USA > Wisconsin > Columbia County > A history of Columbia County, Wisconsin : a narrative account of its historical progress, its people, and its principal interests > Part 17
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Mr. Jones was a delegate or alternate delegate to the Democratic National Conventions of 1884, 1888, 1892, 1896 and 1900, and has been a delegate to every Democratic State Convention in Wisconsin since 1882. In 1891 he was appointed by Governor Peck a member of the State Board of Control of Charitable and Penal Institutions, was elected president of that body and served until 1895. In 1898 and in 1908 he was the demo- cratie candidate for Congress in his district, but the district being heavily republican, he was each time defeated with his party.
Mr. Jones has held various other local and state offices by appoint- ment, or election, but has during the last few years become interested in other enterprises and has dropped the political game. He is at this time devoting his entire energies to the building of a system of interurban railroads through Central Wisconsin, and it seems probable that he will be successful. He is president and general manager of the enterprise.
Mr. Jones was born on a farm in the town of Packwaukee, Mar- quette County, Wisconsin, November 16, 1854. The family soon after Vol. 1-10
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HISTORY OF COLUMBIA COUNTY
moved to Mintello, and while he was still a lad settled on a farm in the town of Fort Winnebago, Columbia County. There he attended district schools and assisted his father on the farm until his majority. Later he entered the State Normal School at Oshkosh, and for six years, both before and after graduation, was a teacher in the public schools.
On January 25, 1882, Mr. Jones married Miss Lena L. Converse, of Portage, and they have three children-Edwin C., a graduate of the state university and now associated with his father in the publication of the Democrat ; Carol (Mrs. Harlan B. Rogers), and Marjorie, at Rock- ford College.
Mrs. Jones is foremost in all movements which are of an uplifting nature, was especially influential in establishing the public library and is active in all the patriotic and literary work of the women's organiza- tions of the community.
KILBOURN'S NEWSPAPER VENTURES
The first settler in Kilbourn was an editor; the first thing to locate in the unbroken forest was a newspaper. In December, 1855, Alanson Holly built a board shanty and issued the first number of the Wisconsin Mirror. This was published several years and discontinued for a short time, to be continued later by a son of the original editor. It again sus- pended in 1878, and for several years Kilbourn had several successive papers, the Dells Reporter and the Guard having short runs each.
In 1880 William Woodruff established the Kilbourn Gazette, selling out in 1883 to Adams Brothers.
In 1884 F. O. Wisner and James E. Jones revived the Wisconsin Mirror, and in April, 1885, they bought the other paper, forming the Mirror-Gazette. In 1888 James E. Jones bought Wisner's interest and continued the publication until 1902, when he sold out to E. J. Wheeler. In the year previous R. L. Booher established the Dells Reporter, giving Kilbourn two papers.
At the same time Mr. Jones began the publication of Illustrated Events, a monthly magazine of historical and literary character. This he changed to a weekly newspaper after six months, or, precisely, in May, 1905. Thus Kilbourn had three papers for some time, until April, 1906, when J. E. Jones bought the Reporter list and business. He then asso- ciated with B. E. Tollaksen, in August, 1911, they bought the Mirror- Gazette, and have since held the field with the Weekly Events alone.
LODI'S UPS AND DOWNS
Lodi has had its decided ups and downs as a newspaper field. Its first essay was the Lodi Flag, a quarterly issued in July and November,
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HISTORY OF COLUMBIA COUNTY
1856, and May, 1857, by J. O. & A. Eaton. It was a small quarto at that-only three columns. The Lodi Weekly Herald endured from Feb- ruary 25, 1863, until November 9, 1864; the Lodi Journal from October, 1870, to April, 1873, and the Lodi Valley News followed a year afterward, and continued for thirty years as an independent republican paper, until the failing health of its venerable editor, Uncle Peter Richards, caused its discontinuance.
