayne became superintendent. and the school spirit grew still more rapidly. Hector was listed as a state high school in 1899 and the first class was graduated in 1900. This class consisted of but two pupils. The second year there were four graduated : a number of this class attended the University of Minnesota.
When Hector was listed as a high school there were but seven teachers in the entire school. The number of pupils attending high school was thirty-seven.
In the fall of 1903. G. W. Wisman became the superintendent and since then the interest has increased and the growth has been remarkable. The present building-a solid brick wall struc- ture-was erected in 1907 and has been built onto three different times.
In 1911 the State Legislature passed a law, making ten asso- ciated districts possible within the state. Two years later the Legislature raised the number to thirty in all. There was to be but one associated district in each county. The contest to de- termine which district was to be associated was held at St. Paul. Hector was the fortunate winner.
The first year six distriets associated with Hector and two more the following year. The manual training department was organized in 1907, and in 1911. along with the right to associate, the school obtained the agriculture and domestic science courses.
In the fall of 1915, an addition to the school building, some 25 by 40 feet, was ereeted to further increase the scope of the
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school work. The lower floor is used for instructing boys in iron- working, while the upper floor is devoted to typewriting and stenography.
The business men of Hector and the farmers in the adjacent county have co-operated in a movement that has placed the agri- cultural department of the high school at the top of the list of the best agricultural schools in the state. This movement has re- quired thought, planning and organization. Through the efforts of G. W. Wisman, superintendent of flector schools for the past twelve years, the Farmers and citizens of Hector were led to be- lieve that practical results of special value to the farmer could be acquired, through a unification of school and farm interests. Today the movement has grown to large proportions and the farmers have become so genuinely interested that it is quite a common thing to find almost as many farmers in the high school building during the winter months in a special room set apart for them for study as high school students.
O. M. Kiser has charge of the agricultural department of the high school, and it is due to his expert and scientific knowledge of farm conditions and his happy faculty of working with the farmers. as well as the students, that such a snecessful depart- ment has been built up. Organized four years ago, the depart- ment has made rapid strides. Recently a large greenhouse, for starting plants of all kinds early in the spring-to be transplanted later to the fields-was added to the equipment. Adjoining this is an unusually well prepared seed room for testing and grading corn. Racks for storing 300 bushels of corn for winter selection are provided. Here the farmers gather during the winter months under the direct supervision of Mr. Kiser and shell the corn for seeding purposes. Twenty-five bushels of seed corn can be tested at one time. The testing apparatus is not unlike an inenbator in results, as the corn will grow about two inches high in four days. The boys go through the same course as the farmers. bring- ing the corn for testing in from the farm. All kinds of seeds can be tested by this method.
A brief resumé of the four years' agriculture course is given to show the practical .working value of the course to the boys. This course may be continned in the university. The first year aims to discuss soil conditions, how foods are taken by plants and what plant foods are and how stored. The preparation of the soil for different crops is also taught. Farm animals are studied the second year. Judging of horses, eows and hogs and their feeding, breeding and prevention of disease are carefully gone into. During the third year agricultural engineering, sur- veying, drainage, irrigation, roads and ropemaking are taken up. The fourth year is devoted to experimenting and a thorough review of the three previous years. The school has a large field
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for experimenting in soil conditions, fertilizers and erops. The school authorities are prond of the fact that a representative of the United States government was sent to investigate the splendid methods of the agricultural department. This recognition gave the department a high place in the state.
To show how valuable the agricultural department is to the farmers, one illustration may be cited. After experimenting, it was found that alfalfa did not do well. A test of the soil was made. It was found that lime was lacking. Since then this has been corrected. Today alfalfa is beyond the stage of experi- ment and is grown and harvested each year by many farmers. Some excellent work has been done with orchards. A course has been started in pruning and grafting trees, roots and scions being bought for this purpose. The children, too, raise flowers and vegetables. The schools associated with the village of Ilector also joined in this work. Over 3.000 packages of seeds were bought last year for garden study. The boys often have corn contests ; last year as high as 88 bushels per acre were raised.
