USA > Wisconsin > Milwaukee County > Milwaukee > History of Milwaukee from its first settlement to the year 1895 > Part 30
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I. A. Lapham,
G. C. Trumpf,
James H. Rogers,
James MacAlister,
Rufus King,
Joshua Stark,
Jackson Hadley,
George Obermann,
George S. Mallory,
William G. Rauschen- berger,
Wm. J. Turner,
Emil Wallber,
James M. Pereles.
Mr. Thomas Desmond was made clerk to the superintendent and board, November, 1866. The position was changed to that of secretary of the board, May, 1872, and the salary increased from one thousand dollars to twelve hundred dollars, and for the taking of the school census was allowed six hundred dollars. Mr. Desmond con- tinued as secretary until May, 1880, and was succeeded by A. H. Schattenburg. The work of the office increased so that he was allowed a clerk, commencing January, 1889.
During the school year 1889-90 irregulrities in the office of the secretary. A. H. Schatten- burg, were discovered, and he thereupon com- mitted suicide. An investigation showed that he had defrauded the city to the extent of nearly fifty thousand dollars. He had been secretary of the board for ten years, and was considered espe- cially efficient in the conduct of the office. His fall was a terrible surprise and disappointment to the board, who had reposed great confidence in his integrity as well as his ability.
Mr. H. E. Legler was appointed to succeed the defaulting secretary, and new methods of con- ducting the business of the office were introduced. Mr. Legler still continues in the position.
From July 15 to 18, 1884, the National Educa- tional Exposition was held in Madison and the primary and kindergarten work was quite com- pletely represented, together with bound volumes of pupil's written work. This material was also sent to the World's Fair at New Orleans, held during the winter of 1884-5, together with addi- tional descriptive charts containing statistical in- formation. Photographs of school buildings were also sent, and racks and stands provided for dis- playing the exhibit. By permit of the board, the superintendent made a three weeks' visit to the exposition to examine the educational exhibits.
On April 5, 1887, in a communication to the board, Superintendent Anderson urged the prepa-
ration of an exhibit of kindergarten work, for the National Educational Association at their meeting in Chicago in July. Milwaukee made a creditable showing, but there was no attempt at completeness in the exhibit.
At the board meeting, December 1, 1891, a resolution was passed that a World's Fair Com- mittee be formed. On the 2nd of May following, the Common Council sont a communication to the board requesting a report on the advisability of making a Milwaukee school exhibit at the Colum- bian Exposition. The board was slow in making any recommendations, but it was finally proposed that six thousand dollars be appropriated to make a suitable exhibit. This was cut by the council to three thousand dollars. The school authorities hesitated to attempt a display with this amount, but it was finally decided, through the influence of the World's Fair Committee, and especially its chairman, Mr. W. G. Bruce, to make the best exhibit possible with the time and money available. It was less than sixty days before the time for the exhibits to be in place in the Liberal Arts Building at the Columbian Exposition, that the matter was definitely decided, and teachers were informed that they were to prepare an exhibit of school work. Considering the time given, Milwaukee made an excellent showing of her school work. The high school had nearly one hundred volumes of written work from pupils, about thirty large photographs of the interior of laboratories and class rooms, with the work in progress ; many large portfolios of maps and drawings, and drawings in frames, and a considera- ble work from the manual training department.
The district schools furnished considerable written and drawing work, and kindergarten work. Some language and music exercises were illustrated with the phonograph, and statistical tables were given and photographs of buildings. The total expense of the exhibit was one thousand eight hundred and thirteen dollars and sixty-seven cents.
On June 13, 1894, John Boyd Thatcher chair- man of the Exposition Committee on Awards, sent to the secretary of the board an official copy of awards to the Milwaukee public schools. They were as follows :
High School-For excellence and improvement shown in literary and scientific work and in me- chanical drawing.
Edward O'Neill,
H. L. Palmer,
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COURSE OF STUDY AND TEXT-BOOKS.
Elementary Schools-For excellence, first, in clay modeling and other kindergarten work ; second, in English ; third, in geography and physiology.
Volumes of Pupil's Work-comprehensive pre- sentation of system, statistics, courses of study and buildings; good kindergarten work in clay, building and tablet work ; good work in physi- ology and geography in all the grades ; practical manual training.
