USA > Wisconsin > Monroe County > History of Monroe County, Wisconsin, past and present : including an account of the cities, towns and villages of the county [microform] > Part 27
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CHAPTER XXVI. SPARTA SCHOOLS.
A woman, a rare and noble soul, whose name is numbered among the pioneers of '55, was given the task of first establishing the cause of education in the little village on the banks of Beaver creek, and it was not a task which she undertook at a request of any school board, but because she was a large-hearted, kind woman, well educated and bright, whose pity was aroused by the children of this little village roaming the streets without school advantages, that Elizabeth Trux voluntarily assumed the duties of teacher, procured a room and gathered around her eighteen pupils and thus inaugurated the cause of education in Sparta, and it grew mightily with the passage of time, from 1855, when the first school house was built, to the present. Her own language will convey the difficulty which was encountered by Mrs. Trux in this little pioneer school, and we here quote from an article written by her in 1897 the following:
"As there was no school here when we came and I had had some experience as a teacher, I opened a school on the 6th day of April, 1855, with eighteen children. Besides teaching them to read and spell I taught them to sew and to work perforated cardboard and often kept them with me for company until tea time, sometimes taking them out to pick flowers and winter- greens ; I think they were all very happy and I am sure I was, for I loved the little ones dearly. There was at that time a frame building on the corner of Oak and Water streets, now occupied by the Williams block, facing Oak street, containing three rooms. One was Mr. S. D. Jackson's store, another the postoffice, and as the other had just been vacated we were fortunate to secure it. Here we kept house and taught school in the same room. In about two weeks Mr. Pott and Mr. Scheler with their families came from Pennsylvania and bought the building, so we were obliged to move into one room of what was known as the 'Old Log Fort,' which stood just back of where Mr. Foster's harness store now stands, facing Water street. Mr. Thomas Blyton's people lived in the next room and another family in the back
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room. Our room contained our cook stove, bed, and such other furniture as we possessed, with the same benches made of slabs that we had in the other school room. More children came until we had twenty-eight in that small room and it was pretty well filled. In a few weeks Mr. Blyton's people moved into a house they had built and I had the room they vacated for a school room; new families came with more children, and our number increased until we had forty-seven. When the school had been running a little more than two months Mr. Edward Canfield, who owned the house, came from Connectient with his family and wanted the whole of it. so the school had to be given up for want of a room in which to hold it.
"In June the first school house was built on the present site of the West Primary and is now occupied as a residence in the southwestern part of the city.
"Miss Ann Shepherd, an experienced teacher from Fond du Lac, was the first teacher in the first public school. I taught as a substitute for her for one month while she was sick, and such a school was never taught before; there were one hundred pupils of all ages, from all parts of the county, with the books they had brought with them. and as there were no books to be bought in Sparta, there were no two books alike. which made each pupil a separate class, and made it very hard for the teacher, as well as for the scholars. I sometimes wonder if the members of our schools at the present time can appreciate the wonderful privileges they have in getting an education."
Pioneer days in the schools were pretty much alike in this county, a story of struggles for better things, better school houses. better equipments, better teachers, better everything that starts the young American on his way in the world with something of an education, whether he is rich or poor; and progress at times found hanging on her skirt the old saying, "What is good enough for our forefathers is good enough for us" fallacy. but be it said to the credit of the good sense of the citizens of Sparta exercised as a whole that running through all the years has been a disposition to give to the schools anything which in reason ought to be provided. a loyalty which has borne rich fruit in the past and will continue to do so in the future.
