THE WAUPACA REPUBLICAN

June 26, 1896

 

HISTORY, WAUPACA SCHOOLS

 

An Essay by Miss Theodora Claussen read before the graduating class June 10, 1896

 

            For nearly half a century there have been schools in Waupaca, formerly Waupaca Falls.  The word Waupaca as you probably all know, is an Indian name meaning To morrow for some time when the village was in its infancy it was called To-morrow Falls.

            “To-morrow and to-morrow and to-morrow

Creeps in this petty pace from day to day,

To the last syllable of recorded time;

And all our yesterdays have lighted fools

The way to dusty death.”

            So the schools of To morrow Falls have crept on in this petty pace from day to day slowly overcoming al difficulties.  Probably not more than a half a dozen people here today remember the first school.  For those whose years or whose memories go back to the early fifties and sixties these facts gained from old settlers will be of interest and to those of us who belong to the later generation may perhaps come a fuller sense of appreciation by contrasting its ample facilities of today with the meager appliances of the past.

            The first school in Waupaca was organized in the summer of 1851 with Miss Dora Thompson, now Mrs. LeGro of this city, as teacher.  Her school was held in an unfinished one and one-half story frame structure known as the Baxter building, which stood just about where Mr. F. Machin’s clothing store now stands.  In the east end of the building was a door, also a high twelve lighted window and on the north side was a similar window.  The outside of the building was finished with strong siding or clapboards as they were called, but the inside was entirely unfinished.  Pealed pine poles took the place of studding and rafters.

            The furniture of the room consisted of benches, an improvised table, a small wooden chair and a dry goods box.  The benches were made of planks laid across blocks of wood about fifteen inches high and extended around three sides of the room.  The table and chair were of course for the teacher’s use.  Last but by no means least, was the dry goods box.  It stood under the north window and on it a little boy, DeWitt Ware by name, had his seat which he enjoyed very much for he could see out.

            The school lasted twelve weeks and the patrons paid $1.50 for each pupil; what time they were absent was deducted from this amount and some have not paid yet.  This amount was all there was with which to pay the teacher and to meet any other expenses which might arise.

            The studies were A B C, reading, arithmetic, grammar, music and orthography.  Almost every pupil had different kinds of text books and the lessons had to be assigned accordingly.  History and literature were given as general exercises.

            The following winter Mr. Harris taught in the same place; then Mr. Julius Hibbard, evenings.  Spelling schools were held and one evening they held what they called a debating school.  In January 1852 he closed his school with an exhibition.

            During the winter 1853-54 Mr. E. C. Sessions taught in the white school house now the residence of Mr. W. F. Lathrop on State Street.  This building then stood in the middle of the block and faced the west.  It was built like the old schools in the east.  The floor was slanted from the center of the room up each side and a plane space was left between the two inclines for the teacher’s desk.  The boys were seated on one side of the room and the girls on the other.

            Miss Mary Lathrop now Mrs. M. E. Allen of Vermont, taught in 1854 in Gothic Hall now the home and office of Mrs. Dr. Brown.  Mr. Julius Hibbard taught again that winter.

            During the winter of 1854-55 the subject of a young ladies’ seminary was agitated.  Wilson Holt being one of the principal promoters of the movement.  This school was organized and held for two terms in Gothic Hall.  A Miss Steele was engaged as principal and a Miss Hattie Ashmun was her assistant.

            The board of trustees purchased a large supply of scientific apparatus consisting of a globe, a tellurian, a magnifying glass, a horse shoe magnet and one or two other articles.  This was put into a case with a glass front which was kept locked lest the instruments should become harmed.

            For a short time Rev. M. F. Sorensen the Episcopal minister, taught a district school in Lord’s Hall which stood where Mr. E. B. Knapp’s store was recently located.  Miss Harriet Roberts, a sister of Mr. R. N. Roberts was his assistant.

            In the summer of 1855 a Mr. Harris taught in a small building which stood just west of where the Stetson store now stands.  The benches, slabs with the smooth side turned up, supported on legs driven into auger holes, extended across the east and west sides of the room, the floor being inclined like that in the white school house.  The long table which extended through the middle of the room was also made of slabs and on either side of it were benches. Miss Amanda Browne, sister of Mr. E. L. Browne also taught this same summer.

            In the autumn of 1855 the Misses Parish, now Mrs. G. Lord and Mrs. E. L. Browne, came from Vermont and opened a select school, teaching French, Latin, drawing and the various English branches.  As the pupils came from so many different localities and were of all ages, there were nearly as many kinds of text books as there were pupils.  The following winter these young ladies were engaged to teach the district school having rooms over the store of Mr. W. S. Watson on the corner of Main and Session Streets.  This building is now the Erickson Hotel, perhaps better known as the old Robert Scott Hotel.

