USA > Wisconsin > Sheboygan County > History of Sheboygan County, Wisconsin, past and present > Part 32
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The purpose of this history is also to show briefly that our busy manu- facturing city has, in its efforts and scramble for commercial recognition, never neglected its schools. It will be noticed that room has been pro- vided for school purposes whenever there was a demand for it, courses of study have been adopted and changed as the advancement of schools called for, and that a progressive attitude toward its public schools has always been maintained. Not every new "fad" was taken up in the course of instruction nor was every new educational scheme incorporated into our school system, but the board of education was never behind the times in giving careful consideration to everything that would promote the best interests of our schools.
EARLY ORGANIZATION OF SHEBOYGAN PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Record of proceedings in School District No. I, in Sheboygan county. October 29, 1840.
In pursuance of the 3d section of an Act of the Legislature of Wis- consin, approved the 13th of January, 1840, entitled, "An Act to provide for the support of Common Schools and for other purposes, the inhabit- ants of town 15 north and range 23 east, petitioned county commissioners of Sheboygan county to set apart a school district of a portion of said territory, which petition was granted and the following order of notice for a meeting of the legal voters in said district was duly posted up, viz : 'Notice is hereby given to the legal voters of School District No. I that an election will be held at the schoolhouse in Sheboygan, on Thursday the 29th day of October, at 10 o'clock A. M., for the purpose of electing a Clerk, Collector and three Trustees for said District and to transact such business as may be deemed proper when met.'"
Commissioner's Office, Sheboygan Falls, October 20, 1840.
CHARLES D. COLE, Clerk, B. C. C.
Whereupon the voters assembled on the said 29th day of October and the following are the proceedings of said meeting, viz :
At a meeting of the qualified voters of school district No. I at the schoolhouse in the town of Sheboygan on the 29th day of October, 1840, in pursuance of previous notice having been given, Stephen Wolverton Esq., was chosen moderator; Benjamin H. Moore, clerk; Hugh M. Ritter, collector ; John Russell, Alva Rublee and Stephen Wolverton, trustees.
On motion of B. H. Moore a tax was levied agreeable to the Statute, in School District No. I, for the use of schools in said district of two hundred dollars, the vote was taken by yes and noes as follows: Alva Rublee, yes; B. H. Moore, yes ; S. H. Farnsworth, yes; Stephen Wolverton, yes; Hugh M. Ritter, yes; John Russell, yes; John Johnson, yes. Being all the voters present.
I certify the above is a true copy of the proceedings of this meeting,
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exclusive of the By Laws for the regulation and government of said school district and school which are annexed hereto.
B. H. MOORE, Clerk of District.
The following are some of the rules and regulations governing the schools which were adopted by the voters.
2. That the Trustees be required to keep a School in operation be a qualified and certified teacher so long as the public monies and subscrip- tions by the patrons of the school for the time being will warrant.
3. The trustees may expel any scholar from school for disorderly and unbecoming conduct.
4. The Trustees may close the school and dismiss the teacher upon the advice of a majority of the patrons of the school.
6. All the officers of said district Trustees, Collector and Clerk shall make a report once a year at the annual meeting (and oftener if thereto required by a district meeting) of the transactions of their several depart- ments for the year preceding, with a statement of the monies then on hand and of the probable and certain resources of the district for the next year.
7. The annual election for Clerk, Collector and Trustees shall be held at the schoolhouse on the last Thursday in October in each year at ten o'clock A. M. and six days' notice hereof shall be given by the Clerk by posting up notices in three public places of which the schoolhouse door shall be one. The old officers of the year shall hold over until, after the annual report required by the preceding section.
8. That the Trustees be authorized to spend fifty dollars of monies expected to be raised in this district by tax for the purchase of a district school library to be comprised of such books and instruments as are pur- chased and used for district school libraries in the state of New York.
9. That the trustees be required to estimate the probable amount of wood and the expense of preparing the same for use in the schoolhouse for the term of any school and to assist and apportion the same to each scholar and to notify the parents and guardians of such scholars thereof who may furnish the same in full of any claim upon him and such as refuse or neglect to furnish the same shall be taxed therefore and the same shall be collected by the Collector of the district upon the order of the Trustees.
IO. That for every quarter's schooling within this district the patrons of the school residing within the district shall be required to pay about half the expenses thereof unless it shall be ordered otherwise by a district meeting, and such scholars as may attend from other districts shall be charged for full tuition as no public money can be drawn on their account.
13. That any two of the trustees shall form a quorum to do business notwithstanding all shall be advised and consulted upon the propriety of employing any particular teacher and all orders for the payment of money shall be signed by at least two of the Trustees.
