USA > Wisconsin > Milwaukee County > Memoirs of Milwaukee County : from the earliest historical times down to the present, including a genealogical and biographical record of representative families in Milwaukee County, Volume I > Part 45
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(outside the city, over which he had no jurisdiction ), and II schools in the town of Granville. Seventeen of the teachers in the second district were men, whose average monthly salary was $36.08, and the two female teachers each received $19.80 a month. Both superintend- ents complained of the condition of the schoolhouses and the general lack of school facilities. In 1863 Mr. Lawler reported graded schools in Oak Creek and Wauwatosa, and referred to the fact that several of the male teachers had enlisted in the army, their places having been taken by women.
Since the war the rural schools of Milwaukee county have kept pace with the march of progress. The old log schoolhouse and the twenty-five-dollar teacher have passed away. In their places have come the modern school building and the teacher of progressive ideas. According to the latest official report of the state superintendent of public istruction, there were in 1906 in Milwaukee county outside the city 81 schools, employing 152 teachers, of whom 36 were men, receiv- ing an average monthly salary of $89.71, and 116 were women, whose average salary was $65.14. There were two county high schools- one at Wauwatosa employing 6 teachers and enrolling 140 pupils, and the other at South Milwaukee, with 4 teachers and 78 pupils. There were seven state graded schools of the first class, located as follows : No. 2 Lake, 3 departments, 189 pupils ; No. 5 Lake, 6 departments, 206 pupils ; No. 9 Lake, 8 departments, 357 pupils ; No. 16 Greenfield. 8 departments, 420 pupils ; No. 2 Milwaukee, 10 departments, 656 pupils ; No. 6 Wauwatosa, 6 departments, 136 pupils ; West, 4 departments, 185 pupils. The term in these schools was ten months. There were also two state graded schools of the second class having 4 departments each and accommodating 333 pupils, with a term of nine months. The school population outside the city was 15,938, and the enrollment was 7,592. The state school fund apportioned to the county (including the city) amounted to $250,701.23.
Following is a list of the county superintendents since the estab- lishment of the office by law, with the year in which each was elected : First district-William Lawler, 1861 ; James F. Devine, 1866; Thomas O'Herrin, 1874; James A. Ruan, 1880. Second district-William Swain, 1861 ; Edward Tobin, 1864; Anson W. Buttles, 1866; James L. Foley, 1870; Thomas F. Clarke. 1878; George H. Fowler, 1880. In 1881 the two districts were consolidated and the superintendents since that time have been: John Reilley. 1881; C. H. Lewis, 1884; Philip A. Lynch, 1886; M. D. Kelley, 1892; Emil L. Roethe, 1896; Lynn B. Stiles, 1898: Jesse F. Corry, 1902 ; Hugo Pauly, 1906.
In his report for 1883 Mr. Reilley announced the establishment of
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two high schools under the state law-one at Bay View (now in the city of Milwaukee) and the other at Wauwatosa. A. W. Smith was then the principal of the Wauwatosa school and Lewis Funk of the school at Bay View. The same report also mentioned the formation of a teachers' association at a meeting held at Bay View on May 6, 1882. Lewis Funk was at that time part owner of the Bay View Herald, which was made the official organ of the teachers' association. .
INDUSTRIAL SCHOOL.
The hard times following the panic of 1873 threw a large number of Milwaukee workingmen out of employment, and during the winter of 1874-75 a great many children were unable to attend school on account of the financial condition of their parents. In this emergency a few public-spirited citizens came to the rescue by organizing the industrial school, which was opened in a small rented building on Michigan street in February, 1875. Soon after its establishment the school was adopted by the legislature as a state institution, and on April 15, 1875, it removed to larger quarters. In 1878 the legislature appropriated $15,000 for buildings, the city to furnish the site. Eight acres on North point were secured and the institution took the name of the Wisconsin Industrial School for Girls, though boys under twelve years of age are also admitted. The school receives charges from all parts of the state, the counties sending children being charged with their support and maintenance. Children of parents undergoing sen- tences of imprisonment, incorrigibles, etc., constitute the greater part of the enrollment.
STATE NORMAL SCHOOL.
In 1880 the legislature passed an act making it the duty of the normal school regents to establish at Milwaukee an additional school of that class, the same to be organized and conducted "without impairing the efficiency of the normal schools already established." The new school was to be opened "as soon as said board shall in its own judg- ment be able to provide from the funds at its disposal for the main- tenance of said school in said city of Milwaukee; provided the said city of Milwaukee shall donate a site and a suitable building for said normal school in said city of Milwaukee, the location and plan of said buildings to be approved by said board of regents, and the said site and building to be together of a value not less than fifty thousand dollars."
