Manitowoc County WI Archives History - Schools .....Cato 10 - River Bend ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/wi/wifiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com October 27, 2007, 12:57 am CATO 10—RIVER BEND Valdis Sengbusch River Bend was considered an appropriate name for the school in Cato district number 10 because it is located near a bend in the Manitowoc river. The Clarks Mills school is the more common name because it is situated in the village of Clarks Mills. Cato No. 10 was organized early in the 1850's when Cato township still belonged to Maple Grove. In 1855 when Cato was a part of Franklin, the district was known as Franklin No. 10. When Cato became a township by itself in 1857, the school district became Cato No. 10. At that time the district consisted of sections 21, 22, 23, 24, and the north one-half of sections 27 and 28, all in Cato. Many changes in boundary lines have occurred since the district organization. To list all the detachments and attachments would require pages of description. The latest attachment occurred about 1931 when an area northeast of Valders was taken into Cato 10. Today the boundaries are very irregular with the school building not centrally located in the district. With the founding of several mills by Ira Clark in the early 1850's, a community of settlers soon sprang up. The children of these pioneers, through the efforts of the parents, were soon given ah opportunity to get some "larnin". A log cabin was accordingly erected about 1854, just west of the present site. The best of pioneer school equipment was provided by installing home-made desks and benches for the older pupils and a low bench along one wall for the little ones. Evidently the building proved unsatisfactory as to size and structure for it was soon abandoned. No record is given as to what was done with the old school after the new one was erected. About 1868, the present frame school building was constructed from lumber sawed at Clark's sawmill. The school was built east of the log building on the same site. The original frame building was set on a stone foundation without a basement. The schoolhouse was about 28 x 36 feet with a large entry-cloakroom and classroom. Four large windows were placed in each long wall and this cross-lighting is still common today. It is said that shades were at first deemed unnecessary for the windows. The early equipment of this school consisted of double desks, blackboards, a globe, maps, and a teacher's desk. The traditional elevated platform at the front of the room placed the teachers so that they could observe all "goings-on" in the room. The other schoolyard buildings consisted of outdoor toilets and a fuel shed. The sum of $366 was spent in 1903 for repairs and additions. In order that the children of the district might be provided with physical conditions in school comparable with the modern homes in the district, a remodeling program was undertaken in the early 1930's. At that time a full basement, indoor lavatories, and a basement entrance were constructed. The lavatory rooms were made by partitioning off each end of the old entry-cloakroom. The basement has a furnace heating and ventilating plant, a fuel room, and a large playroom. Electric lights were installed about the same time. Modern single seats and desks are gradually replacing the double desks. Because of the large school census, this school has more than the averaged-sized library, with the books housed in cupboards and bookcases. The school now has most of the present-day teaching and learning equipment such as maps, bulletin boards, blackboards, reference books, file, tables, chairs, etc. In spite of the large district and the quite densely settled community, the enrollment has never been too large. The establishment of the parochial school across the road as well as the decline of the industries in the village and other rural population trends have had their effect on the school enrollment. During the 1860's and 1870's when summer and winter sessions were common, the year enrollment was above 80. During the rest of the 1800's the attendance averaged between 50 and 60 with pupils ranging in age from 6 to 20. After 1900 the enrollment dropped decade by decade until now the average yearly attendance is about 20. The 1945 school census shows that the district had 110 children between the ages of 4 and 20. Early township assessment rolls show that John McCulley, L. W. Knowlton, Frank Marlborough, Andrew Kendall, H. W. Tucker, Wm. Hume, Ira and S. Clark, Robert Carr, and John Chapman were among the first settlers. Later settlers were the Morgans, Pivonkas, Moes, McCarthys, Wiegerts, Johnstons, Alfsens, Robleys, Gehbes, Murphys, Shiskas, Guenthers, and. Pieschels. Some district residents of the past 40 years who became known throughout the county were and are Dave, William, Elton, and Harold Morgan, town clerk Louis Pivonka, and county treasurer Ray McCarthy. Among those entering the teaching profession were Dorothy Johnston, Alma Alfsen, Emma Pieschel, Roy and Earl Halvorson, Lauretta, Anna, Frances, Inez, Ray, and Celia McCarthy, Cora and Elizabeth Murphy, Mary, Leona, and Margaret McCulley, Lorrine and Lauretta McCarthy of the John E. McCarthy family. The records of the school are incomplete and so it is unknown who were on the first schoolboard. Those recorded in the county superintendent's records were Andrew Kendall 1872-4, W. P. Noyes 1874-77, Ira Clark 1877-79, E. Knapp 1879-, Richard W. Burke 1894-5, and Riley Olson, F. H. Gehbe, Wm. Morgan, F. Sykora, and O. L. Erickson up to 1906. The first teacher for the district was Jane Jackson who taught about three months for about $15 per month. Summer and winter and spring and fall terms were held yearly. The county records show that in 1872 the spring session lasted from April to July, while the winter term ran from December to April. In 1875 the spring session lasted from May to August. Salaries paid to teachers were always higher than the prevailing wage and the terms were longer. The teachers' names on record are: Nancy Darling 1872(S), Susie Wright 1872(W), Hiram F. White 1873(S), Mary Boettcher 1873-4(S and W), John Lyon 1874(W), Mrs. L. L. Smith 1875(S), C. J. Shove 1876, D. W. Gallagher 1877-78, Wm. Nelson 1879, Jos. A. Miller 1894-6, Thos. Carroll 1897-98, T. Flatley 1899-1903, H. W. Jones 1904, and Peter Max Geimer 1905. Those after 1905 are listed in the county annuals. Weekly and monthly spelling matches for which prizes were given enlivened the routine of classes. Early texts were the Sanders readers and spellers, Rays arithmetic, and Monthieths geography. Later on Model readers and spellers, Mitchell's geography, Swinton's histories, and Kerl's grammars were used. The school has always been a community center for plays, programs, and business meetings of farm organizations. At one time the crowd at a play was so large that the floor broke through, necessitating extensive repairs. Clarks Mills was begun by Ira and Harriet Clark who set up several mills in their time. The present location of the flour and grist mill is the same as that of the Clarks'. The sawmill on the-south bank of the river and the carding mill on the south bank west of the bridge are only memories now. Dr. Tucker had a combination house and barn which was later owned by Chiska on the present John Denk farm. In later years Peter Robley operated a drugstore, barber shop, and tailor shop in the present Geo. Schuh residence. Moe was the village shoemaker; Pivonka, the harness maker; Richard Burke, the village merchant; and Gehbe, the tavernkeeper. Clarks Mills was the location of the first county fairs. Traces of the old race track can still be seen a short distance northwest of the cemetery. Scenic Manitowoc river winding its way through the district from west to east provides both recreation and sport for residents near and far. Additional Comments: Extracted from: 1848 - 1948 CENTENNIAL HISTORY of the Manitowoc County School Districts and Public School System EDITED BY JOS. J. RAPPEL, COUNTY SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS 1948 File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/wi/manitowoc/history/schools/cato10ri68gms.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/wifiles/ File size: 8.5 Kb