Manitowoc County WI Archives History - Schools .....Manitowoc Rapids Jt. 10 - Branch 1948 ************************************************ 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 3, 2007, 10:00 pm MANITOWOC RAPIDS JT. 10 -BRANCH Alice L. Taddy Manitowoc Rapids Joint 10 has almost always been known as the Branch school since it is located a short distance south of the village of Branch. The boundaries of the district were drawn on January 1, 1855. Sections 4, 5, 6, 7, and all lands north of the Manitowoc river in sections 8, 9, 16, 17, 18, and 19 in Manitowoc Rapids were in the original district. In 1889 the district became joint with the town of Kossuth when pieces of land were taken from Kossuth No. 3. In 1891 and 1892 certain areas were detached from Kossuth 3. The E 1/2 of NE 1/4 of section 31 and the W 1/2 of NW 1/4 of section 32 all in Kossuth were added to this district in 1902. In 1912 the NW 1/4 of the NW 1/4 of section 33 and the SW 1/4 of the SW 1/4 of section 34 in Kossuth were detached and added to this district. No records are available regarding the first schoolhouse built about 1850, but one can assume that it must have been built shortly after the district was organized. It evidently was a small, crude log building as it was sold in 1879 to Charles Cain for the sum of $10. It is supposed that the building was located on the present site. Records show that the second schoolhouse was built in 1873 for $785. It was a frame structure. Evidently the furniture from the old school was used, as only $12.50 was listed as expenditures for school equipment for that year. During those early years it was customary to "bank" the schoolhouse in the autumn. Each year the large schoolroom, with its square box stove in the center, was whitewashed. Firewood was furnished annually for about $14. Since there was no school well, it was necessary to pay a nearby resident three dollars yearly for pump use. The task of carrying water was left to some pupil until 1903 when a well was drilled. One can assume that the "water haulers" were well pleased with the new water supply. The many double seats often accommodated three and four pupils. The building erected in 1873 was used until 1906. A special meeting of the qualified electors of the district was held on September 23, 1905 to consider the erection of a new building. A motion was made and passed that a one room frame structure be erected and that a hot air furnace be used for heating, but at another special meeting called in November of the same year, the voters decided to build a two room school. That building is the one now in use and cost about $3,000. It now has electric lights, a telephone, stoker, and other equipment demanded of second class state graded schools, but it still has outdoor toilets. Because of a new state law requiring two teachers for enrollments over sixty passed in 1905, the school became a two department school in 1906. In July 1945 the voters at the annual meeting decided to maintain a one department school because of the decreased enrollment. The first principal of the graded school was Chas. Eickhoff with Florence Grover as the primary teacher. The Branch School has always had a large enrollment until recently. During the 1800's the attendance averaged about 90 pupils. The town clerks records sent to the county superintendent of schools yearly show that the highest enrollment occurred in 1883 when 107 pupils attended. At the time the district voted two departments the attendance was 85. The present enrollment is thirty-four. The decrease in attendance is due to the factors common to rural areas. Summer and winter terms of school were common until 1876. In August 1870, the voters decided to have a nine month term consisting of a five month winter and a four month summer term. The winter term began in November, while the summer term began in May. The voters also voted for a female teacher for the summer term, but a male teacher was stipulated for the winter. Evidently there was a reason for such decisions! During the early years the length of the school term varied. In 1882 and again in 1884 the voters decided to have only eight months of school yearly. Ten months of school was voted in 1885. Branch had many old settlers who took an active part in school affairs in addition to their regular businesses. Peter Herman was proprietor of the Custom Flour Mill. F. J. Shaffer was a prominent merchant. Gottfried Kunz owned a brewery and was proprietor of a hotel. Bahr and Wagner owned a creamery and cheese factory. David Sheldon served as town clerk in 1902. Thousands of pupils have gone forth from this school. Many of them became prominent in the professions, business, and agriculture. A few of the more prominent ones were Frank Meisnest; Chas. Meisnest, who became county superintendent; Fred Meisnest, a professor of German in Washington state university; Arthur Sampe, a dentist in Racine; Florian Stradal, who is secretary-treasurer of the Invincible Mfg. Co.; Randolph Stoehr, manager of a chain of theaters in Michigan; Geo. Stoehr who is with an utility company in the west; and Paula Voelker Clusen who was secretary in the county superintendent of schools office for twenty-five years. This district has supplied many teachers for the county schools. Among the more recent ones were the Huhn girls, Clarence Carbon, Quirin Jung, Olive Kutil, Olivia and Frank Kaderabek, and Earl and Gladys Cherney. The school board members in 1870 were: Clerk E. B. Lawrence, Treasurer Geo. Lawrence, and Director Norman Pierce. Clerk E. B. Lawrence served from 1870 to 1877. August Brunig, John Meisnest, and Geo. Mittnacht were other clerks during the 1800's. Three generations of the Brunig family have served on the board. August served from 1877 to 1886. Charles served about twenty years, and his son Donald is the present clerk. One of the duties of the first school boards was to adopt the school textbooks. In January 1878 the board met at the Kunz hotel and adopted the American Education Readers, Swinton's Word Book, Swinton's Condents, Ray's Arithmetic, Kerl's Geography, and Spenverin's Copy Book. Many prominent teachers of their time were hired to teach the Branch school. The average salary of about forty dollars per month was above the county average. Teachers of whom there are records were: Mary Shove, Wm. Earles, Chas. J. Shove, Ed. Finnegan, V. B. Sheldon, Melora Shove, Viroqua Sheldon, Emil Teitgen, W. C. Sieker, L. A. Baumann, J. S. Laughlin, M. M. Guhin, and Christ Schade. The subjects taught were not so different from those of today. Science was taught as nature-study. In spring and fall all day sessions were often held in the woods to study nature. The school has served as a community center. Evening programs and debates on the second Friday of each month were common. These attracted adults from near and far. The old time spelling matches were also held. Arbor Day was celebrated yearly by planting trees and shrubs. The weeping willow and many of the school-yard trees were planted on that day. The Annual school picnics are recalled by the older residents. They were held at Shaffer's hall and were an all day affair. Branch was once known as Lenival, a thriving town of many industries. Farmers floated logs down the river to several sawmills in the village. The hamlet also had at one time a hotel, a shoe shop, a grist mill, a brewery, a shingle mill, and two blacksmith shops. Years ago there was a large boarding house not far from the school for the mill workers. In 1893 a part of the village was laid out in lots. The grist mill and brewery burned down. Other buildings were torn down, while one blacksmith shop closed down because of lack of business. Few ruins of the mills now remain. The cemetery across from the school is the final resting place of many of the old settlers. A small church north of the school has been torn down and a house erected in its place. The Branch and Manitowoc rivers are of scenic and historical interest. Indians camped at the juncture of the two rivers. Today the two streams provide recreation in the form of picnic grounds and fishing holes for nearby and county residents. 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/manitowo180gms.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/wifiles/ File size: 8.8 Kb