History of Green County, Wisconsin. Together with sketches of its towns and villages, educational, civil, military and political history; portraits of prominent persons, and biographies of representative citizens, Part 51

Author: Union publishing company, Springfield, Ill., pub. [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Springfield, Ill., Union publishing company
Number of Pages: 1168

USA > Wisconsin > Green County > History of Green County, Wisconsin. Together with sketches of its towns and villages, educational, civil, military and political history; portraits of prominent persons, and biographies of representative citizens > Part 51

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Mr. Dunwiddie was elected county judge in the spring of 1857, as an independent candidate and has been re-elected at each succeeding elec- tion, in the same manner.

Judge Dunwiddie has continued to practice in the circuit court, though the practice has not been Incrative to him. In his official capacity, he has acquitted himself with honor, and to the satisfaction of the people of Green county, as evidenced by their continuing him in office for so many years. He was married to Sarah Yarger, July 10, 1855. Mr. and Mrs. Dunwiddie have four children-William, Mary, John and Edna.

OTHER COURTS.

The courts in Wisconsin having jurisdiction in Green county besides the circuit and county courts, are: Justices of the peace, the Supreme Court, and the district court of the United States for the western district.

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR WISCONSIN.

WESTERN DISTRICT.

Judge-Romanzo Bunn, Madison. Terms of Court.

At Madison-First Monday in June. At La Crosse -- Third Tuesday in September. Special Term -- At Madison, first Tuesday in December.

Counties Comprising District.

Adams,

Dane,

La Crosse,

Price,

Ashland,

Douglas,

Lafayette, Richland,

Barron,

bunn,

Lincoln,

Rock.

Bayfield,

Ean Claire,

Marathon,

St. Croix.

Buffalo,

Grani,

Monroe, Sauk,

Burnett, Green,

Pepin, Taylor,

Chippewa,

Iowa,

Pierce,

Trempealean,

Clark,

Jackson,

Polk, Vernon,

Columbia,

Jefferson,

Portage,

Wood,

Crawford,

Juneau,

WISCONSIN SUPREME COURT.

NAME.

Title of Office.

Salary.

Term expires.

Orsamus Cole ...

Chief Justice. ..

$5,000

April, 1892

William Penn Lyon

Associate Justice.

5,000

Jan , 1894

Harlow S. Orton ...

Associato Justice.

5,000

Jan., 1888

David Taylor.

Associate Justice.

5,000

Jan., 1886

John B. Cassoday

Associate Justice.

5.000

April, 1890

Clarence Kellogg ..

('lerk.

John R. Berryman .. Librarian.

O. M. Conover .... Reporter.

U. H. Beyler Messeng'r & Crier.

Percy Paine ....... Speretary. i F. J. Uram .. . Ass't Secretary.

Terms of Court at Madison.

Jannary Term-Tuesday preceding the second Wednesday in January.

August Term -- Seeond Tuesday in August.

HISTORY OF GREEN COUNTY.

353

CHAPTER XIII.

COMMON SCHOOLS OF THE COUNTY.

The common schools of Green county, like many other of its material interests, have de- veloped step by step, growth upon growth, ever widening and deepening to meet the wants of an increasing population, until to-day they stand abreast with the times. They have reached their present excellence from small be- ginnings. An account of their rise and pro- gress is an interesting page in the history of the county. It may not be amiss, in this connec- tion, before entering upon a particular con- sideration of them, to give to our readers from the pen of one of the leading educator's of the northwest, a narrative of the development of education in Wisconsin, from its commence- ment to the date when the system of county superintendency was established, the first day of the year, 1862, to be followed by an account of Green county common schools, by the pres- ent county superintendent.

"EDUCATIONAL HISTORY .*

"From the time of the earliest event of the families of French traders into the region now known as Wisconsin, to the year 1818, when that region became part of Michigan Territory, education was mostly confined to private in- struction, or was sought by the children of the wealthier in the distant cities of Quebec, Mon- treal and Detroit. The early Jesuit mission- aries, and-subsequently to 1816, when it came under the military control of the United States -representatives of various other religious de- nominations sought to teach the Indian tribes

* By Prof. Edward Searing, in the "Illustrated Historical Atlas of Wisconsin."

of this section. In 1823 Rev. Eleazar Williams, well known for his subsequent claim to be the Dauphin of France, and who was in the employ of the Episcopal Missionary society, started a school of white and half-breed children on the west side of Fox river, opposite "Shanty Town." A Catholie mission school for Indians was or- ganized by an Italian priest near Green Bay, in 1830. A elause of the treaty with the Winne- bago Indians, in 1832, bound the United States to maintain a school for their children near Prairie du Chien for a period of twenty-seven years.