            During the winter Isiah L. Hauser, a student from Lawrence University, Appleton, taught in the schoolhouse.  As it was difficult to say Mr. Hauser without some deliberation, he was frequently called Miss Lowser and even got letters so addressed.  Among his pupils were two brothers from Farmington who were somewhat older than Mr. Hauser and also more heavily built.  They did not care to be “ordered round”, as they termed it, by the teacher.  One day they were chided for neglecting their duties and interfering with those who wished to study.  One of them retorted that he would “do as he pleased”.  The teacher felt entirely powerless to cope with such a rebellious element, and the hour having arrived announced recess.  As this boy went out of the door he cast a sneering look at the teacher and once outside gathered a crowd of older boys and exhibited a pistol, declaring that he “wouldn’t take no sass from no man, no teacher nuther”.  He had scarcely uttered the words when the pistol was discharged, the ball tearing out the fleshy part of his hand lying between the little finger and wrist. He was temporarily tamed and a day or two later was invited by the trustees to return to Farmington and forbidden to enter Waupaca schools again.

            A Miss Chapman taught a school of fifteen or twenty pupils in the school house near the depot, the summer of 1856.

            Mrs. Sarah Kearney started a select school in Gothic Hall the following autumn.  One hour of each afternoon was devoted to fancy needlework.  Mrs. Kearney or one of the older pupils would read from a book of travels or some such book as Swiss Family Robinson.  Mrs. Kearney had been quite at traveler and often gave little talks which were very interesting as well as instructive.

            The same year Mr. T. W. Castor taught in the white school house.

            From 1857 to 1860 Waupaca had a succession of teachers among whom were Miss Amanda Browne, Mr. Henry Rice, Miss Maria Dewey, Mrs. Potter and Miss Jane White.

            Also, Mrs. Marcus Burnham taught an intermediate grade in the white school house and Mr. Duncan McGregor had the high school in Gordon’s Hall the second floor of a building which stood about where Mr. Yorkson’s store now stands.  When the Civil War broke out Mr. McGregor calmly laid down the rod and took up his rifle to return in 1864 with the title of Captain, and resume his duties as pedagogue.  During the stormy period of the war Waupaca steadfastly continued her pursuit of knowledge.

            In 1865 Miss Mary Ashmun taught the last of the so called “small schools”, for the promoters of education had succeeded in exciting sufficient interest among the citizens to get them to build a school house.  Accordingly the older part of our large building was erected.  The school was to have begun in September as usual but the building not being completed did not begin until December 1, 1867.  Mr. Wm. Jones had been secured as principal and Miss Amy Ely, now Mrs. R. N. Roberts and Miss Mary Fysche as assistants.  The school opened with over three hundred pupils and in a few days it was found necessary to engage another teacher and after Christmas two others were engaged.  No regular course of study was adopted but efficient work was done in grading the school.  Having everything new it was found necessary to deal with a great many difficulties.  Among the desirable things was an organ and this the students resolved to procure.  They secured four of Waupaca’s prominent citizens to deliver lectures, charging ten cents admission.  Again they got up an entertainment.  Among the boys who participated were E. B. Knapp, M. Allen, John Pinkerton, Charles Stinchfield, Orin Harrington and others.  The students with the assistance of the teachers got up a four page paper.  The School Festival, which they had printed and sold at ten cents a copy.  Thus by hard work and perseverance they succeeded in all they attempted.  Mr. Jones started a class in Latin but the majority of the people were not in favor of it and so when he went away it was dropped.  All the aids that there were in the school at this time were a few blocks for mathematics, two or three maps and a small black board.

            Mr. Jones was followed by Mr. Justice Burnham who staid two years.  Mr. Burnham always had his pupils numbered and called them by their number.  Next came Mr. D. Nicholson who was followed by Mr. Holbrook.  Among his assistants known to you were the Misses Annie Clay and Libbie Williams, now Mrs. I. C. Terril of Little Hope and Mrs. E. T. Bailey of this city.

            Mr. Holbrook only staid one year and was followed by Mr. J. G. Davies who now lives in South Milwaukee.  The same ones were his assistants and Miss Lottie Snow, now Mrs. K. T. Chandler was also engaged.  During Mr. Davies’ stay the library was started.  The first books were a set of cheap cyclopedias.  This foundation steadily grew until now we have between 600 and 700 volumes.  At the close of Mr. Davies’ second term the first class graduated, ten in number, most of the members of which are known to you.

            There are from this class three lawyers; Mr. Paul Browne, a son of Mr. E. L. Browne, no located in Rhinelander, Mr. I. P. Lord of this city and Murray Weeden of Alexandria, Ind., two farmers; Mr. Phineas Munger of Belmont and Mr. William Parish of Lind, Mr. Wm. Zahl, proprietor of a feed mill in Antigo, and Mr. Julius Nelson, a noted biologist of Philadelphia who has recently been elected honorary member of one of the greatest educational societies of London, besides three girls, the Misses Lizzie Chesley, Belle Rich, all of whom are now married.

            After Mr. Davies, Mr. Burnham returned and staid two years and was in turn followed by Mr. C. M. Gates who staid two years and was succeeded by Mr. L. L. Wright who held the position for six years.  He was followed by Mr. F. A. Lowell.  During whose stay the addition to the old building was erected and the summer before his last year a building of four rooms was built for the primary departments.  He was succeeded by our present principal Mr. F. E. Doty. As these last years are so well remembered by you, I will only say that they have been very successful.

            In conclusion it might be interesting to know that during the life of Waupaca High School, nine gentlemen have served as principal and about twenty-five ladies as assistants while one hundred and forty nine students have received diplomas, eighty-nine of whom were girls and sixty boys.