15. The Trustees are authorized to make such rules and regulations for the school and teacher for the time being as they may deem advisable,
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subject, however, to such alterations or repeal as any subsequent district meeting may deem it proper to make.
16. That no officer of this district other than the Collector shall be entitled to any pay for his official services.
B. H. MOORE, Clerk of School District No. I.
A public meeting was called by trustees with a view of finding whether it was proper to have a summer school. By vote of patrons it was re- solved to have one.
Sheboygan, April 4, 1845.
O. N. BROOKS, Clerk. J. L. MOORE in the Chair.
Whereupon the meeting adjourned.
At an annual meeting of the legal voters of District No. 1 in She- boygan, J. L. Moore was appointed moderator, the Clerk being absent the meeting adjourned to Friday evening, October 31, 1845.
October 31, 1845. Meeting commenced according to adjournment. D. Wheeler called to the chair, upon which the meeting proceeded to elect Stephen Wolverton, D. Wheeler and G. W. Lee, trustees; George H. Smith, clerk, and Warren Smith, collector, for the ensuing year, after which the meeting adjourned to the first Monday in September next.
O. N. BROOKS, Clerk.
A list of the parents, patrons and scholars between the ages of four and sixteen years of age in school district No. I in the town and county of Sheboygan.
PARENTS AND PATRONS
Stephen Wolverton, J. L. Moore, L. C. House, W. W. Kellogg, Joel L. Day, Widow Rublee, A. H. Brooks, Barney Cook, G. A. Brown, Wil- liam Compton, John Glass, William Bowen, Gay W. Lee, N. W. Brooks, Cyrus Webster, S. Roberts, John Maynard, John Russell, George H. Smith, Benjamin Welch, Uriah Ingley.
SCHOLARS
Franklin Wolverton, Charles A. Moore, Theodore L. Moore, Walter A. Moore, Donald Moore, Fanny Moore, Francis K. House, Davis R. House, Walter Kellogg, Charles Kellogg, Margaret Whitmore, Julia V. Day, Mary J. Day, Samuel Day, Frederick Campfield, Horace Rublee, Catherine Rublee, Julia E. Rublee, Americus Brooks, Adelade Brooks, John Cook, William H. Brown, Mary Jane Brown, Mary Kent, Maritta Compton, Reuben Compton, Louisa Compton, John Glass, Morton Bowen, Alma Bowen, Anna Bowen, Elijah Bowen, Catherine Reybu, Lauretta Lee, Helen Brooks, Joseph A. Webster, Ellen A. Webster, Miriam Rob- erts, Warren Maynard, Joseph H. Russell, Otis C. Russell, Caroline But- ler, Ruth Welch, Wilbur Ingley, S. Jane Ingley, Charlotte Ingley, Rosella Ingley.
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VIEW OF SHEBOYGAN IN 1857 Description-From Left to Right
High building with square tower, "Union School," present Second Ward school on Niagara avenue. The next high building with square steeple, "Baptist Church," then located north- east corner of Eighth street and Wisconsin avenue. High square building near left center, "Beckman House" (Ziegler's Block), now occupied by the Knox's 5 and 10 cent store. High square building in center, "King's Block," now occupied by Godfrey's wholesale house. Group of buildings in the hollow to the right, "Old Autsch Brewery." Group of buildings to the ex- treme right "Walter's Tannery." Beyond these buildings the old "Shanghai Bridge" at Penn- sylvania avenue. The front lowland, "The Old Swamp," located between Ninth street and the river, and between Ontario avenue and Wisconsin avenue.
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PUBLIC LIBRARY
ASAD, INOX AND
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INTERESTING FACTS FROM 1845
Friday evening, November 14, 1845, a meeting of the legal voters of School District No. I was held at the schoolhouse of said district. Stephen Wolverton was called to the chair and stated the object of the meeting; whereupon, it was resolved to have a district school. On motion of Mr. Hovey it was resolved that the Trustees be requested to employ D. C. Vosburg to teach said school. On motion the meeting adjourned to meet the first Monday evening in September, 1846. G. H. Smith, clerk.
By order of the trustees and in pursuance of public notice which was given by the clerk, a meeting of the voters of school district No. I was held at the schoolhouse in said district on Monday evening, March 23, 1846. Stephen Wolverton presiding as chairman, stated the object of the meeting. On motion of Mr. Preston, Mr. Wolverton and Mr. Wheeler were appointed a committee to wait on Messrs. Moore, Conklin and Farns- worth, and ascertain from them whether the old house formerly occupied as a schoolhouse could be obtained for the use of the district, and report at the next meeting. On motion the meeting adjourned one week, G. H. Smith, clerk.
