Manitowoc County WI Archives History - Schools .....Liberty Jt. 3 - Webster ************************************************ 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, 10:02 pm LIBERTY JT. 3-WEBSTER Geraldine Chrislianson Valleskey During the early days of the district, the residents thereof became greatly interested in spelling and spelling matches. When Webster's spelling books were published, they were enthusiastically adopted by the school. As years went by the "old-timers" remembered this speller and the interest in spelling. It was natural then that Gilbert Gulickson, a schoolboard member in 1918, should suggest that the school be named the Webster School. The district school is also known as the Gulickson School, as Thalhammer's School, and as the Rube School by various groups. Liberty District 3 was organized in the early 1850's.and was then known as Newton district No. 8 which consisted of sections 1, 2, 3, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, and 15 in the present Liberty township. After 1857 when this area became part of the township of Buchanan, it became Buchanan district 3. In 1860 it was renamed Liberty district 3. Since its organization, large areas were detached to the west and other smaller areas attached to the east and south. It was not until 1890 that this district became joint with Newton when a small area in Newton was attached to Liberty 3, and then this district became Liberty Joint 3. The first log schoolhouse was erected in the early 1850's. The chinks between the logs, were plastered with red clay. The school site was the southeast corner of section 11 which is at the crossroads of the present church property. The school was furnished with long tables, the full length of the room. The girls sat on one side, while the boys sat on the opposite side facing the girls. Their seats were backless benches. A "black" board, 3 x 3 feet in size, was used for teaching and demonstration purposes. The room was heated by an old fashioned box stove, big enough to hold chunks of wood two feet long. This building also served as a chapel for the German Lutherans until they built their own church. The school was sold for $28.50 to Joachim Schnell who moved it directly across the road and used it for a carpenter and blacksmith shop. Prior to the Civil War, the young men of the district attended school to learn to read and write the language of their new country. They took a great deal of interest in the political questions of the day and spent their recess and noon periods drilling for their soldier days just before them. At a special school meeting on September 4, 1871, the question of building a new school was defeated by a vote of 9 to 26. It was voted instead to repair the log school by having Joseph Talhammer put on a new roof for $35. In 1873 the question of building was again brought up with the vote 38 to 24 in favor. It was decided to locate the school a half mile farther north than the old site. The district accordingly purchased 56 square rods from Gustave Moldenhauer and John Schnell for $17.50. The location is the N. E. corner of the SE 1/4 of section 11. To get plans for a new school, a committee was appointed to get ideas from the Madsen school, Cato 12. After this committee's report was given, the voters decided to erect a brick structure and $600 was raised for this purpose. Building operations got underway in 1874. Every district family with 80 acres was expected to haul a load of bricks from Fricke's brickyard at Manitowoc or pay $5 per M. as his share. Henry Gaetke hauled the stones for the foundation at $3.75 per cord and sand for $29.00. The size of the brick school is not given but the total cost was $934 according to county records. The schoolyard was fenced and in 1881 and shade and evergreen trees were planted. A woodshed 12 x 16 x 8 was built in 1884. The brick school had a long "black" board across the west end of the building with a cloakroom extending across the east end. The equipment consisted of double desks, globe, maps, and a large Webster's dictionary. A woodbox, large enough to hold a week's supply of fuel, was built into the partition between the cloak and classroom. A large box stove stood in the eastern part of the building with the pipes extending across the classroom to the chimney in the west wall. New single desks and a teacher's desk were purchased in 1892. The old desks were sold in lots of about 6 for 80 cents. The third and present frame school was voted at a special school meeting held February 3, 1900. A building committee composed of T. Gilbertson, Fred Schnell, and Wm. Selle was appointed. The building is about 50 x 32 x 16 feet with a full basement in which is housed the furnace, fuel storage space, and a semi play-storage room. The main floor has a large porch, an entry, two cloakrooms, and a very large classroom. A built-in library cupboard holds hundreds of books some of which were donated to the school. The floors of the school are maple with oak trim and wainscoting. Large windows on each of the long sides are still in use as are outdoor toilets. Since its erection in 1901, the school and equipment have been kept as modern as possible. The school has a telephone, free textbooks, a Smith sanitary bubbler, steel filing cabinet, tables, chairs, and other necessary school equipment. In 1930 additional land was purchased to enlarge the yard. Electric lights were installed in 1935. In 1943 the ceiling was lowered and covered with Nuwood. The same year a flag pole was erected to display the flag won by the pupils in a Victory Garden project. At first there was no well so the pupils had to carry water from the nearby Moldenhauer farm. Mrs. Ernest Moldenhauer never failed to treat them each time with cookies or other goodies. The large school building erected in 1901 indicates the large enrollment common to this school. During the 1870's when winter and summer terms were held, the attendance for the two sessions averaged about 80. After single sessions were held in the 1880's the enrollment dropped to about 40, but a steady increase was noted thereafter until 1900 when about 90 pupils were enrolled. Since 1900, there has been a constant decrease until the low of 3 was reached in 1947. The decline in attendance has been caused by the establishment of a parochial school in the district and by other natural rural conditions. Liberty district 3 was settled largely by German immigrants. The 1856 assessment roll lists Ludwig Kieselhorst, E. Pleuss, T. Vetter, T. Olson, J. Horstmann, D. Christensen, W. Griebling, E. Hacker, C. Lindemann, P. Schnell, and A. Paiitz as early settlers. Today, this farming community is made up of a mixture of Germans and Norwegians. The names of the earliest school board on record are for 1871 when Ernest Moldenhauer, Joachim Schnell, and Gilbert Guldbrandson served. Others who served from 1872 to 1906 were C. F. Hacker 1872-73, Harry Gilbertson 1874-1880, Henry Mathias 1894-1900. Ernest Moldenhauer, Jos. Thalhammer, Otto Rusch, and Gilbert Gullickson were other board members listed. Wm. Moldenhauer was a member of the board in the later 1900's for 23 years. Wm. Mathias served as director for 28 years. Math. Murphy was the earliest known teacher, teaching this school in 1868. Others in the order of their succession up to 1906, except for missing records, were Edmund Smalley, Jennie Hodges, Wm. A. Wilson, J. W. Finch, Agnes Burnet, Bridget Morris, Marion Hougen, Emma Hougen, C. J. Groth, Owen Murphy, Ole Juel, Geo. Gehbe, E. S. Crowe Martin Marken, Ed. M. Koch, and Mabel Gilbertson. Owen Murphy later became governor of Arizona, Ole Juel became a clergyman and author in the East, Wm. Wilson became a caretaker of the Abraham Lincoln home in Springfield, and E. S. Crowe became the editor of the Manitowoc Pilot. Prior to 1906 the school received its mail from nearby postoffices at Oslo, Eaton, and Rube. The latter place is still designated by that name on county maps but is now sometimes called Thalhammer's Corner. It is a crossroads hamlet with a cheese factory, telephone exchange, and a tavern. This district has one of the longest strips of high woods in the county along its western boundary. 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/libertyj168gms.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/wifiles/ File size: 8.8 Kb