Perhaps there is no subject more choice to the people than the history of the schools of any community, for in a great degree characters are built, careers mapped out. and perhaps men of history here receive the fundamental education upon which to
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build for the future. But of the details of the earlier years little can be gathered; with the gradual change of methods and better equipments the village schools kept pace with modern methods, resulting in the establishment of a high school which was accom- plished during the time of Professor Bloomingdale. Of him no better description can be given than that which is contained in an article written by Dr. D. C. Beebe in 1897, after long service on the school board, from which we quote as follows:
"I see way back in the '60s an important personage in educa- tional affairs here. He really is the pioneer, for no worthy pretentions to aggressive educational work were made here before his time. He was rough in manner, untidy in dress, of strong personality, had a tender heart, and an unflinching conr- age that never forsook his convictions, let come what would. Closely allied and almost inseparable, was the educational insti- tution of the place at that time-the new brick school building just finished and equipped.
"Prof. J. Bloomingdale was not only principal and superin- tendent of the Sparta schools, but he was the oracle, the com- pendium, the beginning and end of all matters that savored of public education. He planned with great nicety the new school building, and superintended its construction with jealous care ; and when it was completed. it was to him the embodiment of all that was then worth knowing in school architecture. I remen- ber distinctly the first quasi-theatrical that I enjoyed in the new. building on one public Friday. It was a grand success. The house was filled with proud fathers and mothers. The stage appointments were admirable, and the costumes of the players all that the delighted patrons could wish. The principal, with unshaven face and bushy, frouzled hair, seemed enveloped in a halo of glory as the good work went on.
"Professor Bloomingdale was a type and teacher of the old school, and as such he held the ground without a rival. Death called him home before his eyes ever saw the dawn of the new educational era. What seemed to him to be the acme of school- house perfection fell far short of what is demanded for our children today."
The building mentioned in the foregoing quotation was the brick high school building built on the present site of the grade school in 1868-69 at a cost of about $13,000, and was con- sidered at that time as a high school building well in advance of the usual buildings devoted to this purpose. How the school
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system developed is concisely and entirely described by William 11. Blyton in an article on the Sparta schools, from which we quote very freely as follows :
"Prior to 1876 the progress of our schools was retarded by false notions of economy. To be sure, we had built from time to time fairly good school buildings, but evidently but little care was given to the matter of selecting experienced teachers. If a suitable and competent principal was secured it seemed to be the policy of the authorities to fill the other places in the schools at the lowest possible cost. Not until after a special meeting of the electors of the district, which was held on the 27th of July, 1876, at which time the people there present unanimously re- solved to organize a free high school district under the law of the state, being chapter 322, general laws of 1875, was sufficient attention given to the selection of subordinate teachers and adopting wholesome rules and regulations. When this was done the school seemed to at once spring into new life and began 10 attract attention. Sparta schools had been under the immediate care and direction of Professors Bloomingdale. Smith. Cummings, Winter and Clark, and the corps of teachers have been increased from seven in 1870 to sixteen in 1897. The question of providing more and better accommodations for the school appeared to have been settled for all time, as many of our people then supposed. by the erection of the high school building in 1868-69 at a cost of $13,000. but as the population of the district increased the demand for more and better school buildings became so pressing that not- withstanding the additions and alterations heretofore made to the several buildings the school board at the annual district meet- ing on July 1. 1895, reported as follows :
" 'The problem of what we are to do with our overcrowded school without more school room, has confronted the school board for more than a year. When the present high school building was built the school census of the district showed between 500 and 600 children of school age, the census just taken shows over one thousand children of school age. It has finally come to this- something must be done. some plan must be devised that will re- lieve these overcrowded schools or they will greatly suffer for the ensuing year. Indeed, if no relief is provided the board is of the opinion that the half-day plan should be adopted and preferable to crowding so many pupils together.' Upon the fore- going report and at the suggestion of many citizens the people were prompted to act, and the result was finally recorded on July 8. 1895. by the adoption of proper legal resolutions authorizing
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the raising of necessary funds to purchase additional ground and to build a new high school building."