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Because of their financial limitations, the regents did not encour- age this movement, but James MacAlister, who was at that time super- intendent of the Milwaukee schools and also a member of the board of regents, was active in having the provision of the act carried into ef- fect. In July, 1881, the board accepted the site tendered by the city ; the plans for the buildings were approved in July, 1882; in February, 1884, the common council appropriated $40,000 for the erection of the building, and in June, 1885, the completed building and site were con- veyed to the board of regents, having cost the city $52,000. The school was opened in September, 1885, with J. J. Mapel as president. Forty- six pupils were enrolled in the normal department, and 112 in the model school. The legislature of 1885 provided for the support of the school by an annual appropriation of $10,000, "such amount to be raised by general state tax till the annual income of the normal school fund reaches the sum of $100,000 over and above the amount appropriated by this act." This was the first appropriation in the history of the state of funds derived from taxation for the support of normal schools.
PRIVATE SCHOOLS.
Among the early private schools were the Milwaukee Institute, taught by Charles Whipple in 1841, the high school of Samuel J. Mc- Comas in the Methodist church on Spring street in 1843, and the acad- emy of Prof. Amasa Buck. The first two were short-lived. Professor Buck came to Milwaukee in 1848 and established the school known as the Milwaukee Collegiate Institute. It flourished until the death of the founder on Sept. 20, 1852, when it was closed.
The institution now known as Milwaukee-Downer College had its earliest beginning in the Milwaukee Female Seminary, which was opened on Sept. 14, 1848, in a dwelling on Oneida street between Broad- way and Milwaukee streets, Mrs. W. L. Parsons, whose husband was pastor of the Free Congregational church, being the founder. Two years later Catherine Beecher and Mary Mortimer became connected with the seminary, which was removed to more spacious rooms on the corner of Milwaukee and Oneida streets. The school was incorporated in March, 1851, as the Milwaukee Normal Institute and High School, and again removed to new quarters. In 1852, through the influence of Miss Beecher, the sum of $17,894 was received from her friends in the East and the American Woman's Educational Association. To this amount the citizens of Milwaukee added $13,540, and the trustees felt justified in the establishment of a permanent home for the school. The site on the corner of Juneau avenue and Milwaukee street was pur-
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chased and in June, 1852, the corner stone of the new building was laid. The school opened there the following autumn, though the build- ing was not yet finished. By act of the legislature the name was changed in April, 1853, to Milwaukee Female College. The panic of 1857 weak- ened the support of the college and Miss Mortimer retired from the in- stitution. From that time until 1863 the school was under the manage- ment of Mary and Caroline E. Chapin, but at the beginning of the school year in 1863, Prof. S. S. Sherman took charge. He retired in 1866, when Miss Mortimer was recalled. Miss Beecher died in 1878, and upon Miss Mortimer's recommendation Prof. C. S. Farrar was placed at the head of the college. In the meantime the word "female" was dropped in 1876 and the institution took the name of Milwaukee college. Professor Farrar remained in charge of the institution until 1889, when he became discouraged because no endowment had been provided by the trustees and resigned. He was succeeded by Charles F. Kingsley, who remained until the fall of 1893, when Mrs. Louise R. Upton was appointed to succeed him, and she remained in charge until the consolidation with Downer College. Immediately after the resigna- tion of Professor Farrar the College Endowment Association was organ- ized, which during the next few years raised about $75,000 for the benefit of the school.
Downer College was chartered in 1855 and opened its doors in September, 1856. It was located at Fox Lake and was conducted under the auspices of the Baptist church. For a number of years it led a struggling existence, but in 1883 Judge Jason M. Downer of the Wis- consin supreme court died and left the college $80,000, which placed it on a sound financial basis. In July, 1895, Milwaukee and Downer col- leges were consolidated by the trustees of the two institutions, the name of Milwaukee-Downer College was adopted, and the incomes of the two schools were merged into one, with Ellen C. Sabin as president of the new faculty. The college is beautifully located on a tract of about ten acres in the northern part of the city of Milwaukee, about half-way be- tween Lake Michigan and the Milwaukee river, within easy access of the down-town district. Upon the consolidation of the two colleges and the purchase of the new site two buildings-Merrill and Holton halls-were commenced. They were first occupied in September, 1899, when Milwaukee-Downer College opened in its new quarters. In 1901 a third hall, intended as a residence for students in the college depart- ment, was completed. According to the report of the state superin- tendent of public instruction for 1906 the college had 356 students, 32 instructors, and owned property valued at $354.787.
