USA > Wisconsin > Eau Claire County > History of Eau Claire county, Wisconsin, past and present; including an account of the cities, towns and villages of the county > Part 39
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The board had hardly organized before the commissioners were called upon to act in their judicial capacity. On May 12, two days after the organization, the chief of police, John Higgins, suspended Patrolman Paul Thompson for sleeping during the
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period he was supposed to be on his beat. On June 1 the board gave Patrolman Thompson a trial, found him guilty as charged and dismissed him from the force. A second ease of this nature came before the board on August 3, when Patrolman Frank Nugent was suspended by the chief for neglect of duty. Ile was tried on August 12, found guilty and dismissed from the service. During the summer and fall of 1897 the board met frequently for the purpose of examining members who were serving in the police and fire departments. The examinations were conducted so as not to interfere with the regular work of the men. On November 15 examinations had been completed and the respec- tive chiefs of the two departments notified the board of the ap- pointment of the men then serving, and such action by the chiefs was duly confirmed. The men appointed were as follows: In the fire department-Joseph Eldridge, assistant chief; James P. Welsh, electrician; John Hancock, James II. Looby, Thomas Wiley, M. F. Tibbitts, Willis E. Herron, James Sullivan, John Kjorstad, G. P. Childs, Frank Ferris, John Dougherty and Joseph De Mars. In the police department-La Fayette Elliott, sergeant ; Frank Harrington, John Taylor, George Wolf, T. J. Gonderzik, Frank Reinhart, Clifford Luee, Paul Branstad, John M. Gallgher. The board on June 1 had elected George H. Daniels chief engineer of the fire department, and John Higgins chief of police. May 24, 1897, Dr. A. D. H. Thrane was elected surgeon of the board and still holds that position.
The following eitizens have served as police and fire commis- sioners: M. C. Anderson, 1897-1898; John Ure, 1897-1905; Frank McDonough, 1897-1904; Albert F. Schwahn, 1897-1901; George S. Long, 1898-1900; George H. Daniels, 1905-1912; David Drum- mond, 1904-1908; John C. Neher, 1905-1910; John J. Auer, 1901- 1905. Present commissioners: Marshall Cousins, 1900 to date; Louis Running, 1907 to date; James T. Joyce, 1908 to date; John J. Auer, 1910 to date ; John Huebsch, 1912 to date.
George H. Daniels, who was appointed to the board to sue- ceed John Ure in 1905, died July 17, 1912, following an operation at Rochester, Minn. Mr. Daniels, previous to his appointment as a member of the board, had served many years as chief engineer of the fire department. Under his administration the department had developed into one of the best in the state. John Ure, George S. Long and John C. Neher resigned from the board on removal from the city. At the organization of the board, John Ure was elected as president of the commission and served as such until he resigned in 1905. He was succeeded as
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president by George H. Daniels, who served until his death in July, 1912. James T. Joyee then became president. Matt C. Anderson, the first secretary, left offiee in May, 1908, and was succeeded by George S. Long, who served until May 1, 1900, when he resigned his membership. Marshall Cousins was appointed to the board as Mr. Long's sueeessor and elected seeretary, which position he has held continuously sinee that time.
The board, as first constituted, was made up of fonr members, but a law becoming effective March 30, 1907, increased the num- ber to five members. A still later law provides for a member of the City Council being a member of the fire and police board. The council designated John B. Fleming for such position and he is ex-offieio member of the board. Sinee the first year of the board's existenee there have been but few instanees requiring the board to aet in its judicial capacity. In the spring of 1908 a controversy arose between the chief of police, Edward J. O'Brien, and the municipal judge, Joseph W. Singleton. The judge filed charges against the chief but failed to press the charges before the board. The chief replied by filing a report with the Common Couneil covering relations of the police depart ment with the Municipal Court.
POLICE DEPARTMENT.