"The school board immediately took the proper steps to secure the necessary ground, caused plans and specifications to be pre- pared for such new building. and on the 26th day of September, 1895, awarded the contract for the new building to L. V. Huschka, of Sparta, for the sum of $18,379.66, and work thereon was promptly begun, and the present high school building was completed and ready for occupancy September 1. 1896. The destruction of the old high school building by fire on December 2, 1895. again called for prompt action and an additional ontlay of money. Again the people were assembled in special meeting on December 30, 1895, to authorize the construction of a new building to take the place of the one destroyed, which was done without a dissenting voice. On July 6, 1896. at the annual meet- ing of the district, more money was voted and the result of the action of the taxpayers in the district is the two fine, substantial school buildings of which we are all so justly prond. With the loss of the West Primary building by fire on January 3, 1892. the high school building on December 2, 1895, and the W. C. T. U. building, in which the high school was temporarily located, on April 6, 1896, it will be seen that the duties of the school officers and teachers have not been altogether easy to perform and the demands on the taxpayers by no means light. However. we have survived and today we are in possession of fine buildings and equipments which have cost as follows :
"High school building. $18,379.66; seating and furnishing, $938.75 : intermediate building. $12,280: seating and furnishing. $628.55: Depot school building. $601.05 : boiler house and boiler. $1,703: East Primary building, $1.200; West Primary building. $4,020.55: estimated value of school grounds, $9.800: making a grand total of $49,551.56 invested for school purposes. The an- nual current expenses of conducting the schools have increased from $6.668.24 in 1876 to $11,617.76, being an increase of $4,949.52. While this is quite a large increase it is not so large in proportion as the increase in the number of scholars."
The above article, written in 1897. certainly shows a remark- able amount of progress made in the building of buildings and equipping the high school and the ward schools of the city, and since that time new school houses have been built for the depot primary and the east and west primaries so that the buildings now owned by the school district are all modern and up-to-date in every particular, and with the addition of a department of
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domestic science and another of manual training in connection with the high school, has brought the Sparta schools down to the present time as thoroughly equipped and efficiently managed, giving all the advantages that any high school in the state can offer, except, perhaps, not as complete equipped in the laboratory for scientific investigation or as large a reference library as is desirable.
The training of the child has indeed largely changed in the last forty or fifty years ; not only in the course of study arranged for his benefit mentally, but also much attention is paid to the physical growth and restraints of bad habits of body. Sensible, muscle-making and health-giving athletic exercises are now rec- ognized as of imperative importance. A substantial foundation for special or professional work is now laid in the high school. For not only is domestic science and manual training taught, but stenography, typewriting. bookkeeping and commercial pursuits are also a part of the courses of study. Scientific methods of in- quiry on particular lines of knowledge as developed through laboratory work and in other ways in bringing practical educa- tion to every high school student, in fact, in all lines and in all courses of study the Sparta high school has proved to be one of the best and has turned out many fine examples of young Ameri- ean manhood and womanhood, whose careers as citizens in various parts of the country have demonstrated the thoroughness with which the foundition of their education and physical lives was wrought.
"ATHLETICS."
In the earlier days in the high school baseball was more or less prominent, and in fact was the principal game to which at- tention was devoted by the students, and perhaps was never better played than in the time of Professor Winters. At that time the McCoy boys, S. R. Burroughs, Palmer, Beck brothers, Calhoun and Leyden were almost expert players. Later came Gould. Burr and Moseley, who had foremost parts in connection with the game. In the spring of '96 Sparta won the champion- ship of the Western Wisconsin High Schools for baseball. Track and field athletics began with the advent of Mr. A. F. Barnard as a teacher in the school during '94 and '95. A field day was held in June, 1895, between the Mauston and Sparta schools at the latter place, and Sparta won many of the events. This was nothing more than a start, however, and during the succeeding year a league was formed called "The West Wisconsin High
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School Athletic League," which had in view the promotion and maintenance of general athletics and comprising the towns of Vi- roqua. Tomah, Mauston and Sparta, and the field day between the teams representing these several towns was held at Sparta, June 6, 1896. This league was maintained for two or three years, but owing to the lack of support on the part of the various or- ganizations, it was finally dropped.
