Manitowoc County WI Archives History - Schools .....Kossuth Jt. 1 - Brockville ************************************************ 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 November 2, 2007, 1:41 am KOSSUTH JT. 1 - BROCKVILLE Elayne Schlundt "Cinder Dump" was the name first given to a little box-car station located north of Francis Creek. This was later officially named Brockville, but for what reason it was given this particular name is unknown. Since this school was located nearby, it was only natural to name this the Brockville school in 1918. Kossuth Jt. 1 was organized in 1901 when a group of parents petitioned the proper, officials to set up a new school district. None of the surrounding schools was within "walking distance" for the children, and for that reason it was felt that a school located centrally in this area would be most convenient. Accordingly, after due hearings, a school district was created by detaching areas of land from Kossuth 1 and 2, Gibson Jt. 6, and Cooperstown 2 and it became Kossuth Jt. 1 because the schoolhouse is located in Kossuth. While the schoolhouse was under construction, the children attended school in an old log building across the road from the present site. That building belonged to Charles Rezek. The teacher in that school was Adela Lawrence who received $30 per month for a nine month term. The new school was not completed until the summer of 1903. Peter Hronek did the masonry work while Jos. Stransky contracted for the carpentry work. The building and labor cost $2,300. The school built by 1903 is still in use today. It is a brick structure, 36 x 41 feet, with a schoolroom 26 x 35 feet. A belfry houses a large school bell which can be heard throughout the district. In addition to a large classroom, the main floor houses a cloakroom shared by both the boys and girls, and a large library room in the north-east corner of the building. A stairway from the library leads into a full-sized basement housing a common fuel, furnace, and play room. The walls and ceiling of the schoolroom are covered with tin. Window lighting is from the left and rear of the room - conforming to the state code. The bell rope hangs down from the ceiling near the front of the room, making it an easy task for the teachers to call the pupils to their classes. The school is well-equipped with single desks, work tables, bulletin boards, blackboards, sand table, and a new teacher's desk. Out-door toilets are still maintained, keeping the building from being designated as a modern school. Electric lights and services were installed in the later 1930's. The enrollment in Kossuth Jt. 1 has remained fairly constant since its-organization in 1901. For that year we find that the district had a school census of 25 boys and 28 girl, with 40 of that number attending school. During the early 1940's the enrollment dropped below 15, but since that time the attendance is again around 20 yearly out of a census list of about 30 to 35 children of school age. Today the number of children of school age is just about half of that 40 years ago. Smaller families, larger farms, mechanization on the farms, and older residents are the causes of this population decline. The first schoolboard elected in 1901 was composed of clerk Emil Witt, director Edward Kostlovy, and treasurer Steve Shimon. Other early board members serving before 1906 were Frank Rezek, Adolph Skarievoda, and John Stuiber. The first teacher in the new brick school was Rose Ledvina. The pupils sat in large, double desks while studying arithmetic, reading, history, physiology, geography, agriculture, civics, and grammar. They recited at the front of the room while seated on long benches. The schoolroom, at first, was heated by a large box stove. During the winter it was always roasting hot near the stove and freezing a short distance away. To eliminate this condition, the voters soon voted for a basement furnace. Since this school was organized shortly before the county Annuals began to be issued in 1906, the teacher list is complete. Other teachers teaching this school prior to 1910, in addition to Adela Lawrence and Rose Ledvina, were Rose Voboril, Mary Conway, Catherine McCulley, and Henry Antholz. A later teacher, Ewald Jedlichka, was the only teacher casualty from Manitowoc County in World War II, losing his life in the European theater of war. Because of its recent organization, the number of graduates from this school is limited. A few of the more recent graduates have become prominent in this and other communities. Henry Swetlik is a member of the Federal F.B.I.; Lester Tepley is a professor of bio chemistry; Edith Suchomel became a lieutenant army nurse; Eileen Rebechek is a nurse in Milwaukee; while Frank and Amelia Suchomel became teachers, as did Alvina Shestak. During the days of school fairs, Kossuth Jt. 1 pupils were active participants and were to be reckoned with at all times. Gold and silver medal winners came from this school when town and county spelling and achievement contests were held from 1910 to the 1930's. Although this is one of Manitowoc county's youngest districts, it is one of the more progressive ones. Just what part this school will play in the future rural school organization remains to be seen. 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/kossuthj160gms.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/wifiles/ File size: 5.9 Kb