The city of Eau Claire has always had an efficient pohce department, which has been guided by the following chiefs : Victor Wolf was the first chief of the department, and Lewis Parish and James Harmson were the first policemen. Victor Wolf served until 1875, and was succeeded by Michael Fleming. A. M. Sherman was the next chief in 1876, and he was followed by Charles HI. Jefferson in 1877: Vietor Wolf in 1878; Thomas Donnelly in 1879-1880-81-82-83-84-85-86-87-88-89 and 1890, his service of twelve years being the longest of any one who has held that position. John Higgins became chief in 1891 and held the offiee four years. Lafayette Elliott took charge of the force in 1895, and served until Henry L. Day was elected mayor in 1897, and John Higgins succeeded him and served continuously until March 15, 1907, when he resigned, having been in the service constantly for eleven years. Ed J. O'Brien was appointed to fill the place Mareh 18, 1907, and served until November 11, 1909. when he tendered his resignation to take affect December 1 of that year. Lafayette Elliot was appointed ehief on November 26. 1909, and is still serving in that eapacity.
CHAPTER XXV. THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS OF EAU CLAIRE. By W. H. SCHULZ.
Provisions for common school education were made at an early date. It is true that oftentimes these provisions were crude. School houses in those early days were frequently simple struc- tures put up out of rough boards and in some cases out of logs, but these primitive structures served their purpose. The first school house in Eau Claire was a building of this type. It was erected during the year 1856. It was not very large, the size being only 16 by 24 feet. The structure was built out of rough boards, and it was located on what is now Barstow street. Dur- ing the winter of 1856 and 1857 the school was opened to the public. John E. Stillman was the first teacher. The number of pupils in attendance was not large. During the following sum- mer the school was taught by Mary Arnold. The register shows an enrollment of fifteen pupils. In those early days the school house was used for various public purposes. In many cases it was the only available structure for religious services. This was also the case in Eau Claire. It was in this small primitive struc- tare that the Rev. A. Kidder held the first services of the Congre- gational church. In the autumn of 1857 another school house was erected on the Sparta road, three miles from the village. This was then known as the Olin settlement. In those days town government and county government were practically one. There were no county or city superintendents of schools in those days. It was the period of township superintendents. Frequently there were only two or three towns in a county and sometimes a county consisted of only one town. In 1856 the board of supervisors voted $400 for a school house to be erected in School District No. 2. This district had been recently organized. The school building was erected in 1857 on Farwell street near where Christ's Episcopal church now stands. It was during that year that the treasurer of the board, Adin Randall, paid to the treas- urer of School District No. 2 $199.31, the probable cost of the school building. This building was rather commodious consider-
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ing the demands of the day. It was a structure of 28 by 40 fect, and contained one large room well finished and provisions for another room. This building was used for school purposes for quite a number of years. Later it was sold and used as a Univer- salist church. This building was so much larger and better than the ordinary school house that for years it was pointed to with considerable pride as one of the great achievements of the village. This school house was also used for various public purposes as well as for school. During 1864 this building was abandoned for school purposes because it was too small. During this same year a much larger and better school house was erected on Far- well street between Emery and Earl streets, opposite Wilson Park. In the seventies, when a high school was organized, this building was used for grade and high school purposes. It was then called the Bartlett Iligh School. It seems that this was the first regularly organized school district. It was organized accord- ing to the legal provisions of the state by the town board. The east side of the village was then known as School District No. 2. It was in this Bartlett school that really the first graded school work was done. The Rev. J. O. Barrett was the first principal. He continued at the head of this school until the Spring of 1868. During the year 1868 Prof. H. C. Howland was engaged as prin- cipal. He served the school district with very marked success. It was during his administration that the high school was organ- ized. It was during the year 1872 that the first high school class was graduated. During Prof. Howland's administration about 100 students were graduated from this high school. After Prof. Howland's resignation this school was in charge of Prof. S. Steffens. He was in charge of the school about one year and resigned in June, 1890. During 1890 the school board employed Prof. Charles Friedel, who served for one year and resigned. In this school district two other school buildings were erected to accommodate the pupils for grade purposes in the outlying por- tions of the district. One building, the Thorp school, a four- room structure, was erected in 1884 on the southeast corner of Barland and MeGraw streets. The Lockwood school, a two-room structure, was erected in 1889.