Another thing that the agricultural department is directly responsible for is the small percentage of hog cholera to be found near Hector. In the fall of 1913 over 1,200 hogs were inoculated. with the result that 72 per cent of the infected herds lived, while 99 per cent of hogs not infected were saved. To obtain these splendid results 49,000 C. C. serum was used.
In the following year, 1914, there were less than a dozen cases of hog cholera. Besides this work, cows are tested by the students for advanced registry.
To make the land adjoining Hector that needed tiling more useful, ditches were dug and a system of irrigation worked out. The schools have helped in this work by drawing up plans. mak- ing blueprints, and other necessary work. A valuable farmers' library of 250 volumes and 2,000 bulletins, on every subject per- taining to farming, may be found in the school library.
This summer a new building for the commercial department has been erected. A four years' commercial course will be of- fered. In the basement of this building a well equipped black= smith shop and forge has been built by the associated distriets.
Other departments besides that of agriculture are high school, normal. manual training, domestic science and music. There are 400 pupils and 25 teachers. llector boasts of 78 non-resident pupils in the high school, out of a total of 137 who come from 27 districts in three counties. The value of the school buildings is $40,000. Eight districts are associated with the Hector high school. Each distriet has manual training, agriculture and do- mestic science departments. O. A. Allen, president : A. E. Schroe- der, treasurer: HI. L. Torbenson, clerk, and A. B. Anderson and W. B. Strom are the members of the board of education.
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Morton Public Schools. School District No. 55 of the village of Morton has a history of forty-one years. In 1874 a small slab shanty was moved from the farm now owned by Mrs. Emma Dallenbach to a place north of where the village now stands. Jim Moody had squatted on this farm and upon learning that he was on a school section sold his shanty to this newly-organized school district. The dimensions of it are said to have been 10 by 12 feet, and to make it habitable Henry Jorges sodded it up. The first school board were : George Buerry, clerk ; Henry Jorges. treasurer, and John Kumro, director. The following were some of the teachers during the nine years that this continued to be the principal seat of learning in the community: Viola Price, Chloa Rhenolds, a Miss IIunter and Albert Shram. In 1883 a new building was put up on the property now described as lot 8, bloek 2, and owned by Mrs. Mary MeConnel, and here it remained un- til the present building was constructed in 1895, in which only five rooms were occupied and only a few elasses in high school work conducted. Here the main part of the present school build- ing stood for twenty years when again the quarters became too small and it became evident that more rooms must be provided. An addition was built in 1905 which gave two more rooms to the school. it now having twelve rooms. During the period from 1883 to 1895, when the school stood on the present MeConnel property, the following were some of the teachers and principals: Jessie Henton, sister of R. B. Hfenton of Morton; Leroy Stegner, also editor of the Morton Enterprise for some time: Elizabeth Me- Cann; Nellie Brown (Mrs. Henry Beckman) : Lou Glenn; Mary Clancy; P. A. Cosgrove, later county attorney of Sibley county ; Fletcher Bridges: Samuel Rankin: Joseph Forbes, attorney of Richland county, N. D .; JJ. P. Reed; J. B. Arp, county superin- tendent of Jackson county schools. Mr. Arp also taught in the present building. The following were in charge of the present school: Mr. Lyman; Mr. Dodge; Ralph Wedge. banker in Gran- ville. North Dakota : Will Mosier Clark, who later was a teacher in New York state: M. H. Melvin, now superintendent of schools in Minneota, Minn .: HI. A. Trapp, principal of Quincy school in St. Paul, Minn .. and for the past five years E. E. Gloege. who has been engaged again for the coming year. Perhaps the most notable educator who has had charge of Morton high school is Superintendent .J. B. Arp, of Jackson county. He is at present recognized as one of the foremost county superintendents of the state. As a member of the committee on the teachers' pension bill, he has done a lasting service for the teachers of the state and is also a very positive force against the liquor traffic. The present board is composed of the Following members: Michael Holden, president : Dr. D. J. MeCartan, secretary; F. W. Orth, treasurer: Sam Steinke, Fred Pfeiffer and L. D. Baker, directors.