THE ENTERPRISE
The Lodi Enterprise, now in the field, was founded by E. B. Yule and G. I. Richmond, February 16, 1894. Mr. Richmond retired in 1897 and Mr. Yule continued to condnet the paper alone until September 8, 1902, when C. L. Coward, the present editor and proprietor, took it over. The Enterprise is independent both in politics and in general.
THE POYNETTE PRESS
The first newspaper to invade Poynette was the Reporter, whose first number was issued by F. A. Brown, a Columbia County pioneer and editor of twenty-six years' standing. His venture lasted for about a year from June 3, 1875. Mr. Brown was afterward connected with the Monroe County Democrat, Sparta. The locality endured the absence of a local journal until 1887, when J. E. Shirk of Cambria founded the Poynette Press. In 1910 he was succeeded by Charles F. Butler, present editor and proprietor.
OTHER COUNTY NEWSPAPERS
The Pardeeville Times was established in December, 1888, by C. H. Williams, and since July, 1905, has been conducted by Henry Thompson.
The Badger Blade, of Rio, was published for some years by Frank D. Goodwin, now of the Columbus Democrat. Since January 1, 1913, its editors and proprietors have been W. W. and Leslie Collins, who conduct it under the name of Collins Brothers.
The Cambria News, founded by J. E. Shirk and published many years, with J. F. Streeter as editor and proprietor, is a worthy exponent of that locality.
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HISTORY OF COLUMBIA COUNTY
The infant in age of Columbia County newspapers is the Wyocena Advance, the first number of which was issued by L. H. Doyle, on July 1, 1910. On account of illness he was soon obliged to sell the paper to his son, L. Hobart Doyle, but in the following March J. M. Bushnell, who had spent much time and money in founding and sustaining the enter- prise, assumed control.
DEFUNCT PAPERS
L. H. Doyle, the founder of the Village of Doylestown, a man of fine character, great energy and perseverance, developed in the late '80s a mania for establishing newspapers in different localities where it seemed impossible for them to live. Among those that he established that sur- vive him are the Badger Blade, of Rio, and the Wyocena Advance, at Wyocena. Others which he established that were short-lived was the Portage Advertiser, the Rio Reporter, the New Era at Fall River and a law publication at Doylestown.
Besides the advertising papers that have come and gone in the last thirty years in Portage are the Advance, published by E. W. Stevens, and the Herald, by Jay R. Hinckley.
Hon. Lester Woodard, of Pardeeville, also established a newspaper in that village which flourished for a time, but it eventually died for lack of patronage.
A few other newspaper ventures have come to life in Columbia County, but that life was too short to become a matter of history.
CHAPTER XI
SCHOOLS AND CHURCHES
FIRST SCHOOL OUTSIDE THE FORT-FIRST SCHOOL DISTRICT FORMED AT CAMBRIA-TOO FEW CUBIC FEET PER SCHOLAR-SCHOOL CHILDREN IN 1913-LEGAL QUALIFICATION OF TEACHERS-COLUMBIA COUNTY TEACHERS' ASSOCIATION-COLUMBIA COUNTY TEACHERS' TRAINING SCHOOL-PRIVATE AND PAROCHIAL SCHOOLS OF PORTAGE-COLUMBUS COLLEGIATE INSTITUTE-THE KILBOURN INSTITUTE-REV. B. G. RILEY AND LODI-POYNETTE PRESBYTERIAN ACADEMY-PRESENT STATUS OF PUBLIC SCHOOLS-PIONEER TRAINERS OF THE SOUL- FATHER MAZ- ZUCHELLI AT THE PORTAGE-THE FIRST OF ST. MARY'S PARISH-STIR- RING METHODIST PREACHER-THE METHODISTS OF FALL RIVER-LODI METHODISTS ORGANIZE-MR. TOWNSEND ON THE LOWVILLE SABBATH SCHOOL-THE PRESBYTERIANS AT THE PORTAGE-CAMBRIA AS A CHURCH CENTER-PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF KILBOURN-THE NOR- WEGIAN LUTHIERANS ORGANIZE-EARLY CHURCHES IN THE TOWNSHIPS.