"THE ORIGINAL SCHOOL CODE.

"From 1818 to 1836, Wisconsin formed a part of Michigan Territory. In the year 1837, Mich- igan was admitted into the Union as a State, and Wisconsin, embracing what is now Minne- sota, Iowa, and a considerable region still fur- ther westward, was, by act of Congress, ap- proved April 20 of the year previous, estab- lished as a separate Territory. The act provided that the existing laws of the Territory of Mich- igan should be extended over the new Territory so far as compatible with the provisions of the aet, subject to alteration or repeal by the new government created. Thus with the other statutes, the school code of Michigan became the original code of Wisconsin, and it was soon formally adopted, with almost no change, by the first Territorial legislature, which met at Belmont. Although modified in some of its provisions almost every year, this imperfect code continued in force until the adoption of the State constitution in 1848. The first material

354

HISTORY OF GREEN COUNTY.

changes in the code were made by the Territo- rial legislature at its second session, in 1837, by the passage of a bill 'to regulate the sale of school lands, and to provide for organizing, regulating and perfecting common schools.'

"It was provided in this act that as soon as twenty electors should reside in a surveyed township, they should elect a board of three commissioners, holding office three years, to lay off districts, to apply the proceeds of the leases of school lands to the payment of teachers' wages, and to call school meetings. It was also provided that each district should elect a board of three directors, holding office one year, to locate school houses, hire teachers for at least three months in the year, and levy taxes for the support of schools. It was further provided that a third board of five inspectors should be elected annually in each town to examine and license teachers and inspect the schools. Two years subsequently (1839) the law was revised and the family, instead of the electors, was made the basis of the town organization. Every town with not less than ten families, was made a school district and required to pro- vide a competent teacher. More populous towns were divided into two or more districts. The office of town commissioner was abolished, its duties with certain others, being transferred to the inspectors. The rate-bill system of taxa- tion, previously in existence, was repealed, and a tax on the whole county for building school houses and supporting schools, was provided for. One or two years later the office of town commissioners was restored, and the duties of the inspectors were assigned to the same. Other somewhat important amendments were made at the same time.

"In 1840 a memorial to Congress from the legislature, represented that the people were anxious to establish a common school system, with suitable resources for its support. From lack of sufficient funds many of the schools were poorly organized. The rate-bill tax or private subscription was often necessary to supplement

the scanty results of county taxation. Until a State government should be organized, the fund accruing from the sale of school lands could not be available. Congress had made to Wisconsin, as to other new States, for educational purposes, a donation of lands. These lands embraced the sixteenth section in every township in the State, and 500,000 acres to which the State was enti- tled by the provisions of an act of Congress passed in 1841, and any grant of lands from the United States, the purposes of which were not specified. To obtain the benefits of this large fund was a leading object in forming the State constitution.

"AGITATION FOR FREE SCHOOLS.

"Shortly before the admission of the State the subject of free schools began to be quite widely discussed. In February, 1845, Col. M. Frank, of Kenosha, a member of the Territorial legis- lature, introduced a bill which became a law, authorizing the legal voters of his own town to vote taxes on all the assessed property for the full support of its schools. A provision of the act required its submission to the people of the town before it could take effect. It met with strenuous opposition, but after many public meetings and lectures held in the interests of public enlightenment, the act was ratified by a small majority in the fall of 1845, and thus the first free school in the State was legally organ- ized. Subsequently, in the legislature, in the two constitutional conventions, and in educa- tional assemblies, the question of a free school system for the new State soon to be organized provoked much interest and discussion. In the constitution framed by the convention of 1846, was provided the basis of a free school system similar to that in our present constitution.