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Morton High School was admitted to the state high senoor list in 1906, when also the first class was graduated, consisting of two members. Florence Keefe and Ethel Keefe. Since that time the number has varied from three to eleven. In 1915 there were eight graduates. The total number of graduates, inchiding the last elass. is sixty-four, most of whom are found in the va- rious walks of life as teachers, business men and business women, newspaper men, managers of retail houses, etc. The present high school enrollment is sixty-eight students. Five years ago the en- rollment was just half of what it is now. With the addition of two of the outlying districts and one-half of another, which was divided between Franklin and Morton, a continuous growth is expected for some time to come. A plan to enlarge the present building so as to make several additional rooms is under way.
The Morton High School prides itself on having very good departments in domestic science and manual training. Every girl must take at least a year in domestic economy and every boy two years of training in the use of tools in woodwork, and along with it a course in mechanical drawing. Together with cooking and household economy, every girl gets a course in sew- ing, and at graduation appears in the gown she made in the sew- ing room of the high school. The girls are limited to $5.00 each in expenditure for materials for their gowns. Students are of- fered practicable work in commercial and practical subjects. This is, however, not carried so far that it hampers them should they desire to follow some professional course at the university. Debating is made a prominent part of the work in English, so as to accustom students to appear before an audience and express themselves in a clear and logical way. The addition of an agri- cultural department is under consideration.
Olivia Public Schools. Olivia public schools are located in block 27. Nesters' addition to Olivia, on Fairview avenue. Park street and Seventh avenue, the grounds occupying an entire block. The two brick buildings, one for grades and one for high school. are both on the same lot and about four blocks south of the busi- ness section of town, located in a beautiful grove. The district is known as Independent School District No. 79. There are four rural districts associated with the school in industrial work, these associated districts being Nos. 117. 72. 137, and 121. The school has a fine agrienltural. domestic science and normal training de- partment. all of which were established in 1911. Many of the graduates are holding good positions in the rural schools of the county and are doing excellent work. In 1913 a central heating plant was erected at a cost of $6,000, being the Vaem high pressure steam system. A library containing 1.200 volumes is located on the second floor of the high school building, across the hall from the assembly room.
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The first school was organized there in 1885 with Julius Spencer as the teacher. The original number of the district was Common District No. 79. It was changed to Independent Distriet No. 79 on April 20, 1895, there being sixty-four votes for and forty-three votes against changing the district. The first prin- cipal of the independent district was Mr. Barnum, of Renville, who received a salary of $70.00 per month. There were thirty- five applicants for the principalship that year. In 1896, J. W. Smith, of Red Wing, was elected as principal. In 1897, C. W. Wagner, of Madison, Minn., was elected as principal. He re- mained for three years, The first nine months' school was held in 1899. J. L. Silvernale was the next principal, and he remained for seven years and placed the school on the high school list in 1900. A new high school building was built in 1903. This was one of the first modern high school buildings built in this section of the country. Mr. Silvernale left Olivia in February, 1907, and County Superintendent Erickson filled out his term. C. P. Stan- ley was next superintendent, remaining two years. In 1910, G. II. Pollard eame as superintendent and remained two years. Ar- thur N. Gausemel was elected superintendent in 1912 and has been serving in that capacity ever sinee.
The present school board are: James Empey, president : Geo. E. Peterson, secretary ; B. F. Byers, treasurer; Dr. G. Il. Mesker; H. HI. Neuenburg; JJ. R. Landy. Mr. Empey and Mr. Byers are the senior members of the board, having served continuously for the past twenty years.