The school system of Columbia County owes its birth to Major Green, commandant of old Fort Winnebago. He had a number of children in his family, and in 1835 engaged Miss Eliza Haight as their governess. As the major was thoughtful and generous, he allowed the children of other officers to take advantage of her services, and a dozen children were soon grouped around her. Thus was formed the first school in Columbia County.
In the spring of 1840, Rev. S. P. Keyes became both chaplain and schoolmaster at the post, and taught abont twenty children, some of them over twelve years of age.
FIRST SCHOOL OUTSIDE THE FORT
The first school in Portage and the county to provide instruction to the children of actual settlers was established in 1843. Hugh McFarlane partitioned off a small room in his blacksmith shop for the purpose and
149
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HISTORY OF COLUMBIA COUNTY
his wife taught it. At first instruction was given only on Sundays. It is said the first books were purchased from a fund raised by Wisconsin River raftsmen, whose children formed a majority of the scholars. From this modest beginning a private school, with a hired teacher, grew into existence.
FIRST SCHOOL DISTRICT FORMED AT CAMBRIA
The year after the first school for settlers was opened at Portage the Brothers Langdon founded what is now the Village of Cambria, and it was largely due to the Welshmen who soon commenced to settle in the village that a school district was organized in 1847.
In that year a schoolhouse was built on land donated by Samuel Langdon, one of the proprietors of the town site. It was 20 by 24 feet, built of oak lumber from his sawmill, and the first winter term of school was taught by Miss Betsy Griffin in 1848-49. Then followed in succes- sion S. S. Torbet, Miss Butterfield, Miss Carhart, Mr. Knight and William Hollinshead. Teachers then received $1.50 per week, with "board around," and for the winter term $20 to $25 per month.
Too FEW CUBIC FEET PER SCHOLAR
In 1858 the 20 by 24 schoolhouse was accommodating ( ?) seventy- five pupils. The school authorities therefore decided to hire a larger room in a building owned by Evan Morris. In 1861 a new schoolhouse was erected by Hugh Roberts at a cost of $1,600. Number of scholars at that time, 313. The school was now graded, the first teachers under the new system being Harvey Rust, S. A. Van Middleworth and Nellie Roberts, who received a yearly salary of $50, $32 and $24, respectively. In 1868 the schoolhouse was moved to a more favorable location on Tower Street and an addition was built for the primary department.
TOWN OF WINNEBAGO PORTAGE DISTRICT
The next school district after that of Cambria included the Town of Winnebago Portage. The town was organized and formed into a school district January 9, 1849. There is no record of a public school in the town during 1849; but in that year a portion of the town occupied by those who resided near the "old fort" was set off as School District No. 2, all other parts being No. 1. It is not necessary to give the limits of No. 2, as in January, 1850, it became Joint District No. 1, when the
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HISTORY OF COLUMBIA COUNTY
name of Winnebago Portage was changed to Fort Winnebago, and Town 13, Range 9, was taken from that town and organized as Port Hope.
The year 1849 marked both the organization of the Winnebago Port- age School District and the first report issued by the town superintend- ents covering the county. It appears from their figures that the average wages then paid male teachers amounted to $11.75 per month; female, $5.39.
SUPERINTENDENTS OF SCHOOLS
In 1850 School Superintendent D. Vandercook formed four new dis- tricts in the Town of Fort Winnebago.
COUNTY SUPERINTENDENTS OF SCHOOLS
The supervision of the schools of the county was in the hands of town superintendents until the close of 1861, when the county superintendents came in. (In 1862 the constitution was amended by making the terms of all county officers elected in even number years, two years.)