It is to be regretted that more records were not kept of the various athletie events during the past years with which the high school has been connected, but as a rule since '96, when athletics took in a larger field of events, including football and the ordinary track and field sports, the Sparta high school has maintained a prominent place in high school athletics and at times has taken a championship or two.
Particular attention during the latter years has been paid to the football team, and perhaps the greatest success was attained by the team of 1908, under the captainship of Earle Jefferson, when the Sparta team, having defeated LaCrosse in past contests for seven straight times on the home grounds, an exciting game was played at LaCrosse between the two teams on Thanksgiving day. Fully five hundred people went to LaCrosse on that day to witness the game and give moral and "vocal" support to the Sparta team. The game was close, well contested and exciting throughout, the score finally being twelve to ten in favor of Sparta, and this added eight straight vietories over LaCrosse. It was indeed a victory, for LaCrosse had been very energetic in perfecting her team and had gone to considerable expense in employing a coach, the home team having been coached by Dr. Barlow, a dentist residing in the city, himself an athlete and deeply interested in everything that pertained to athleties. An athletic association exists in connection with the high school to which students are eligible, and it is connected with the Inter- scholastic Athletic Association of Wisconsin, under the rules of which all contests are held.
THE SPARTAN.
A little quarterly magazine, entiled The Spartan, is published by the students of the high school. which originated in the early part of the fall term of 1885. Numerous publications were received from different schools and colleges in Wisconsin and the neighboring states, among them being the University Press and Badger of our own state. As these papers continued to arrive and were almost invariably accompanied by requests for an ex-
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change. the idea gradually suggested itself that the high school might be able to get out a journal of its own, and after consider- able investigation it was finally decided to publish a school paper, and with that end in view the students proceeded to elect a board of editors, and The Spartan made its first appearance on the 20th of November, 1885. In its first issue the purpose of the publica- tion was set forth as follows:
The Spartan aims first, to be a true representative of the Sparta High School. It is to be the production of the scholars as a body. Its columns will always be open for the expression of honest opinions, and the only test for the admission of articles will be merit and originality. We purpose to insert each month several original essays on live subjects, subjects that will be interesting both to the students and to the community at large. No pains will be spared in making the alumni column one of the most valuable departments of the paper, for we wish The Spartan to be indispensable to all graduates and former students of the school." The editorial board of the publication was selected from different classes, each class having one or more represent- atives. At the outset it was the intention to publish the paper once each month, but owing to the amount of school work that was not always found advisable, so that it resolved publications of four numbers each year.
Outside of the articles contributed by students there have been frequent articles by the alumni and former members of the school, which, from time to time. have proved of great interest. It is the plan of each board of editors to produce an attractive and valuable magazine, and particular attention is paid to the printing and illustrations. The paper is supported principally from subscriptions of the students and alumni and quite an amount is also received from advertisements, and the business and professional men of the city are glad to render assistance to this meritorious work by giving small advertisements, which are carried throughout the year. The little paper has proved to be of considerable value in preserving in this form the records of graduating classes and of some athletic events, and also oratorical contests and debates. It was published for two years. completing two volumes of eight numbers each, after which the publication was dropped for a number of years. It was finally revived in 1898 and has been published continuously ever since, having reached its fifteenth volume in the school year of 1911 and 1912, and now is one of the permanent institutions of the high school.
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SOCIETIES.
Numerous societies sprung up, had their day, and were no more, especially those of a musical nature, although in 1908, 1909 and 1910 a very creditable glee club was maintained among the boys of the high school known as the "Owl Glee Club." It has a membership of something like twenty voices, and was quite successful in its work. There was also a girls' glee club, called the "Greig Choral Society," and in the fall of 1909 a high school orchestra made its bow to the public and proved to be a very popular organization during its one or two seasons of existence. The oldest society in point of years is the Jefferson Debating Club for boys, which was organized during the fall of 1897 and has been in existence ever sinee. This is a society conducting de- bates and literary exercises and has developed good material and furnished several debating teams, which in the past has held up the honor of Sparta High in contests with other schools.