School District No. 3, located on the west side of the river, was organized probably during the year 1857. It was really a joint district composed of portions of the towns of Half Moon and Oak Grove. The first school house erected in this district was in 1858 on Niagara street between Third and Fourth avenues. Miss A. Kidder was the first teacher. During the summer of
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1859 another school house was built in this district on Fifth avenue and Broadway, where the Alexander sehool now stands. This old structure was moved across the street during the sum- mer of 1861. It was later built over for a dwelling house. This was the first graded school in District No. 3. The Rev. A. Kidder was the first prineipal. Ile taught in this school from 1862 to 1866. He was sueceeded by Prof. A. J. Hutton, who was a prin- cipal of this school for several years. It was during Prof. Hut- ton's administration that a free high school was organized, and he became its first principal; after that he resigned and be- came one of the members of the faculty of the Platteville Normal sehool, in which sehool he served for nearly a quarter of a century as a state institute condnetor. During the year 1879 Mr. Hutton was succeeded by Prof. J. K. McGregor, who held the principalship of this sehool until the various districts in Eau Claire became united as a city system, at which time he was elected city superintendent of schools. The next school to be erected in District No. 3 was at Shawtown, on the northwest corner of Michigan street and Avenue C. This was erected dur- ing the year 1868 to accommodate the people in that section of the village. Additions were made to this village from time to time. Later other school buildings were erected in this district; one in what is now the sixth ward on Cameron and Babeock streets. This building was erected in 1876. In 1891 it was enlarged to double its former capacity. The Luey Larcom school was erected on Fifth avenue and Walnut street, the Washington school on Fifth avenue and Broadway and the Garfield school on Seminary street, between Lake and Bridge streets. This last structure was purchased from the Wesleyan Methodist Society. It was later used temporarily as the first central high school, and was then superseded by the new high school building in 1892.
The north side of the village, with adjoining territory without the village limits, constituted village No. 1, and perhaps in one sense was the first sehool district or at least a part of it. A little school house at the Dells was erected during 1857. The cost of the building was defrayed out of $400 voted by the board of supervisors for a school house in District No. 1, but appar- ently since the treasurer of the district only received $303 the building was erected at a smaller cost than anticipated by the board of supervisors. Miss Bessie Reed was the first teacher in this school. Later a high school was built in District No. 1, located on Wisconsin and N. Dewey streets. Prof. M. S. Frawley was elected principal of this school in 1880 and continued to
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holl this position util 1890, when he was elected to take charge of the central high school of the eity of Eau Claire. In 1884 this structure was destroyed by fire, together with all its equipment and reeords, but was immediately rebuilt. During the year 1882 the eity purchased from the congregation of St. Patrick's ehureh their school building on N. Barstow street. In 1887 this was converted into a graded sehool of four departments, and was later known as the Frawley or Eighth Ward school. The Summit street school was built in 1885 and enlarged in 1888. It had four departments at that time. This was later known as the Tenth Ward school.