"The question of establishing the office of State superintendent, more than any other fea- ture of the proposed school system, elicited dis- cussion in that body. The necessity of this of- fice, and the advantages of free schools sup- ported by taxation, were ably presented to the convention by Hon. Henry Barnard, of Con-

355

HISTORY OF GREEN COUNTY.

nectient, in an evening address. He afterward prepared, by request, a draft of a free school system, with a State superintendent at its head, which was accepted and subsequently embodied in the constitution and the school law. In the second constitutional convention, in 1848, the same questions again received careful attention, and the article on education previously pre- pared was, after a few changes, brought into the shape in which we now find it. Immedi- ately after the ratification by the people of the constitution prepared by the second conven- tion, three commissioners were appointed to re- vise the statutes. To one of these, Col. Frank, the needed revision of the school laws was as- signed. The work was acceptably performed, and the new school code of 1849, largely the same as the present one, went into operation May Ist of that year.

"THE SCHOOL SYSTEM UNDER THE STATE GOVERN- MENT.

"In the State constitution was laid the broad foundation of our present school system. The four corner stones were: (1) The guaranteed freedom of the schools; (2) the school fund created; (3) the system of supervision; (4) a State University for higher instruction. The school fund has five distinct sources for its cre- ation indicated in the constitution: (1) Pro- ceeds from the sale of lands granted to the States by the United States for educational pur- poses; (2) all moneys accruing from forfeiture or escheat; (3) all fines collected in the several counties for breach of the penal laws; (4) all inoneys paid for exemption from military duty; (5) five per cent. of the sale of government lands within the State. In addition to these constitutional sources of the school fund, an- other and sixth source was open from 1856 to 1870.

"By an act of the State legislature in the former year, three-fourths of the net proceeds of the sales of the swamp and overflowed lands, granted to the State by Congress, Sept. 28, 1850, were added to the common school fund,

the other fourth going into a fund for drain- age, under certain circumstances; but, if not paid over to any town for that purpose within two years, to become a part of the school fund. The following year one of these fourths was converted into the normal school fund, leaving one-half for the common school fund. In 1858 another fourth was given to the drainage fund, thus providing for the latter one-half the in- come from the sales, and leaving for the school fund, until the year 1865, only the remaining one-fourth. In the latter year this was trans- ferred to the normal school fund, with the pro- vision, however, that one-fourth of the income of this fund should be transferred to the com- mon school fund until the annual income of the latter fund should reach $200,000. In 1870 this provision was repealed, and the whole in- come of the normal fund left applicable to the support of normal schools and teachers' insti- tutes.

"At the first session of the State legislature in 1848, several acts were passed which carried out in some degree the educational provisions of the constitution. A law was enacted to pro- vide for the election, and to define the duties of a State superintendent of public instruction. A district board was created, consisting of a moderator, director and treasurer; the office of town superintendent was established, and pro- vision was made for the creation of town libra- ries, and for the distribution of the school fund. The present school code of Wisconsin is sub- stantially that passed by the legislature of 1848, and which went into operation May 1, 1849. The most important change since made was the abolition of the office of town superintendent, and the substitution therefor of the county su- perintendency. This change took effect Jan. 1, 1862."

OF THE COMMON SCHOOLS OF GREEN COUNTY. [By D. H. Morgan, County Superintendent.]

It is somewhat difficult to give a readable and entertaining history of the educational interests of Green, or any other county of Wisconsin, as

350

HISTORY OF GREEN COUNTY.

few records are in existence, which were made prior to the establishing of county supervision. Up to that time, from the time of the admission of Wisconsin as a State, the town supervision prevailed, with varying success. Successful in those towns fortunate enough to secure the ser- vices of competent superintendents. In no case, so far as can be learned, was there any unity of action among teachers or superintendents ; each working in his own way regardless of the do- ings of others. No teachers' meetings or meet- ings of superintendents for devising and matur- ing plans for the general improvement of man- agement or methods, or for advancing the standard of qualification of teachers.

Thirty years ago the school buildings were necessarily cheap and poorly adapted to school purposes. Building material was scarce and of poor quality ; people were poor, but anxious to do something toward educating their children, and taxed themselves willingly for the purpose of furnishing buildings and teachers.

Many of the first settlers being Eastern peo- ple, an early interest in all school work was manifest, and, it may be safe to say that that interest has kept even pace with the material prosperity of the people. Thirty years ago there was not a school building in the county that was worth $1,000. Now there are many of our country districts with buildings costing from $1,200 to $1,500, to say nothing of the buildings in some of our villages that have cost from $5,000 to $25,000.