Milwaukee Academy, a college preparatory school, was founded in
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1864 with Albert Markham as principal, which position he held until his death in 1887. Its first location was on the site of the present East Division high school and several prominent citizens were interested in promoting its growth. When the site was sold to the city in 1877, the corporation controlling the academy was dissolved and the institution took the name of Markham Academy. When Mr. Markham died Cyrus F. Hill and Isaac Thomas, both graduates of Yale University became the owners of the academy, the corporation was revived, and the orig- inal name restored. Mr. Hill died in 1889 and the following year Dr. Julius H. Pratt became part owner with Mr. Hill. The latter retired in 1891, and since then Dr. Pratt has been the sole proprietor. The academy is located on the corner of Oneida and VanBuren streets, within one block of the court house. In 1906 it had 116 pupils, 9 in- structors, and property worth $13,000.
The German-English Academy was founded in 1851 by Peter Engelmann, and was long known as the "Engelmann school." A char- ter was obtained from the legislature on May 10. 1851, and the school opened in rented quarters on the West side with Mr. Engelmann as principal and F. Regenfuss as assistant. A few months later a building was purchased on Grand avenue and in September the school opened in its new quarters with three classes. About a year later a lot was purchased on Broadway, near Juneau avenue, and a building erected thereon. This building was not fully completed until 1856, though school was opened within its walls in October, 1853. During the next fifteen years the school prospered and substantial addi- tions were made to the building. Mr. Engelmann remained at the head of the academy until his death on May 18, 1874. He was a man of high character, educated at Heidelberg, but on account of his connec- tion with the revolutionary movements in 1848 was compelled to leave his native land. His collection of specimens, embracing all branches of natural science, was turned over to the city and now forms part of the public museum. From 1874 to 1878 the academy was in charge of W. N. Hailmann, who opened in connection with it the first English kinder- garten in 1875. Mr. Hailmann was succeeded by a Mr. Keller and the latter by Dr. Dorner, and in 1888 Emil Dapprich became the head of the institution. In 1890 the present site-558 to 568 Broadway-was donated to the academy by Mrs. Elizabeth Pfister and Mrs. Louisa Vogel. In 1878 the academy became the training school for the Na- tional German Teachers' Seminary, and in 1891, immediately after ob- taining its present location, the normal department of the North Amer- ican Gymnastic Union was united with the teachers' seminary. A model gymnasium was erected on the academy grounds, and in Septem-
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ber, 1891, the school opened in its new home. The course of study of the academy is broad and thorough, both in German and English, be- ginning with kindergarten work and continuing up to scientific lab- oratory work, for which the institution is well equipped with all the necessary apparatus.
Marquette University, a Catholic institution, was first projected by Rt. Rev. John Martin Henni while he was bishop of the diocese. In 1848 he made a trip to Europe and while abroad he met the Chevalier J. G. DeBoeye, of Antwerp, Belgium, who gave him $16,000 with which to found a college under the care of the Jesuit order. In 1855 Bishop Henni bought the site where the university is now located, on State street between Tenth and Eleventh streets. The same year Rev. P. J. DeSmet, the noted Indian missionary, and Rev. F. X. DeCoen took charge of St. Gall's parish. They thought it best to establish an acad- emy as a preliminary step to the college, and in September, 1857, St. Aloysius' Academy opened under Father S. P. Lalumiere and Cornelius O'Brien, a Jesuit teacher from St. Louis. On March 22, 1864, a char- ter was obtained from the legislature for Marquette College, and about the same time the institution took the name of St. Gall's Academy. In 1875 the Holy Name church and school were erected on the site; the corner stone of Marquette College was laid on Aug. 15, 1880, and the institution was opened on Sept. 5, 1881, with Rev. Joseph H. Rigge as president, 5 professors and 35 students. There was some disappoint- ment at the small number of students enrolled, but there was no dis- couragement among those in charge of the school. The first class was graduated in June, 1887, when six young men received the degree of Bachelor of Arts. On Monday, June 18. 1906, the college began the celebration of its silver jubilee with pontifical high mass and bacca- laureate sermon, at Gesu church at 10:30 a. m. The clergy joined in a banquet at noon, that evening was the alumni convention at the Pabst theater, Tuesday was taken up with the business of the federation of the alumni of Jesuit colleges in the United States, and the ceremonies closed with a banquet on Tuesday evening at the Hotel Pfister. In 1907 Marquette College affiliated with the Milwaukee Medical College and received a university charter. At that time preliminary steps were taken for the affiliation of the Milwaukee Law School. The property held by the university was then valued at $263,000, and its disburse- ments the preceding year amounted to $20.892.75. The enrollment of students for 1907 was as follows: School of arts and science, 98; Medical department, 129; Dental department, 61 ; School of pharmacy, 61 ; Academic department, 269, a total of 618. Twenty-three instruct- ors were employed and the alumni association numbered 292 members.