Sacred Heart Public Schools. The first school held in this vicinity was taught by Peder Ruddness in 1872 in a building known as the Trongorden School, and located three miles south of Sacred Ileart. A short time after this date, the district was divided and the first school of District No. 40 was located near the Ole Worken farm, one mile east of town, Miss Johnson being the first teacher. In 1880 the school building was moved to town and located in the northeast corner of the block in which the village hall now stands. O. K. Bergan was the first teacher of the village school. In 1890 the district was made an independent district and, until 1914, was the smallest independent district in the state. The present building, erected in 1901, is located three blocks south of the principal business center of the town. It is a two-story building, standing in the center of the school ground, which covers one square block and is surrounded on all sides by elm and evergreen trees. There are five rooms for the grades, an assembly room, two recitation rooms, one of which is used for a laboratory for the high school. The laboratory is well sup- plied with chemicals, chemical apparatus, physical apparatus, desks, tables, and so forth, for a strong course in both sciences. The library is a room 15 by 18 feet with reading table, magazines
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and 500 volumes indexed and catalogued according to the Dewey system. A manual training department was established in 1910. The shop is well equipped with benches and tools. Numerous practical pieces of furniture have been made as library tables, writing desks, piano benches, magazine stands, and so forth.
High school work was carried on as early as 1904, but the four-year course was not established until the school year 01 1907-1908. The first class graduating, in 1908. were: Olga Ber- gan, Clara Bergan, Lottie Wolstad, Claretta Roe. Clara Arnes. Dora Scholl, and Bert Nordstrom.
The following have served as principals: A. F. Adams, 1901- 1902: B. S. Wakefield, 1902-1904; J. A. Grundahl. 1904 to April 24, 1905; F. S. Morse, April 24, 1905-1908 ; II. II. Bond, 1908-1910; A. N. Gausemal, 1910-1912; A. L. Swensen, 1912-1913; P. M. Mattill, 1913-1914; A. J. Matthill, 1914 to the present time. The following have served as assistant principals: Grace Whittier, 1907-1909: Irma Brink. 1909-1910; Olga Dahl, 1910-1913: Vivian Swift, 913-1914; Edna R. Hansen, 1914 to the present time. The present board of education consists of J. H. Paulson, president ; B. T. Birk. clerk; Il. O. Skalbeck, treasurer: Il. L. Quist. W. A. Day and A. J. Anderson.
The controversy over the enlargement of Distriet No. 40. the district which includes Sacred Heart village, attracted wide at- tention. The district originally embraced but one section and a half. The other distriets in the county included from six to thir- teen sections. In the small area of Distriet 40 there were not scholars enough and not property valuation enough to support a village school. Then, too, there were many children attending school in the village, whose parents were not paying taxes in the distriet but in other districts. Therefore. in 1908, a majority of the male voters of the district filed a petition with the board of county commissioners under the provision of Chapter 188, Laws of 1907, for the purpose of enlarging the school district by tak- ing territory from other school districts contiguous to the dis- triet and annexing it to the district, the districts affected in ad- dition to Independent Distriet 40, being Districts 35, 41. 43. 94 and 128. The board of county commissioners in 1909 made an order granting a petition annexing the territory desired and rearranging the other territory.
The act of 1907 did not provide for any appeal from the de- cision of the county board in such matters. But ten days after the county commissioners had granted the petition, Chapter 188, Laws of 1907, was amended by Chapter 13, Laws of 1909. allow- ing an appeal to be governed by the provision of Section 1285, Revised Laws of 1905. Pursuant to this amendment, different districts and individuals affected by the order of the county board appealed to the district court. At a hearing, the appeal was
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dismissed by the court on the grounds that the aet of 1909 was not retroactive. This decision of the District Court was reversed by the Supreme Court March 11, 1910, the title of the case being. "Enoch Oppegaard and others against Board of County Com- missioners of Renville County."
When the case again came before the District court, the court affirmed the order of the county commissioners. An interesting complication, however, arose at this point. The petition and no- tice of hearing thereon contained, among other things, a deserip- tion of the territory sought to be added. There was a certain eighty acres, the east half of the northeast quarter of section 21, Erieson township, which was part of District 131. But the county board, believing it to be already a part of District 43, inchided it in its description of District 43. The court, in confirming the action of the county board. excluded from its action, however, the eighty acres mentioned.