When, on the establishment of the county su- pervision system, the people of this county elected William C. Green to the office of county superintendent, they were very fortu- nate in their selection. He was a man somewhat advanced in years, but thoroughly awake to the needs of school interests, and competent in every way to perform the duties of his position. Ile was well versed in the whole business of schools. When he called the teachers together for the first time requiring them to submit to a written examination, there was consternation in

their ranks. A large majority of them had never been examined in that manner, and it seemed terrible. But Mr. Green held firmly to the adage, "as is the teacher so is the school," and determined to advance the standard of qualification, and it is conceded by all that his success was marked and decided. Teachers went to work with a will, now being fully aware that nothing short of the superintendent's re- quirements would answer. Aside from the semi-annual examinations, institutes and teach- ers' meetings were held, though not so well at- tended then as now, for they-the teachers- did not so fully comprehend the advantages de- rived from them.

Mr. Green served six years, and with a zeal and honesty of purpose never excelled. He paved the way, removed obstacles, and left the work for his successor in most excellent shape. He took the work in the rough and hewed to the line, never looking where the chips might fly.

He traveled among the schools, entering the school rooms unannounced, often the first indi- cation of his presence being a salutation from him, almost startling. It is well remembered by one teacher, who had an unruly boy in hand, and handling him pretty roughly too, that he was interrupted by an exclamation of " Well ! well ! these things will happen in the best of families."

There was an attempt on the part of some to put him down by the cry of " Old Orthography," because he insisted that his teachers should un derstand that as well as any other branch that they were required to teach. It was fully under- stood that excuses were not in order, the sub- ject had to be mastered. Those who had had considerable experience finding themselves de- ficient in certain branches, procured the neces- sary books and went to work.

For the last twenty years the school census has shown little change as to number of chil- dren of school age. Never coming up to 9,000 and never falling below 8,100. The country schools are not so large as they were twenty-five

357

HISTORY OF GREEN COUNTY.

years ago, but the village schools are larger, so that our school population remains nearly uni- form. The village schools show a more regular attendance of all ages, between four and twenty years, though the country schools show a high percentage of attendance of those between the ages of seven and fifteen.

The successor to Mr. Green, D. H. Morgan, commenced his work with the help and advise of his predecessor, by making as many visits to the different schools as time would permit prior to holding his first round of examinations, and thereby learning, as far as possible, the condi- tion of the schools and their greatest needs.

Immediately after the examinations closed the work of preparing for the first institute, under the new superintendent, commenced. Teachers were notified by circulars and by the superintendent, in person. Then commenced a regular series of institutes and teachers' meet- ings, though not so well attended at first as was desired, but the members in attendance steadily increased from year to year, and the interest in the work grew, not only among the teachers, but the school patrons were often seen and heard, too, at the institutes. Teachers' meet- ings were called in various parts of the county, and were generally well attended, and without exception, great interest on the part of the teachers was manifest. About this time the State put into the hands of the board of re- gents for normal school, a fund, with the un- derstanding that a portion should be used to- ward furnishing institute conductors to the vari- ous counties asking their services.

The very best methods of conducting insti- tutes were not fully understood by the average county superintendent. So the board of regents saw the propriety of sending into various counties the ablest men obtainable for the purpose of giving instructions to both teacher and superintendent.

Early in Mr. Morgan's work, the present State superintendent, Mr. Graham, came to take charge of and conduct our institutes. In fact,

he, Mr. Graham, is almost, if not quite, the father of our systematic method of conducting institutes.

We early had too, most earnest laborers in the home field. Immediately upon Prof. Salis- bury's taking charge of the Brodhead schools, we found in him one of our most capable teach- ers, one of those men who never shirk from a task because it is hard to bear. In our meet- ings of all kinds, when work was assigned him it was always done well and in season. He seemed to go to the bottom of every subject that he was called upon to handle.

At a very little later date came Prof. Twin- ing. The superintendent hardly knew where he would find him, and naturally felt somewhat anxious, as in all of the principals of the Mon- roe High School, he had not found hearty sym- pathy in his efforts to better the condition of all the schools. But he soon learned that in Mr. Twining, he had a man that would stand shoulder to shoulder with him in any undertak- ing that looked toward bettering the condition of any or all of them.