Monday evening, March 30, 1846, there was a meeting of the legal voters of school district No. I held at the schoolhouse of said district pursuant to adjournment. The committee appointed at a previous meet- ing to wait on Messrs. Moore, Conklin and Farnsworth reported that the old schoolhouse could be obtained for the use of the district. On motion the trustees were instructed to make suitable repairs on said house. On motion of Esq. Kellogg the trustees were requested to have a suitable teacher to teach the district school. On motion of Mr. Lee the trustees were instructed to raise a tax sufficient to repair the schoolhouse. On motion the meeting adjourned. G. H. Smith, clerk.
On Thursday evening, October -, 1846, the annual meeting of the electors of school district No. I was held at the schoolhouse of said dis- trict pursuant to public notice. The trustees reported that a tax of one hundred dollars had been levied and that the tax list was then in the hands. of the collector. They also reported that repairs had been made upon the schoolhouse amounting to thirty-eight dollars. A stove had also been pur- chased and was to be paid for out of this tax. Asa Hovey, Daniel Brown and Stephen Wolverton were elected trustees, Robert Watterson, clerk, and Thomas Nimble, collector.
March 10, 1846, there were one hundred and four scholars between the ages of four and sixteen years in school district No. I in the town of Sheboygan.
In 1846-47 A. P. Davis was employed to teach school in district No. I for three months at $30 per month, commencing December 7, 1846. Messrs. E. Garver and Ross were employed by the trustees to furnish the school in district No. I with good hard wood at $2 per cord. Com- mencing December 7, 1846.
The following names appear in the list of scholars March 6, 1847. Elizabeth Horner, Lucy H. Brown, Rebecca Goodell, Orsemus Crocker, Vol 1-19
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Phebe Goodell, Mary Kent, Joseph Kent, Sylvester B. Lyman, Theodore Lyman, David Jenkins, Mary Jenkins, Elizabeth Jenkins, Francis J. Kent, Elizabeth Ashby. In 1847 Stephen Van Arnum, D. Brainard and Robert Watterson were elected trustees, Alonzo Brooks, collector, and John Hunter, clerk. On motion of Daniel Wheeler the seventh article of the By-laws regulating the school district No. I was so amended that the annual meeting of the district was held thereafter the first Tuesday of September at 7 o'clock P. M.
Commencing November 22, 1847, Judson C. Crawford was engaged to teach the district school for four months at $30 per month. Miss Mary S. Callander was engaged as assistant at $2 per week, commencing December 6, 1847. February 28, 1848, a meeting was held by legal voters and on motion of Mr. McGregor it was voted that the trustees levy a tax on the property of the members of the district of $150 for the purpose of buying an addition to the schoolhouse lot and repairing the schoolhouse and paying debts already accrued in repairing the schoolhouse.
October 10, 1848, H. N. Ross (former editor of the Sheboygan Times) was engaged to teach school for four months commencing the 28th of October, at $26 per month. December 14th, Miss Ticknor was engaged to assist Mr. Ross in teaching the small scholars at $2 per week.
R. G. Prichard, E. Carver, and J. J. Brown were elected trustees, S. M. Abbott, clerk, and A. L. Crocker, collector, at a meeting of the legal voters held September 18, 1848.
The names of Nancy Goodell, Nathan Goodell, Sarah Brazleton, David Goodell, Phebe Goodell, Saphrona Weeks, William and Charlotte Farns- worth, Henry Stocks, Jr., Susan, Elizabeth and Philip Groh, Alexander Cole, George and William St. Sure, appear on the list of scholars, March, 1849. April 15, 1849, at a meeting of the trustees it was decied to call a special meeting for the purpose of raising a tax sufficient to purchase a school lot and to build a suitable schoolhouse. This meeting was called for April 27, 1849. At this meeting, on motion, it was resolved that the trustees be required to select a lot suitable for the erection of a schoolhouse, to ascertain the price of the same and also to get a plan and estimate of the best kind of schoolhouse and to report at the next meeting. The next meet- ing was held May 4, 1849, and the trustees reported lots No. 10 and 11 in the block north of the public square as most suitable for a schoolhouse. Price not ascertained. No further action was taken, as the members present had no authority to levy a tax for the purpose of building a schoolhouse and purchasing a lot. At a meeting held May 9, 1849, D. C. Vosburg was en- gaged to teach school at $30 per month of twenty-four days and giving him the privilege to teach five days each week. It was resolved to build a tem- porary addition to the schoolhouse to accommodate the small scholars and also to engage a female teacher to take charge of the same. Resolved that school commence May 14th. August 9, 1849, Miss S. Tuttle was engaged to take charge of the small scholars at $2.50 per week. At the meeting held that date each of the trustees reported that they had upon several occasions visited the school and thought it was prospering.