It should be understood that up to 1890 there were three school districts in the city of Eau Claire. Each school district had its own school government and a separate high school. The high school principal was virtually the educational supervisor of the school district, as well as of his own sehool. The grading of the schools was partly on the basis of an old course for grad- ing recommended by the state superintendent of public instrne- tion, and partly on outlines furnished by the high school prin- cipals of their respective districts. In those days the organiza- tion was rather simple. The requirements were not extensive. The main emphasis was placed on reading, writing, arithmetic, spelling, geography and history. Much of this work was well done by the more experienced teachers. Some of the high school principals were exceptionally well qualified, as their long term of service helps to indicate. During this period a most remark- able innovation for those days had its beginning. A manual training department was instituted by Mr. J. F. Ellis in 1885. This gentleman took great interest in the matter of training the hand as well as the mind. This manual training department was located in the Alexander school. As near as ean be ascertained this is the first venture along that line in the United States in a public high school. A Mr. Kennealy was the first teacher in this department. He was succeeded by Mr. Barnes and he in turn by Mr. Swearingen, who remained at the head of this depart- ment for quite a number of years. The work was a success from the beginning. The results were far in excess of expectations. A levy of #800 was made to begin with, but the whole of this amount was not used to support the school for the first year. During the second year $1,000 was appropriated. This was more than enough to pay expenses. It was demonstrated that the eost was about $900 to run this department for one year. At that time the manual training department never had a smaller attend-
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ance than forty boys and sometimes came near to double that number. Work in manual training has been kept up every since in that building until it was transferred to the high school after the new building was erected in 1892.
CITY SCHOOL SYSTEM.
The year 1889 marks a great change in the school affairs in the city of Eau Claire. By an amendment of the charter the old district system was abandoned and the territory of the city was made to constitute one school district, to be known as the School District of Eau Claire. According to the provisions of this char- ter the commissioners therein provided for constitute the Board of Education. It provides that on the same day each ward in the city shall elect one school commissioner and on the first Monday of July, 1890, and bi-annually thereafter, a similar election shall be held in each of the even numbered wards of the city, and on the first Monday of July, 1891, and bi-annually thereafter, a similar election shall be held in each one of the odd numbered wards of the city. All school commissioners so elected to hold office for two years, except those elected on the first Monday in July, 1889, by the even numbered wards, who are to hold one year. By the provisions of this charter all the property vested in the superseded school districts became vested in the School Distriet of Eau Claire. The Board of Education is given the power of organization and general management of the schools. The first Board of Education was composed of the following members: R. H. Chute, president; C. R. Gleason, secretary ; First ward, F. M. MeDonough; second ward, C. R. Gleason ; Third ward, II. C. Howland; Fourth ward, G. Ferguson; Fifth ward, Charles Alexander; Sixth ward, R. H. Chute; Seventh ward, J. F. Eliis; Eighth ward, T. F. Frawley. The schools in Distriets Nos. 1, 2 and 3 during the first year of the consolidation were in charge of the principals of the three high schools in their respective districts. Prof. McGregor was elected city superin- tendent of schools for the entire city during July, 1890. The high schools which had been previously maintained in the city had been placed on the accredited list of the state university three years before their consolidation. The Central High school was also placed on the accredited list. Prof. M. S. Frawley was elected the first principal of the Central High school. He con- tinued to be its principal for twenty-three years, showing that his services were highly appreciated. He saw this school grow
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from an attendance of a little over 100 students to an enrollment of 650. During his administration the school became accredited to the North Central Association and has always remained accredited to that association to the present day. This has been a period of great extension in high school work, not only in the number of students attending, but in the enlargement of build- ings, increase of equipment and expansion of courses of study. A commercial department and a domestie science department were added during his administration.
The number of pupils enrolled in the schools during 1890 were 1,610 males, 1,567 females; total 3,177. There were six grade school principals and fifty-eight teachers. The expenses for the same amounted to $40,763.42, of which $26,099 was paid ont in teachers' salaries and $5,222 for repairs.
1890 TO 1896.
The remainder of the educational history of the public schools of the city of Eau Claire will be grouped under the administra- tions of the different city superintendents. Since each one of these administrators aimed to carry out a policy and system of administration, this history will be better understood if presented in that way. Little endeavor will be made to relate anything more than the events as they occurred and the facts as they are found. During January, 1890, the question of teachers' salaries became a burning question. Some of the salaries of the teachers were raised for the remainder of the year. Some advances were allowed to some of the teachers for the rest of that school year. It seems that the matter of school attendance required regula- tion. Therefore the board passed the following resolution: "Resolved, By the Board of Education of the School District of Eau Claire, that Rockwell Best, E. O. Waterbury, Edward Carroll, James Glynn, John Farrell and Stephen Skinner are hereby appointed as officers provided for in section S of chapter 519 of the laws of 1889, and such officers are hereby directed to take any truant child found on the streets, alleys or other public places during school hours to such school conveniently located to the home of such child as may be designated and requested by such parents, provided that such school is not prohibited by any rule or order of the board."