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Following is a list of presidents of Marquette college and university since its opening in 1881 : Joseph Rigge, 1881 ; I. J. Boudreaux, 1882- 83; Thomas S. Fitzgerald, 1884-85-86; S. P. Lalumiere, 1887; Joseph Grimmelsman, 1888-89; R. J. Meyer, 1890-91; Victor Putten, 1892; Leopold Bushart, 1892 to 1897; William B. Rogers, 1898-99; Alexan- der J. Burrowes, 1900 to 1907.
The Provincial Seminary of St. Francis of Sales (Salesianium), another Catholic institution, located at St. Francis, just south of the city of Milwaukee, was founded in 1853 by Rt. Rev. John Martin Henni, assisted by Joseph Salzmann and Michael Heiss. At that time there was no Catholic college convenient to Milwaukee where young men could be educated for the priesthood, and the object of the provin- cial seminary was to supply this want. Ground was broken in Septem- ber, 1854, the corner stone was laid on Jan. 15, 1855, a temporary chapel was opened on Jan. 29, 1856, and the seminary chapel was consecrated on June 30, 1861. Father Heiss, who was Bishop Henni's secretary, was the first rector, and Father Salzmann was "the rest of the faculty." In 1866 Father Salzmann visited Europe and brought back with him several assistants, among whom was Rev. Augustine Zeininger, who be- came professor of mathematics and natural philosophy. On Dec. 16, 1875, the building containing about 100 rooms for students in the theological department, was dedicated, and by the beginning of the twentieth century about 1,000 young priests had gone from St. Francis to missions in the West. The situation of the seminary is all that could be desired. It commands a good view of Lake Michigan, is sufficiently isolated from the noise and turmoil of the city to give op- portunities for study, and at the same time it is easy of access.
The Catholic Normal School of the Holy Family and Pio Nono College, also located at St. Francis, was founded by Dr. Joseph Salz- mann in 1870, the cornerstone being laid on Trinity Sunday of that year (June 12). Among the patrons of this school was Louis I, king of Bavaria, who as early as 1863 gave 3,000 florins for the purpose of establishing a teachers' seminary at some point in the United States to be designated by Dr. Salzmann. The school buildings are equipped with all modern appliances, contributing to the comfort of the students as well as aiding them in their studies. It has two departments- normal and college-and was the first institution of the kind established in the United States. Among the eminent educators who have been con- nected with the school may be mentioned Dr. Salzmann, Revs. Theo- dore Bruener, William Neu, John Friedl, Charles Fessler, M. M. Gerend, M. J. Lochemes, H. B. Ries, H. T. Stemper, and Chevalier John Singenberger. The, school is provided with a first class gymna-
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sium, in which the physical man receives attention in addition to the mental and moral instruction provided by the course of study.
St. John's institute for deaf mutes is also located at St. Francis and is conducted under the auspices of the Catholic church. It was estab- lished in 1876 by Rev. Theodore Bruener. It is maintained by contribu- tions and is intended for the education of the poor deaf mutes of the archdiocese of Milwaukee. A small tuition fee is charged, but pupils will be admitted without this if it can be shown that they are unable to pay it, a certificate from the pastor of the parish being all that is neces- sary. In February, 1890, upon the recommendation of Father Gerend, shops were erected and equipped with the necessary machinery for the manufacture of church furniture, much of the work being done by the deaf-mute pupils, and some $50,000 worth of work is annually turned out of the shops.