For years he has made it one of his special duties to prepare young teachers to enter intel- ligently into the business of teaching, varying his programme for the sole purpose of giving normal instructions and drill in theory and practice. He was never known to go around a task, but always through it, and perhaps to him, more than any one man, are the superin- tendent and county indebted for his efficient and always ready aid.

Again, in all the towns and villages, boards of education have willingly and gladly co-op- erated in the work of making meetings and in- stitutes a snecess. We have never asked any- thing that has not been cheerfully granted. We finał too, that in a majority of our districts, the poor old school houses are giving place to bet- ter and more commodious buildings. There are a few old and badly delapidated concerns, one or two having been condemned because of their unfitness for school purposes.

358

HISTORY OF GREEN COUNTY.

One great hindrance to the onward and up- ward movement, is in not being able to hold our teachers long in the business. The average life of the teacher in the school room being less than three years. The energetic young men are going west and settling on farms, and most of them are disposed to take a "lady teacher " along to keep the house while the farm is being improved. Not a few of our young women have left the school room of this county for the purpose of obtaining homes of their own in the far west, five leaving at the same time from the same neighborhood.

Now, when we have a good teacher, and can hold him, we are all right on "the school ques- tion," but there is no law compelling any one to follow a business any longer than he may choose, and few people will follow a vocation that gives employment for from six to eight months in the year, when labor for the year can be found. Though teachers wages are better than the pay of a common day laborer, yet their expenses are always greater than almost any workers with the same income. The true teacher must be "up to date" in his qualifications, which compels the purchase of books and periodicals. Recognizing the needs of the teacher in the way of reference books, some years ago, our teachers raised a fund for that purpose, and bought the American Cyclopedia, Dr. Thomas' Biographical Dictionary, Lippincott's Gazetteer, besides a variety of miscellaneous works that bear upon their calling. These books are in use during the time of our institutes, and are found of very great value.

When some years since it was found that most, if not all of our teachers, were deficient in a knowledge of orthoepy the question naturally came up, " what shall we do, where are we to go for information ?"

Being told that Webster's Academic Diction- ary contained all that they needed, over 100 copies were ordered at once, and over 300 went into the hands of teachers and pupils in a short time.

Now it is difficult to find a teacher without a copy of Webster's dictionary, Spencer's work on penmanship, Salisbury's Orthoepy, be- sides being pretty well supplied with miscella- neous reference books.

Complaint being made to the superintendent that writing was not being taught in all of the schools, a teachers' meeting was called and the matter was presented to them, and its absolute necessity was laid before them; and, as a result, there is not a school in Green county wherein writing does not form a prominent part of school work. And here let me say that the effort on the part of the State superintendent to establish a regular system of grading the country schools, is meeting with a hearty re- sponse. The teachers are studying the superin- tendent's circular and trying to understand its requirements, and grading their schools with a view of carrying out its demands. Already some fifteen pupils have completed the "Com- mon School Course," with a much larger num- ber following the course with the intention of finishing it sooner or later.

Our teachers, particularly those of some ex_ perience, are taking hold of this work with more than ordinary earnestness, and we have every reason to expect good results.

Of the town of New Glarus a special men- tion should be made, as, being entirely a foreign people, they early established schools, and have maintained them as the law requires, together with two months of exclusively German school, the tax for the latter being as cheerfully borne as any that they pay. It is one that cannot be legally collected, but all have willingly paid their proportion. It is undoubtedly true that every child in the town of the age of fifteen years can read and write both English and Ger- man. Another feature of the New Glarus schools is, that great stress is placed upon the practical studies, "the three R's" first; and every pupil, when he leaves school, can readily and accurately make an estimate of a bill of lum- ber for a barn or ordinary outbuilding, adding

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History of Green County, Wisconsin. Together with sketches of its towns and villages, educational, civil, military and political history; portraits of prominent persons, and biographies of representative citizens, Part 51

Author: Union publishing company, Springfield, Ill., pub. [from old catalog] Publication date: 1884 Publisher: Springfield, Ill., Union publishing company Number of Pages: 1168

Author: Union publishing company, Springfield, Ill., pub. [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Springfield, Ill., Union publishing company
Number of Pages: 1168