A list of the superintendents is as follows :
1862-67-David W. Rosenkrans 1882-88-Z. Merrill
1868-69-Levi Bath
1889-96-E. C. True
1870-71-John J. Lloyd
1897-02-E. H. Burlingame#
1872-75-Leroy J. Burlingamet
1903-09-Sylvester C. Cushman
1876-79-Kennedy Scott
1909 -Chester W. Smith
1880-81-Henry Neill
SCHOOL CHILDREN IN 1913
The latest figures prepared by Chester W. Smith, present county superintendent of schools, shows the following as the census of school chil- dren in Columbia County in 1913:
In the first column the figures show the number of children included in the town; that is, in all the districts and parts of joint districts wholly within the town. In column two, the figures show the number
t Office declared vacant August 22, 1874, and Kennedy Scott appointed to fill vacancy.
# Resigned August 16, 1902, and L. J. Tucker appointed to fill vacancy.
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HISTORY OF COLUMBIA COUNTY
of school children included in all the districts of the town of which the schoolhouse is in the town.
Arlington
258
232
Caledonia
364
364
Cambria Village
156
200
Columbus
245
254
Courtland
274
255
De Korra
297
285
Doylestown Village
86
105
Fall River
115
201
Fort Winnebago
195
228
Fountain Prairie
339
258
Hampden
241
245
Kilbourn Village
306
345
Leeds
346
304
Lewiston
286
286
Lodi
204
121
Lodi Village
256
344
Lowville
221
265
Marcellon
295
252
Newport
202
163
Otsego
260
216
Pacific
79
59
Pardeeville
283
315
Poynette
152
183
Randolph
398
393
Randolph Village, W. W.
73
73
Rio Village
200
232
Seott
280
266
Springvale
279
277
West Point
232
231
Wyocena
241
173
Wyocena Village
83
121
Totals
7,246
7,246
LEGAL QUALIFICATIONS OF TEACHERS
A school board can not legally contract with, nor pay a person for teaching a school, unless such person is a legally qualified teacher of the county.
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HISTORY OF COLUMBIA COUNTY
A qualified teacher is one who has either state certificate, unexpired, or an unexpired county certificate for the county in which the school to be taught is situated.
A teacher's certificate whose time limit has expired cannot be legally renewed. All renewals should be requested during the life of the eer- tificate.
To get a third grade certificate for the first time, one must have at least six weeks' professional training, and pass examination in reading, writing, spelling, orthoepy, arithmetic, grammar, school management, manual, agriculture, geography, United States history, including history of Wisconsin, constitutions, physiology, rural economics.
A standing of at least 60 per cent is required in Columbia County to pass in arithmetic, grammar and geography, and not more than one other standing below 55 per cent is allowed for a year's certificate.
To get a second grade certificate one must have taught at least eight months and pass examination upon American literature, physical geogra- phy, English composition and library work, in addition to the third grade branches. A second grade is good for three years. Sixty per cent is required.
To get a first grade certificate one must have taught at least eight months and pass examination in physics, English history, English litera- ture, algebra, and theory and art of teaching, in addition to the second grade branches. It is good for five years and 70 per cent is required.
A third grade certificate may be renewed by taking six weeks' pro- fessional training, during the life of the certificate, or by passing exam- ination in all but five of the third grade branches, providing the five branches to be renewed are up to 70 per cent. A third is also renewed without examination by passing examination in at least two second grade branches. If the other second grade branches are earned at the next examination a second grade certificate is issued for three years from the last examination.
A second grade certificate is renewed by taking six weeks of profes- sional training during the life of the certificate, or by rewriting upon all but five branches, provided such are up to 75 per cent.
A first grade certificate is renewed by being a high school graduate and getting the signature of the county superintendent certifying to five years' successive teaching; or by taking six weeks' professional training; or by rewriting upon all but five of the branches, provided such stand- ings are up to 80 per cent. A first grade certificate may be renewed indefinitely after ten years of successful teaching under such certificate.