During the early period of this administration many rules and regulations of various kinds seem to have been adopted. Teachers were required to report tardiness to principals. Teach-
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ers were required to take a record of the temperature of their rooms four times a day. Committees of the Board of Education making reports were required to return petitions, resolutions, accounts or other papers containing the subject matter referred to them to the secretary of the Board of Education. During this year the board passed a resolution requesting the common coun- cil to eall a special election of the voters of the city of Eau Claire to vote upon the question of issning bonds to the sum of $40,000 for the purpose of constructing a central high school. The question of inereasing teachers' wages seems to have been discussed a great deal during the remainder of the school year. Commissioner Ellis introduced a resolution revising the present curriculum of the several schools of the city. This resolution was adopted and it was later carried out by the city superin- tendent of schools. The course of study which had been in nse up to this time was almost verbatim the same as that used in the eity of Milwaukee. This eourse of study had been prepared by W. E. Anderson, superintendent of schools of Milwaukee. While there were many good features about this course, it did not fit the city of Ean Claire as well as it should, and therefore a revision of this course was ordered. The course of study adopted for the high school was the- same as that recommended by the state superintendent of publie instruction. At the meeting of June 21 Prof. J. K. McGregor was elected eity superintendent of schools and Prof. M. S. Frawley was elected principal of the Central High school. The high school principal was given four assistants to do teaching work in the high school. Mr. Swear- igen was eleeted as the head of the manual training department.
In September of this year the special committee on school curriculum made its report. The committee on high schools in writing recommended its adoption as reported by Superintendent McGregor and Professors Frawley and Swearigen. The course was ordered printed and went into operation at this time. It was during this year that upon petition of the W. C. T. U. first action was taken in introducing temperance instruction books into the sehools. During a meeting on October 27 a petition signed by the pupils of the high school asking for one session per day was received by the Board of Education. Action on this petition was postponed until the wishes of their parents could be ascertained. During the meeting on October 28 the question was brought up again and the school day was fixed to begin at 8:30 a. m. and to close at 1:30 p. m. until this order should be reseinded by the Board of Education. This was the first adop-
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tion of the one session plan for the high school. During the May meeting of 1891 proposed rules and regulations for the pro- motion of pupils in the grades and in the high school were pre- sented by Superintendent MeGregor. These rules provided for exemption from examination in case a pupil had an examination record of ninety per cent or over in the branches pursued. The promotion standing of eighty per cent for the high school was then adopted. During the meeting of July 9 a special committee appointed by the Board of Education to prepare the necessary papers for making a loan of $40,000 from the trust fund of the state for the erection of the Central High school was presented and adopted unanimously. In addition to this the board at a subsequent meeting made a loan of an additional $20,000, to be used in part for building and furnishing the new high school. During the meeting of September 22 the Board of Education accepted the bid of Edward Siseron for building the high school. This was a very important act, because it resulted in the final establishment of the Central High school for the city of Eau Claire, which was destined to grow into one of the largest schools of its kind in the state of Wiseonsin. Action was then taken to abolish the one session plan in the high school and to return again to the two session plan. This plan did, however, not prove entirely satisfactory. The supporters of the one session plan kept on urging a return of that plan. A great deal of time was devoted to the discussion of this subject at many of the meetings of the Board of Education. The new high school building was completed during 1892. It was open for school purposes after promotion during 1893. The building was well furnished with the appliances of the times, and in every respect this building was regarded as one of the best buildings of the kind in the state at that time. It was during 1893 that a new provision of the laws of the state of Wisconsin, requiring that the entrance doors on school buildings should swing outward, was put into operation.
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