September 24, 1849, the following officers were elected for the year: A.
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L. Weeks, director; H. Lyman, clerk; R. G. Prichard, treasurer. Novem- ber 16, 1849, Margaret Grant was engaged to assist D. C. Vosburg at $3 per week. G. W. Hazelton was also employed to teach school in the basement of the Baptist church at $25 per month, commencing the 19th day of No- vember and to continue until the Ist day of April, 1850.
September 30, 1850, the following officers were elected: A. L. Weeks, director ; F. Bishop, treasurer ; A. L. Crocker, clerk. The board decided to employ one male and three female teachers for four months, commencing October 14, 1850. The board agreed further that A. L. Weeks should re- pair the old school building and also rearrange the seats in the basement of the Baptist meeting house the ensuing week preparatory for the school.
The following were elected for one year as members of the board, Sep- tember 29, 1851 : Francis Bishop, director; Warren Smith, treasurer; Wil- lard B. Darling, clerk.
September 27, 1852, the board elected was as follows: F. J. Mills, di- rector ; C. E. Morris, clerk; E. Gilman, treasurer.
September 26, 1853, A. Van Arnum was elected director; Edward Gil- man, treasurer; Charles Whittlesey, clerk. It was resolved at this meeting that the officers of school district No. 1, Sheboygan city, be authorized and directed to raise by tax on the taxable property of said district the sum of $5,000 for the purpose of purchasing a site for a schoolhouse and to build a suitable schoolhouse thereon, and it was further resolved that the said officers be authorized to purchase said site for the schoolhouse from vacant lots in block 104, 128, 76, 95 or 75, in said district, or such other location as may be thought best.
September 25, 1854, the following officers were chosen: Samuel Camp, director; W. W. King, treasurer; Charles Meyer, clerk.
September 24, 1855, the following board were elected: E. M. McGraw, director ; Charles Zaegel, clerk; Warren Smith, treasurer.
September 29, 1856, the following board was elected: David Taylor, director ; F. R. Townsend, clerk; K. Guck, treasurer.
The exact date of the building of the Union school cannot be found but according to the following extracts it probably was built some time during the year 1856.
The building committee, consisting of Messrs. Farnsworth, McGraw, Dr. Brown, Coffrin and Charles Zaegel met March 15, 1856, in the old schoolhouse and agreed to have bought by A. L. Weeks the furniture for the new school building and also to allow him the sum of $50, traveling fees to Boston. Further resolved to set trees in front of the new school- house, and Dr. Brown was requested to undertake it.
July 1, 1856. Building committee met. Present: Farnsworth, Brown and Zaegel. Resolved to have the doors and panel work in the schoolhouse grained and the yard graded according to a plan shown by Mr. Weeks.
CHARLES ZAEGEL.
September 26, 1856. The school board, director, treasurer and clerk met on the ground of the new schoolhouse with A. L. Weeks, builder of the house, and after viewing all the work done on said lot as shown by Mr.
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Weeks, approved the same and accepted it as done according to the con- tract. Resolved thereafter to give Mr. Weeks a copy of these proceedings. CHARLES ZAEGEL.
May 13, 1857. Commissioners of schools met and organized and the following officers were elected: J. H. Gibbs, president; William Taylor, secretary ; Kasper Guck, treasurer. The following teachers were appointed: D. J. Holmes, principal school district No. 1 ; Miss N. M. Fraser, at a salary of $8 per week; Miss Harriet Wheeler, $5 per week; Miss Breed, at $5 per week; Miss Elizabeth Mather, $4 per week.
On motion William Taylor was directed to call on the old school board for all books and papers in their hands belonging to the district. It was also resolved that the regular monthly meetings of the board of school com- missioners be held at the store of Kasper Guck on the last Thursday of each and every month at 7 o'clock P. M.
The first teacher of German was employed July 1, 1857, at the rate of $5 per week, his services to commence the 6th day of July, 1857. No scholar was allowed to receive German instruction unless he also received English instruction at the same school.
