Manitowoc County WI Archives History - Schools .....Centerville 2 LaFollette ************************************************ 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, 11:42 am CENTERVILLE 2 — LaFOLLETTE Delores Thieleke Centerville No. 2 school district is now made up of sections 5, 6, 7, 8, and parts of 4, 9, 17, and 18 in Centerville township. Since 1918, it has been known as the LaFollette school in honor of Robert M. LaFollette. Prior to that time it was often referred to as the Jacobi school because of the connection that the Jacobi families had with it. Up to 1856 this district was a part of the old Centerville district No. 2 which then included all of the present Centerville districts 2 and Jt. 3, and part of No. 4. In 1856, the Centerville township was redistricted and this area became the present school district No. 2, Centerville. The newly organized district 2 in 1856 contained about the same area of land as it does today. The first school, a log building, was built a few rods west of the present school site. It was said to have been located at the southwest corner of section 5, across from the cheese factory. There was a cheese factory at that corner even in those early days, for it was said that the pupils made a "nuisance" of themselves at the factory. The opposition to the youngsters evidently became great enough to cause the voters in 1862 to purchase the present site, a quarter acre, from Frederick Knapworst for the sum of $7. No record of the size or cost of the old log building is available. In 1873 a new frame school was built on the present site, and the old log structure torn down. The new school, the present one, was built to be modern for that time. Four windows on each long side provided the lighting. The building is about 24 x 30 ft. without a basement, and cost about $520. There is one large classroom and an entry-cloakroom. The school at first had two blackboards at the front of the room. Double seats and desks were used. In 1887, a' belfry was added and the building re-clap-boarded. A district lathing bee was held to re-lath the rooms. Wainscoting and new bloakboards for the side walls were added about the same time. Another quarter acre of land was purchased from Henry Zeddies in 1906 for $50 to enlarge the schoolgrounds. The double desks were replaced by single seats from Sears Roebuck in 1914 for $119.30. Electric lights were installed in 1937. The same year a well was drilled on the schoolgrounds so that it wouldn't be necessary to carry water from the cheese factory west of the school. Today the school is heated by a floor furnace instead of the old box stove. A large, well-built library cabinet in the rear of the classroom provides storage space for all books. The room is equipped with a radio, piano, steel file, chairs, work-tables, and other modern school equipment. As in all rural districts the enrollment has fluctuated with the times. There is no record of the number of pupils attending yearly before 1870. The enrollment for 1870 was 48 according to the town clerk's report to the county superintendent. The highest enrollment occurred in 1875 when 61 pupils were in attendance. The average for the latter part of the 1800's and the early 1900's was 50. Today the enrollment averages about 20 pupils yearly, with the decrease due to smaller families, larger farms, graduation from eighth grade at or before 14 years of age, and attendance at parochial schools. Centerville District No. 2 was settled by Germans as the names of the early settlers, as listed in the Centerville assessment roll of 1856, indicate. The following were among the early pioneers: C. Leiteritz; G. Treick, W. Korf, T. Barthel, L. Rapsberg, T. Wagner, T. Henschel, S. Grotegut, and Michael Kuecker. Today the family names of Lutze, Jacobi, and Klessig are familiar in governmental and agricultural fields. The early school district officers served their community for little or no pay. They were interested in providing the best education possible for the times and made it their duty and privilege to serve as a school board member. Ernest Leiteritz, Jacob Gauch, and Henry Horman served in 1872 for $2 per year. Frederick Jacobi became a board member in 1884 and served for 42 years. He was also the town chairman for a number of years. Others who served before 1906 were: M. Egan, Ernest Jaehnig, Adolph Klessig, Henry Schomburg, and Fred Jacobi. William Duessing and Herbert Klessig both served as treasurer for 21 years. There is no record of teachers before 1872. Those listed, in the county superintendent's record-book indicate that Irish teachers were preferred in this German community. Their pay was above the average paid other teachers in the town. In 1875 the sum of $50 per month was paid. The teachers' names on record are: Emily Richter, 1872; Lizzie Donahue, 1873; Patrick Nagel, 1874-5; Katie Donahue, 1876 and 1878; P. Nagel, 1877; Wm. Mulholland, 1879; Fred Gensch, 1894; John Goldie, 1895-96; John Egan, 1897; Albert Jacobi, 1898; and Math. Fitzgerald, 1904-05. John Egan became conservation warden for Manitowoc county and still later assemblyman. The names of teachers after 1905 are recorded in the county school annuals. The records do not show that summer and winter sessions of school were held. There may have been German schools for a short period each year. It is noted that mail was obtained from Hika, Meeme, Gsman, Timothy, St. Wendell, and Newton as the years passed. Sanders spellers, Sanders and American Education readers, Davies and Rays arithmetics, Monthieths geography, Kerl's grammar, and Swinton's history were used from 1870 to about 1890. The school has served as a community center for meetings and social gatherings. Centerville No. 2 district is a farming community. Gustave Hinz operated a sawmill in the past, but that was discontinued in 1922. A cheese factory is in operation near the school. Small, wandering branches of Fischer Creek and Point Creek cut across the district. Neither one is of scenic or recreational value in this community. 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/centervi73gms.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/wifiles/ File size: 6.7 Kb