Those opposed to the action of the county board in enlarging District 10, declared that the court had no authority to make this change, and contended that the action of the board was il- legal on the ground that the county board had no jurisdiction to act ; that it had aeted against the best interests of the territory affected ; and that it had exceeded its jurisdiction by including in its acts lands which were a part of District 131, and that no notice of hearing was posted in the district, or ever served on the clerk or any of the officers, and that the district had no notice or knowledge of the hearing.
The opposition likewise contended that the petition to the county board had not been signed by a majority of the legal voters residing in the district, as the women of the district were legal voters, qualified to vote on educational matters.
The Supreme court, however, Feb. 7, 1913, sustained the ac- tion of the District court in confirming the act of the county commissioners and the long litigation was ended.
Buffalo Lake Public Schools. The Buffalo Lake school, built in 1894, is a two-story brick building, containing four rooms, and is located on a slight elevation in the castern part of the vil- lage. It is in Independent District No. 53. The work of the eight grades is carried on and also two years of high school work, ineluding two years in German. Sewing is carried on in the upper grades. There is a reference library of over eight hundred vol- nmes. There are at present about twenty-five pupils attending the high school and about one hundred and ten in the grades. The earliest records date baek to 1876. The voters of the district met at the home of the district clerk, in a special meeting, Mon- day evening, June 19, 1876, and unanimously voted to erect a new school house, issuing bonds to the amount of $500. It was
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agreed to erect the schoolhouse on the grounds belonging to Mons Monson and Curtis Rowen, east of the fort. (The old fort was at the southern end of Buffalo Lake.) It was also voted to have three months of school and the teacher's salary was to be $40. At a meeting in 1883 it was decided to build a new school- house and the contract was let to C. Riebe, who was to build a school building 18 by 36 feet and twelve feet high, for the con- sideration of $600. This building is still standing. It was moved into the village from the old site, and is now used as a private residence. Sept. 3. 1892, a special meeting was held at the school- house, and it was decided to ereet a new school building of brick. 50 by 50 feet and 24 feet high with a gabled roof. Bonds were issued for $4.000 For the building and $500 for the purchase of a site. J. R. Landy, now the editor of the Olivia "Times, " once presided over this school. II. H. Kent became the principal in 1904. He was followed in 1907 by William A. Sehummers, who has had a prominent part in the preparation of this History of Renville County. While Mr. Sehummers was principal, the two years of high school work was inaugurated. In 1910. A. L. Swen- son became principal. lle served two years. Mr. Swenson was drowned during a summer vacation. The present principal, Jo- seph E. Reichert, followed Mr. Swenson. He is now serving his fourth year.
Danube Public Schools. The first school within the village limits of Danube was built in 1904 at a cost of $4,000, the school having previously been located about one-half mile south of its present location. Nellie Pettis and Miss Leonard were the first teachers. The people of Dannbe are firm believers in education and the school building is perhaps the most prominent feature in the village. It is a two-story building, having four school rooms, a library room, a recitation room, two store rooms, halls and cloak rooms. In 1914 the building was rebuilt at a cost of $14,500 and was improved in every respect, modern conveniences were installed, as to heating and ventilation, including steam heat, ventilation by fan, toilets, septic tank, drinking fountains, fire alarm, etc. A gymnasium was built in the basement. The school is in Distriet No. 89. There is a text-book library, free text-books being furnished to the pupils, and a reference library of about four hundred volumes. Besides the regular eight grades, two years of high school are now carried on. The school board has recently established a department of domestic science, thus round- ing out a course so complete that every child in the village or community may have the benefit of a good practical common school edneation, without the necessity of leaving home.
The first school in District No. 89 was held in 1883 by Emily Johnson, at a salary of $20 per month. The present principal, A. M. Taylor, succeeded C. A. Heileg in 1915. There are four
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teachers in the grades, and one special instructor for the domes- tie science.
The first school board consisted of the following: A. F. Byers. clerk : John Sehanil, director, and Robert Stelter, treasurer. James MeCormick was moderator or chairman of the meeting when the first board was elected. The present school board are: Adolph Wallert, clerk : F. A. Schroeder, treasurer; and Ed. Grun- nert. director.
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