August 27, 1857, J. H. Holmes was appointed principal of the Sheboygan high school for the coming year at a salary of $1,000 per year of forty-four weeks, payable monthly. Miss L. S. Breed was appointed assistant at a salary of $6 per week, Miss Brooks assistant at $4 per week, and Miss Bissel at a salary of $7 per week. It was also decided to have the first term begin on Monday, the 7th of September, 1857. At a meeting held September 28, 1857, it was resolved that the school commissioners be re- quested to rent a school room in the third ward and also in the northern part of the first ward and provide teachers for the same. May 4, 1858, the following board was elected : William Taylor, chairman ; Kasper Guck, treas- urer; H. N. Ross, secretary. The following teachers were employed: Miss S. M. Warner, Miss Harriet Hale, Miss Rosetta A. Pendelton, Miss Lucy S. Breed, Miss Lucinda S. Darling, Miss Helen McGregor, Miss Mary E. Wright, G. D. Fraser, Mrs. L. M. Fraser, Miss Amanda Cook, Miss Eliza- beth Brooks.
In 1858 Godfrey Stamm was elected for three years to succeed Kasper Guck. The following new teachers were employed: Rev. J. B. Pradt, Miss Eliza Lundegreen, Miss Isabella McLaren, Miss Mary Darby, Miss Carrie Kellog.
It was moved and carried that the meeting approve the action of the commissioners in establishing a German class and that such class be con- ducted in the most economical manner. In 1860 A. Marschner was chair- man of the board and H. N. Ross, secretary. Among the voters present at this meeting were Messrs. Conrad Krez, Michael Grasser, Godfrey Stamm, Dr. J. J. Brown, C. W. Ellis, S. U. Hamilton, Bille Williams. September 30. 1861, Edward Gilman was elected chairman of the board and Mr. Ellis, secretary. Among voters present were Messrs. J. H. Jones, J. H. Mead, C. G. Meyer, H. N. Ross.
May 3, 1863, Louis Bock was elected president of the board, B. Wil-
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liams, secretary, and August Pott, treasurer. April 21, 1865, the following officers were elected: Louis Bock, president; A. Mahlendorf, treasurer; J. H. Mead, secretary.
The following are some of the names that appear in the teachers' list : Miss Alice Cole, Miss Libbie Ashby, Miss Sarah Mather, Miss Clara Moore, and August Pott, teacher of German.
Dr. Louis Bock and A. Mahlendorf resigned their positions on the board, January 6, 1866. A. Marschner was appointed president of the school board; J. B. Cole, treasurer ; and J. H. Mead, secretary.
April 19, 1866, the board was reorganized by appointing G. Stamm pres- ident; J. H. Mead, treasurer; and A. Marschner, clerk. Among the teach- ers on the list at this time were: D. L. Gaylord, Miss Josephine Kent, Miss Lina Hahn, Miss Delia Griffith, Miss Mary Jenkins.
The following is a list of the teachers that were employed July 1, 1870: High school, H. A. Gaylord; assistant, Ellen G. Weeks; grammar depart- ment, F. Lundegreen; assistant, Agnes Cassidy; first intermediate, Sarah Fairweather; assistant, Mary Cole; second intermediate, Matilda Brown; assistant, Lottie Keith; first primary, Mary A. Packard; assistant, Ruthie Edwards; fourth ward, W. Wilok; assistant, Tony Liebscher; third ward, A. K. Knowles; assistant, E. A. Martin; German, Lizzie von Kaas. In 1871 and 1872 additional names appeared on the teachers' list : Lillian Ross, Josie Stoakes, M. McClements, Lizzie Stamm, Anna Mahlendorf, Mary Griffith, A. D. Bradford, Ella Meyers, Mary Jenkins, Grace White and Hedwig Braasch.
SCHOOL BUILDINGS
In 1884 the Second Ward school, then the high school, which was opened in 1856, was built on the lot adjoining the Union school. It was necessary to have another schoolhouse, as the one room which was rented from the Methodist church and the Unitarian church building were over- crowded and the board had been obliged to limit the time of attendance in these buildings for one year to one-half day for each pupil instead of an entire day. In 1885 the present Sixth Ward school building on the cor- ner of South Fourteenth street and Maryland avenue, was built, as the room rented for school purposes and which was afterward used as a drug store by Dr. William F. Tifft, was too small to accommodate all the pupils west of the river. There were at this time five school buildings in the city, namely : the Union school, on Niagara avenue, between Seventh and Eighth street ; the high school, or Second Ward school, on the corner of Niagara and North Seventh street; the Third Ward school, a two-room building, which is at the present time the Fourth Ward kindergarten, on South Eighth street; the Fourth Ward school, a two-room building which is now the Eighth Ward kindergarten, on Huron avenue; and the Fifth Ward school, which is the present Sixth Ward school, on South Fourteenth street and Maryland avenue.
In the fall of 1887, the present three-story brick building in the Eighth ward on the corner of North Twelfth street and Huron avenue, was erected. June 25, 1888, it was moved and carried to establish a kindergarten in the
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