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HISTORY OF COLUMBIA COUNTY
COLUMBIA COUNTY TEACHERS' ASSOCIATION
The Columbia County Teachers' Association was organized in Octo- ber, 1912. The first officers were : Principal L. J. Hulse of Fall River, president ; Miss Addie Butler of Wyocena, vice president; Miss Caddie Hoefs of Leeds, secretary, and Miss Anna Nelson of Rio, treasurer. The members of the executive committee were Superintendent R. L. Heindel of Columbus, Miss Elga M. Shearer of Columbus and County Superin- tendent Chester W. Smith.
The county was divided into five sections, each one presided over by a chairman and seeretary who arranged programs for the section meet-
COLUMBIA COUNTY TRAINING SCHOOL, COLUMBUS
ings. The constitution provides for one general meeting and two section meetings for each section during the year.
The second year of the association has been very enconraging to the teachers and educational leaders of the county. All sections are working with complete programs and the meetings have been very largely attended. The present officers of the association are: President, George M. Batty of Rio; vice president, Addie Butler of Wyocena ; secretary, Emma Schulze of Portage. The members of the executive committee are George M. Batty, Emma Schulze, A. J. Henkel, Elga M. Shearer and Chester W. Smith.
THE COLUMBIA COUNTY TEACHERS' TRAINING SCHOOL
The question of taking advantage of the state law for a Teachers' Training School had been considered by the County Board of Super-
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HISTORY OF COLUMBIA COUNTY
visors previous to 1908, but in that year a resolution was carried estab- lishing a training school for the county in the City of Columbus. The City of Columbus had offered temporary quarters for the school in the basement of the Methodist Church, but two years afterward the pres- ent fine building was erected. The first training school board elected were: H. E. Andrews, of Portage and A. M. Bellack of Columbus, and they are still serving, the county superintendent of schools being ex-officio secretary of the board.
The above board elected Principal S. M. Thomas principal of the school and Miss Harriet Clark, assistant. Mr. Thomas is still principal with the following assistants: Miss Elga M. Shearer, Miss Anna D. Halberg and Miss Ella Heiliger.
This training school has exerted a marked educational uplift upon the schools of the county. In 1909 County Superintendent S. C. Cush- man resigned and Principal Chester W. Smith of the Kilbourn schools was appointed in his place. At the present writing the following pub- lications have been prepared by the faculty of the training school and Superintendent Smith: A quarterly magazine called The Columbian, and the pamphlets Farm Accounts, Essentials in Education, and Some Rules in English Composition.
The school has graduated ninety teachers and there are now teach- ing in the county sixty-two of those graduates.
PRIVATE AND PAROCHIAL SCHOOLS OF PORTAGE
For fifteen or twenty years after the permanent settlement of Columbia County the more intelligent class of its citizens supported a number of private schools-academies, collegiate institutes, etc .- the communities being too sparse and poor to sustain public institutions of a high grade. As a whole, these institutions were classed as "select schools."
The first school of a strictly private character established in Por- tage was that founded in the winter of 1851-52 by William Sylvester, John Q. Adams, Lemuel Berry, Rev. Bradlay Phillips, C. J. Pettibone, and Rev. W. W. McNair. The principal was Rev. John Brittain, A. M., assisted by Miss Abbey O. Briggs and Miss Margaret B. Burt. In it were taught, besides all the English branches, Greek, Latin and French, and music, drawing and painting. As the district schools were improved, public interest in the Classical Institute waned, and it completely faded away when the public schools of the city were graded and a high school established in 1859.
Cotemporaneons with the Classical Institute was the select school
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IHISTORY OF COLUMBIA COUNTY
of Miss Butts, which at one time had eighty pupils, but the maiden lady principal became Mrs. Cornwell, a Mr. Mills took over the institution and, within a few years, it also was supplanted by the public system of education.
There were also the parish school of St. John's Episcopal Church, established in November, 1855, and the female seminary founded two years later. Rev. II. M. Thompson presided over the former, with Miss A. O. Briggs, Mary Morehouse and Miss McFarlane as assistants. Mrs. E. D. Emery, Mrs. E. W. Tenney and Miss Briggs were connected with the latter.