The following are a few of those who devoted many years of faithful and long service to the schools, and who died while teaching: In Febru- ary, 1886, Charles E. Spinney, who had been connected with the schools more than twenty years, and was at that time principal of the Four- teenth district school, was suddenly removed from his work by the hand of death. He was modest and conservative, yet persevering, active, scholarly and thoroughly devoted to the cause of education. In the same year Louis Hillmantel, the veteran principal of the Ninth ward school for more than twenty-five years, followed Mr. Spinney. He was a man of great personal power and strong individuality. His school work was carried on with military precision and rigor, yet he had a kind and loving heart and was held in the highest esteem by his pupils. He belonged to the old school of pedagogy and thoroughly believed in the efficiency and necessity of corporal punish- ment.
Miss Maria Bivins, a teacher in the Tenth dis- trict, died in the fall of 1890. She had been a teacher 'in the Milwaukee schools for sixteen years, and ranked high in her profession. Mrs. Maria Tyrrell, of the Third district, died March, 1891. D. W. MacKay, principal Eighth district school No. 1, died February 25, 1894. He was a man of great physical strength, and his death was a shock to his many friends.
Jacob Wahl died March 19, 1894. He had been in the service as a teacher for thirty-five years, and nearly all of that time was principal of the
Sixth district school No. 1. His life was de- voted to his work, and his labors were not only long in years, but were well and efficiently done. His school was his life.
The board always encouraged the formation of libraries in the various schools, and in order not to get undesirable books in these libraries, a standing committee on libraries was appointed, in 1882, and this committee prepared a list of suitable books from which purchases could be made. This committee is still maintained and annual appro- priations are made, varying in amount from five hundred dollars to eight hundred dollars in the aggregate for all the district schools. Additions have also been made by gifts and from the pro- ceeds of school entertainments. These books in- clude reference works, books for general reading at home, and for supplementary reading in the schools.
The Woman's School Alliance is an organiza- tion which was formed in 1891 by a few mothers interested in the physical and mental welfare of their children, and who wished to co-operate with the board in bringing about improved sanitary conditions in the schools. They subsequently en- larged the range of their recommendations, and we find July 3, 1893, they made certain sugges- tions relative to courses of study, truancy, cor- poral punishment, length of school year and ventilation of school rooms.
The People's Institute of Milwaukee is an organization intending to assist in supplementing the work of the schools in aiding adults, whose education was limited in any way when young, or who wish to continue their higher studies at home. Professor F. W. Spiers was made director of the institute work for the year 1892-'93, the use of school buildings was given the institute by the board, and evening lectures given and classes formed in various subjects. The financial depression of 1893 checked the work of the insti- tute and not much was done during the year 1894
CHAPTER XXVII.
SPECIAL DEPARTMENTS OF THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
BY AUGUSTUS J. ROGERS.
O CTOBER 7, 1846, thirteen acres in the present Sixth ward was deeded to the city by Increase A. Lapham to be forever used for the purposes of a high school. The Com- mon council accepted the gift and appointed trustees for the same, but indefinitely postponed further action. Later the land reverted to the donor. The neglect on the part of the city gov- ernment to meet the provisions of this most gen- erous gift of a most worthy and public spirited citizen, was certainly a great loss to the com- munity.
We find that steps were not taken toward the establishment of a high school until 1852, when the board appointed a committee to consider the propriety of establishing such a school, but no definite action was taken by the board to that end until 1857 ; though the matter was again re- vived and discussed in 1854.