Concordia College was established in 1881 by the Evangelical Lutheran synod of Missouri, Ohio and other states, one of the princi- pal branches of the Lutheran church in the United States. The Trinity German Lutheran congregation placed a room in its school building on Ninth street at the disposal of the college, which was opened in Sep- tember, 1881, with only thirteen pupils, under the charge of C. Huth, C. R. M., a graduate of Concordia Seminary of St. Louis. By the sec- ond year the number of pupils had sufficiently increased to justify the appointment of another instructor, and Rev. E. Hamann was made professor of mathematics and the natural sciences. In the meantime the friends of the undertaking had come to the assistance of the college with liberal contributions, so that the present site, consisting of some seven acres of ground and located in the western part of the city be- tween State and Wells streets, was purchased for $9,000, and the first building was erected at a cost of $16,000. The college opened in its new home in January, 1883, and the following fall Rev. WV. Mueller was added to the faculty as professor of English lan- guage and literature. In 1885 a dormitory was erected at a cost of $4,000 and a four years' course of study was adopted. In 1890 the synod arranged a six years' course of study, a fifth class was organized, and a sixth class in 1891 placed Concordia on the list of full grade colleges. The course of study embraces English, German, Latin, Greek, Hebrew, natural science, mathematics, general history, and religion. The school has prospered from the beginning and in 1907, under the presidency of Rev. M. J. F. Albrecht, it reported 236 students, 8 in- structors, disbursements during the preceding year of $11,130, and property valued at $166,500.
Among the early schools for girls in Milwaukee were those of
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Misses Martha and Fannie Wheelock for English girls and the school conducted by Mrs. Mathilde Anneke for Germans and English. All three were accomplished women and their schools exerted a great in- fluence during their existence upon the culture and education of Mil- waukee society.
Miss Treat's school on Juneau avenue, between Cass and Marshall streets, is divided into four departments, viz : the kindergarten, primary. intermediate and preparatory, the last named being arranged with ref- erence to admission to Milwaukee-Downer College. While it is nom- inally a school for girls, small boys are received in the first three depart- inents.
The Wisconsin Conservatory of Music was incorporated on April 27, 1899, and was the outgrowth of the Luening Conservatory, which was established in 1888. The Wisconsin College of Music was also incorporated in 1899, and in 1901 the two institutions were consolidated under the name of the United Wisconsin Conservatories of Music.
Lack of space forbids detailed mention of all private and parochial schools in the county, but the foregoing are the principal ones. Ac- cording to the report of the secretary of the Milwaukee school board in 1907 there were 30 Catholic schools in the city, employing 297 teachers and enrolling 16,922 pupils ; the Lutheran schools numbered 29, with 99 teachers and 5,627 pupils; there were 17 non-sectarian private schools, with 125 teachers and 3.382 pupils ; 5 private kindergartens with II teachers and 309 pupils, and I Evangelical school with I teach- er and 31 pupils. Among the non-sectarian private schools were the usual complement of commercial and business colleges. With these private institutions and the magnificent public school system, the citi- zens of the "Cream City" are not lacking in educational facilities.
THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY
1 ASTOR, LENOA TILDEN FOUNDA IONS
-
EX-GOV. GEO. W. PECK
CHAPTER XV.
LITERATURE AND JOURNALISM.
FIRST MILWAUKEE NEWSPAPERS-PERSONAL MENTION OF EDITORS- OTHER EARLY PUBLICATIONS-THE MILWAUKEE DEMOCRAT-SHER- MAN M. BOOTH AND THE GLOVER FUGITIVE SLAVE CASE-PECK'S SUN AND ITS HUMOROUS EDITOR-OTHER PAPERS OF MORE RECENT DATE- GERMAN NEWSPAPERS-POLISH PERIODICALS-LIST OF PRESENT PUBLI- CATIONS-PRESS CLUBS-NEWSPAPER CORRESPONDENTS-LITERATURE.
Milwaukee, at the beginning of the year 1836, was a straggling village of some 200 inhabitants. It can hardly be truthfully said that there was at that time "a long felt want" for a newspaper, but the pio- neer journalist is never very far behind the pioneer farmer and artisan. In the spring of 1836 Byron Kilbourn made a trip to Chicago, and while there he met Daniel H. Richards, a newspaper man who was look- ing for a location. Mr. Richards was born in Burlington, N. Y., Feb. 12, 1808. At the age of sixteen years he went to Canada and there learned the printer's trade. He married Miss Eliza A. Dana in 1834, and the following year opened a general store at Peoria, Il1. But the call of the "case" was too lusty to pass unheeded. so he sold his store and went to Chicago with the intention of buying the Chicago Democrat. Before the trade was consummated he met Mr. Kilbourn as above stated, and the result of the interview was that Mr. Richards decided to start a paper in Milwaukee. He at once went to New York, where he purchased the necessary paraphernalia and materials, and on July 14. 1836, the initial number of the Milwaukee Advertiser made its ap- pearance. It was a six-column folio, the first page of which was filled with miscellany; the second contained the act of Congress, approved by President Andrew Jackson on April 9, 1836, creating the Territory of Wisconsin, and a long letter from Byron Kilbourn to Senator Linn,
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