The various Catholic and Lutheran churches at Portage established parochial schools at an early day, several of which are still in existence. The oldest is that identified with St. Mary's Parish, in charge of the Sisters of St. Dominick, which was founded about 1866.
COLUMBUS COLLEGIATE INSTITUTE
Although Columbus had a number of private schools in its early days, the Collegiate Institute was the most ambitious attempt to found a school of higher learning outside the public system of education. In March, 1855, the Columbus Collegiate Institute was incorporated by James T. Lewis, J. Q. Adams, R. W. Earll, E. P. Silsbee, Chester W. Dean, Joseph S. Manning, William C. Spencer, W. W. Drake, W. A. Niles. John A. Elliott and Cyrus E. Rosenkrans. The objects of the Institute were to provide for "the education, the mental and moral discipline, and instruction in literature, the sciences and arts, of youth of both sexes." The act of incorporation also provided that "no political or religious opinion shall be required as a qualification of membership, and no student shall be required to attend worship with any particular denomination." On the tenth of April, 1855, the board of trustees met at the Congregational Church and elected Rev. Mr. Rosenkrans president of the institute. Soon afterward Block 15 in West Columbus was purchased, a small building ereeted thereon, and in the fall the school was opened, with Misses Martha Brigham (after- ward Mrs. William Hazelton) and Mary L. Pomeroy (subsequently Mrs. Polly) as teachers. Upon the completion of a Union School by the city in 1858 and the failure to get sufficient subscriptions to con- tinue the private enterprise, the Columbus Collegiate Institute suspended and its teachers found employment in the reorganized public schools.
The year before the founding of the Collegiate Institute, Rev. Mr. Rosenkrans had failed in his attempt to found a seminary in Colum- bus. In 1859 a private school was taught by Miss Achsah Huyck,
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HISTORY OF COLUMBIA COUNTY
afterward the wife of Rev. Mr. Phillips, and similar attempts were made later, but had less and less chances of succeeding, with the steady improvement in the facilities offered by the public schools for which the citizens were taxed.
THE KILBOURN INSTITUTE
Kilbourn City also made two bold and partially successful attempts to found institutions of higher education under private auspices. In 1857, through the liberality of A. Bronson, of Prairie du Chien, an academy was opened at Point Bluffs, some fourteen miles north of Kilbourn City. It was called the Kilbourn Institute, and it was con- tinued with varying success until 1865.
In 1863 a charter was secured from the Legislature incorporating the Kilbourn City Seminary, and when the academy at Point Bluffs was discontinued the incorporators of the seminary proposed that the school should be moved to that place and operated under its charter. The proposition was accepted, the building at the Bluffs was moved to Kilbourn City, and the Kilbourn Institute opened to the public with Rev. G. W. Case as principal. By the fall of 1867 140 pupils were enrolled. But about 1 o'clock, Sunday, January 30, 1868, while dedica- tory services were being held in the new Methodist Church, word was brought that the institute was afire. As the building was some dis- tance away and the fire apparatus of the village crude, by the time assistance arrived the flames had swept away the property of the insti- tute and dealt it a death blow.
REV. B. G. RILEY AT LODI
Previous to the formation of the Union School at Lodi, in 1864, Professor B. G. Riley had been teaching a select high school in the village, but after that year all his hopes to compete with the public system were dashed to fragments. The citizens of Lodi had been thor- oughly aroused by the report of the state superintendent of education, who had compared the schools of their village most unfavorably with those of Kilbourn City, Wyocena, Pardeeville, Cambria, Poynette and Fall River-in fact, placing them at the foot of the class among all the communities of any account in Columbia County. Their awaken- ing brought their schools well to the fore, where they have remained, but it killed all such enterprises as the Riley private high school. The "Professor" Riley mentioned was the Rev. B. Gilbert Riley, so noted
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