It was during the interval from 1851 to 1858 that " The University " served in some measure the functions of a high school for the city. In 1849 what was known as the "Wilcox School " was founded, and was carried on in the basement of the old first church, which was situated on the northwest corner of Milwaukee and Mason streets. In 1850 we find it was under the direction of a Board of Trustees consisting of James H. Rogers, Wm. P. Lynde, Alexander Mitchell, James Farr, John Ogden, P. C. Hale and I. E. Goodall. Wal- lace C. Wilcox, A. M., was rector. On the oppo- site corner to the east was erected the " Milwau- kee Academy," of Dixon and Richardson, which was in operation from October 4, 1852, to Decem- ber 22, 1853, when it was burned. George W. Lee was principal of the primary department and Mr. Richardson of the grammar department on the first floor, while Mr. Dixon had a girl's de- partment on the second floor. What was called at the time and has since been known as the university was the successor of the Wilcox School, and first occupied rooms in Young's block at
the corner of Main (Broadway) and Wisconsin streets, in 1851. The block was burned in Feb- ruary, 1852, and the university had to seek tem- porary quarters in various parts of the city. On August 1, 1852, a piece of property on Main street, between Mason and Biddle, was purchased. The building on the lot had been occupied for several years for school purposes by Professor Amasa Buck, who now went farther up Main street and conducted a school for several years near the corner of Martin street. The incorpora- tors of the university were Elisha Eldred, William P. Lynde, William P. Young, George D. Dousman, Ira E. Goodall, John Ogden, Moses Kneeland, Samuel C. West, Henry S. Burton, Eli S. Hunter, William H. Spencer, Alexander Mitchell, James H. Rogers, Byron B. Bird, Robert C. Bradford, William E. Cramer, William Allen, Nelson Lud- ington, Jonathan L. Pierce, Joseph Cary, John D. Gardner, Clarence Sheperd, Joseph G. Wilson, Wallace C. Wilcox, Edward P. Hotchkiss and Stoddard H. Martin. From the above list it will be seen that a large number of the most promin- ent, public spirited and influential men of the time were interested in the institution. The Rev. Dr. Wiley was made chancellor or president, but remained at the head of the university for only one year. Joseph G. Wilson was made professor of history, rhetoric and belles lettres, Edward P. IIotchkiss professor of Latin and Greek and James H. Dodge professor of mathematics. Mrs. Mary H. Hotchkiss was added to the corps as teacher of elocution and Professor Lowell Lincoln as instruc- tor of penmanship. Professor Wilson remained but two years, but Professors Hotchkiss and Dodge remained until 1857.
The university had evidently not attained the success its originators and supporters had expected and we find that at a meeting of the stockholders of the institution July 28, 1857, the trustees arc authorized to sell the property. Accordingly it was sold to the city September 8, 1857, for ton
156
Frances Burgos
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SPECIAL DEPARTMENTS OF THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
thousand dollars, which cleared up the indebted- ness and left a balance of twelve hundred dollars. The university had only an academic department which was divided into five classes or years. The course of study for the first year included modern geography, mental arithmetic, elocution, orthogra- phy, penmanship and declamation; for the second year, mental arithmetic,geography,general history, declamation, etc .; third year, arithmetic, history, Latin grammar, analysis and parsing of words, declamation and composition; fourth year, Cæsar, Greek grammar, arithmetic, declamation and composition; fith year, Virgil, Xenophon's Ana- basis, English grammar, ancient history, declama- tion and composition. From the above course of study it will be seen that the humanities were more in favor than the sciences. Tuition in the higher classes was twenty dollars per year, and in the lower classes sixteen dollars. From the an- nual report of 1853 we find there were one hun- dred and fifteen pupils in attendance at that time. Declamation and oratory evidently received con- siderable attention in those days, as school exhi- bitions and prize declamations were frequently held. Among those who took part in a prize declamation contest held February 26, 1855, we find many names still well known in Milwaukee. In the list are James G. Flanders. Edward L. Cary, George W. Merrick, Chas. A. Sercomb, Franklin Pierce, Eugene S. Elliot, Chas. H. Wheeler, Chas. G. Hatch, Edward A. Douglas, Milton Townsend, George Steever, Francis Boyd, Edward A. Hale, William H. Eldred, Thomas H. Brown, John F. Sheperd, Chas. P. Silkman, Geo. F. Westover, Wilkins Bloodgood, Theodore B. Elliott, Frederick C. Winkler and Henry M. Dousman. The university was succeeded by a public high school in the Seventh ward on the site of the present district school, which opened in January, 1858. The records of the School Board show that in August, 1857, the board adopted the following resolution: "That the Executive Com- mittee be directed to organize three union high schools in the city, the first to be for the Third and Seventh wards, the second to be for the Second, Fourth, Sixth and Ninth wards, and the third for the Fifth and Eighth wards, and for such wards as may hereafter be made by dividing the same, and that these schools go into operation as soon as suitable buildings shall be provided for occupancy.". The Milwaukee Seventh ward high