The Girls' Athena Society, a debating club, is also successfully maintained, and its meetings have proved to be interesting and instructive to its members. The athletic society has been previously mentioned. But, perhaps, the most interesting asso- ciation from the point of its membership is, of course, the Alumni Association, which numbers as its members all of the living graduates of the Sparta High School. This association meets once a year, during the holiday season. between Christmas and New Year's, and indulges usually in a reception and a ban- quet, followed by a program of varied interest.
This society numbers among its members many who have achieved prominence in different walks of life. They are seat- tered in many states and to attempt to enumerate them would be a task indeed, and we will be content with mentioning here some of the more prominent. Of course there comes to the mind at once the name of John J. Esch, who has achieved a national reputation in congress as the representative from this district ; Frank Oster, Julian Bennett and Howard Teasdale, all have been mentioned in a previous chapter on the legal fraternity ; Corwin J. Steele, of the class of '77, became a prominent physician at Milwaukee, Wis .; Dr. Carl Beebe and Dr. Spencer Beebe, now both of this city, prominent physicians in this part of the state; Dr. Albert J. Miller, of the class of '92, who served in the Philippines in the United States troops, and is now located in California; A. R. Smith, of '87, an attorney practicing at Bara-
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boo: R. B. MeCoy. at present county judge of Monroe county ; S. R. Burroughs, quite prominent in insurance circles, who en- gages in business now in Sparta. There are quite a number of the legal fraternity who did not graduate from the Sparta High School but received a portion of their education in it. who are all referred to in a previous chapter on the "legal fraternity."
Among the alumna may be mentioned Miss Laura Miller, now a prominent educator in Montana : Miss Bell Ady, who graduated from the school in 'S1, afterwards taking a course of music in the Boston Conservatory. and for some time filled a position in the Sparta school : Mary L. Bisbee, a poet of her school genera- tion, now in California. But to go over the whole list will con- sume more space than we can devote to the subject and it will suffice to say that the graduates of Sparta High School as a rule have made good.
The following is a complete list of the graduates of Sparta High School, arranged by classes, from 1877 to and including 1912:
Class of 1877-Mary E. Greene, Emma MeKenzie, Mary MeKenzie, William J. Hughes. Lizzie H. Palmer, Annie Streeton and Corwin J. Steele.
Class of 1878-Addie Ellis. W. F. Sawyer, Hallie Smith. Julian Bennett. R. F. Jones, Fannie Palmer. Eliza Canfield. Frank Oster, Jessie McMillan, J. C. Prill. Kate Irwin, Howard Teasdale, John J. Esch, Stella Brock. E. K. Holden and Lizzie Hill.
Class of 1879-Jennie Wells, Mary Harr, Mary Morrow, Charles J. Smith, Sarah Gould. Mary Foote. Josie Fisk, Charles L. Smith. Lillie Sarles, Nellie Harvey, Florence Thayer, William Graves and Ella James.
Class of 1881-Angie Dorwin. Mamie Merrill. Frane MeMil- lan. Belle Ady. Lottie King and Etta Kiler.
Class of 1882-George Grossman. Alvin Regan, Addie M. Sa- bin. Fannie Cook, Wm. F. Jones, Louis Brooks. Jennie MeMillan and Gertie Bancroft.
Class of 1883-Stella Bancroft and Lnella Tyler.
Class of 1884-George Petis, Flora Dalaba, Lou Baldwin, Mamie Sarles, Anna Beekler. Minnie Lee, George Stevens. Neeta Baldwin. Nellie Hanchett and Carl Beebe.
Class of 1886-Franc C. Angle. George E. Gray, Rose E. Hel- ler. Miriam J. Jewett. Hattie W. Lawrence. Dora E. Link, Mary A. Smith. Walter M. Smith and Mary P. Spafford.
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