school, No. 1, was ready for occupancy in January, 1858, and the Second ward high school, No. 2, in the fall of 1858. The projected high school for the South side never was built. September 4, 1857, J. G. McKindley was appointed as "principal of the Seventh ward high school at a salary of fifteen hundred dollars per year, provided his services be devoted to the interests of the schools, visiting them from time to time, until the completion of the school house." The princi- pal was to nominate his assistants subject to the approval of the Executive Committee. The as- sistants named were Miss Whipple, first assistant, salary five hundred and fifty dollars; Miss Lincoln, second assistant, salary five hundred and fifty dol- lars ; Miss Sleeper, third assistant, salary four hundred dollars; Mr. Fred Regenfuss, German and French, salary eight hundred dollars. Pupils were examined for admission in " orthography, elements of punctuation, composition, geography, arithmetic through decimal fractions, outline his- tory of the United States, grammar, elements of algebra through simple execution." There is also a record that on September 25, 1858, all pupils residing west of the Milwaukee river and north of the Menomonee were to be transferred to the Second ward high school. This school had been started after the Seventh ward high school, and like that in the Seventh ward was practically a high school department of the grammar school. Mr. E. P. Larkin was principal of the Second ward high school. It would seem that the Seventh ward school was of somewhat higher grade than the Second ward high school and attracted more public attention and was known as "The Milwaukee High School." We find that the school had two public exhibitions which at- tracted much attention, one given April 22, 1859, and the other August 6, 1860, in Albany Hall. We find also that at the close of the term in De- cember, 1859, Mr. McKindley invited the teach- ers and students to the number of two hundred to a very elaborate banquet at the Newhall House : certainly a rather expensive courtesy for the aver- age teacher to extend to his school. At the close of Mr. McKindley's service in August, 1860, we hear no more of the Seventh ward school as a high school. It was in this year, on account of the financial strin- gency that the high schools were discontinued ; though the principals were allowed to continue the schools as private institutions supported by
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HISTORY OF MILWAUKEE.
tuition of pupils, and the high school in the Sec- ond ward was maintained in this manner for some years. The Seventh Ward School had evi- dently done valuable work while it existed and met more nearly the demands of the time than the university had done. Girls were admitted as well as boys, and its course of study was less pre- tentious and more practical. At the reunion banquet of the university and high school stu- dents given at the Plankinton House, October 28, 1885, Mr. Eugene S. Elliot referred to the high school as follows: " The high school was the worthy successor of the university, but its methods were so entirely different and its require- ments so rigid that we, who had thought ourselves quite models of learning at the university, were forced to acknowledge that we knew nothing at the high school. Mr. McKindley-I remember he scorned the title of professor-was a first-class disciplinarian and stubborn in his opinion that mental arithmetic and geography and grammar should be well learned, before rhetoric, and Latin or Greek were taken up. So, though a 'High School,' we began with the rudiments, and I for one have never regretted it."*
Following the discontinuance of the high schools in 1860, several of the ward schools at- tempted to maintain classes in advanced grammar school and high school work. Mr. James Mac Alister, who was principal of the Fourth ward school from 1860 to 1864 maintained high school classes for two years, having from twenty to thirty pupils. These high school classes or- ganized in several of the ward schools were the only privileges of the kind afforded the advanced pupils of the city schools previous to January, 1868.
By act of the legislature, March, 1867, the Board of School Commissioners of Milwaukee were authorized to establish and maintain a high school for the city, which should be opened on or before the first Wednesday in January, 1868. One of the sections of this act required the mayor of the city to appoint annually five suitable persons to visit and inspect said high school at least once in each term, and who should transmit to the board a report in writing, dated the 15th of August, containing the results of their inspection and showing the condition of the school "in regard to government, discipline, training and instruc-
*see M. A. Boardman's "Reunion Banquet, Oct. 28, 1885."
tion." The maximum salary of the principal was fixed at two thousand five hundred dollars per annum, and the assistants from eight hundred dollars to fifteen hundred dollars per annum.
At a meeting of the board in August, 1867, a resolution was adopted, forming a new "Standing Committee on High School" to whom all matters pertaining to the high school shall be referred before formal action thereon shall be taken by the board. This committee consisted of the pres- ident of the board, the superintendent and three commissioners. The first committee was made up of President H. L. Palmer, Superintendent and Secretary F. C. Pomeroy and Commis- sioners Charles F. Bode, Thomas Keogh and Jared Thompson, Jr.
In accordance with the provisions of the act of the legislature, the board opened the high school on the first Wednesday in January, 1868, in the room appropriated to the grammar department of the Seventh ward school. The faculty consisted of one principal-Mr. S. D. Gaylord-and two male and one female assistant teachers. The total number of pupils enrolled during the remainder of the year was eighty-one. At the opening of the school the following text-books were adopted: Algebra, Ray's Higher; Geometry, Davies' Legendre; Surveying, Robinsons'; Natural Philos- ophy, Rolfe and Gillette; Chemistry, Rolfe and Gillette; Astronomy, Hand-book of the Stars; Physiology, Hitchcock's; Geology, Tenny; Nat- ural History, Tenny; Botany, Wood; Greek, Harkness Series; Latin, Harkness Series; French, Otte's Böcher; German, Otto's Grammar; English Analysis, Greene's; Rhetoric and Logic, Koppee's; History, Weber; Political Economy, Wayland; Constitution of the United States, Story; Mental Science, Haven.
The first visiting committee appointed by the mayor consisted of Jeremiah Quin, Moritz Schoef- fler and J. H. Cordes. They made a report Ang- ust 15, 1868, to the School Board " with respect to the government, discipline, training and in- struction." This report was highly compliment- ary to the school and urged the necessity of bet- ter accommodations for the coming school year. In the report of the visiting committee for the next year-1868-69-consisting of S. S. Sher- man, Moritz Schoeffler and John Johnston, it is stated that those pupils admitted the first year were necessarily poorly prepared and were unable
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SPECIAL DEPARTMENTS OF THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
to successfully complete the two years course. They already observe the stimulating effect of the high school upon the grammar schools in "sup- plying incentives to higher and better scholar- ship." They suggest the propriety of extending the high school course to four years, which will supply the deficiencies of the lower departments and enable the high school to perform more sat- isfactorily its own appropriate work. They fur- ther urge the importance of obtaining a separate and suitable building for the accommodation of the school and where the principal will be re- lieved from supervision beyond the high school. They also call attention to the importance of pro- viding suitable scientific apparatus and other ap- pliances for the use of the school. The whole number of pupils enrolled during the year was one hundred, with an average daily attendance of sixty- eight. The amount paid for teachers' salaries during the year was five thousand nine hundred dollars. It will thus be seen that the cost per pupil on the average attendance was considerably more than in later years.
At the beginning of the next school year in Sep- tember, the high school opened in the old First ward school building, on the corner of Van Buren and Division (Juneau avenue) streets, without a principal and with an attendance of eighty-eight pupils. This gradually diminished to forty-eight in the following June, and there was an aver- age daily attendance during the school year of 1869-70 of sixty-three. In January of 1870 a principal was appointed-Mr. J. C. Pickard-at a salary of two thousand five hundred dollars. His corps of teachers consisted of J. P. Fuchs, salary, seventeen hundred dollars; J. J. Lalor, salary, six- teen hundred dollars; Jennie Lascelle, eight hun- dred dollars; Julia Ashley, six hundred dollars. The first class that ever received diplomas from the high school were graduated July 7, 1870, and consisted of the following graduates : Alfred Brimer, Horace A. J. Upham, Sarah C. Burnham, J. Gertrude Lemmenes, Mattie A. Loomis, Mattie B. MacNeill.
A full four years' course of study in mathematics, science, history, language and literature had now been adopted and the future work of the high school was to become more advanced and efficient, though it was still necessary to review the studies of the grammar school.
The number of pupils admitted to the high
school in September, 1870 was ninety, and their average age fourteen years and eight months. Professor J. C. Pickard with the same corps of teachers was reappointed-with the exception of Misses Lascelle and Clark-while Miss Barry was added as teacher of music.
The graduates of June 30, 1871, were Joseph G. Donnelly, Chauncey W. Simonds, Henry S. Schwind, Sarah A. Richards and Theodocia A. Taylor. We find that pupils had previously been admitted to the high school before completing all of the lower grades ; but in September, 1871, admis- sions were restricted by action of the board to those who had completed the second grade-next to the highest grade-which made the class of a better quality than any preceding. The visiting com- mittee suggest that the pupils admitted are still poorly prepared and recommend that those in authority be rigid in their requirements for admis- sion, whereby a grade of scholarship will be secured, improving the ward schools as well as the high school.
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