Manitowoc County WI Archives History - Schools .....Manitowoc Rapids 11 - Hillside 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, 10:11 pm MANITOWOC RAPIDS 11 -HILLSIDE LaVerne Manlick When anyone spoke about the Gustaveson school in the past, county residents knew that reference was made to Manitowoc Rapids district No. 11 school. It was referred to by that name because it is located across the road from the Gustaveson homestead. It was also in later years referred to as the River Road school because it is located along the so-called River Road. In 1918, the people named it the Hillside School because it is situated on the side of a hill. Manitowoc Rapids No. 11 was organized for school purposes about 1849 or 1850, but it was not until October 17, 1853, that the northwest corner of the N.W. 1/4 of the N.E. 1/4 of section 20, Manitowoc Rapids, containing 13 square rods, was purchased for a school site for the sum of $14. To this original site was added one-third of an acre in 1938, purchased from Andrew Jacobson for $50. There is no written record why this became school district No. 11. It is supposed that it was the eleventh school district set up in Manitowoc county, but there is no official proof of this. The first log school was built shortly after the pioneer settlers came into this area. The building was small and furnished with homemade, plank seats and desks about 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 feet in height and 5 to 7 feet long. Each child had a slate and slate pencil which he or she guarded carefully because these slates had to last for years! During the winter months, the older boys and girls crowded the little school. There were no slate blackboards. The world, to these pioneer pupils, was made up of Manitowoc county and the United States because those were the only maps in school. The crude homemade teacher's desk is still found in the district and was used by the teachers until the year 1914. After the old log building had outlived its usefulness, it was torn down and some of the materials used to build the new school. The second school was erected in 1873 at the cost of about $500 and was located on the same site as was the old log building. This building, as remodeled in 1930, is still in use today. In 1873 this frame building was about 24 x 32 feet without a basement. It had windows on three sides with the south wall used to hang the old wooden blackboards. The entrance door opened into a small hall from which doors opened into cloakrooms which were a part of the classroom. The old homemade seats and desks were replaced with manufactured double desks and seats. An old box stove was later replaced with a heating and ventilating system placed in the northeast corner of the schoolroom. The woodshed, at first located near the school, was later attached to the schoolhouse so as to make it "handy" for the teacher. A large movable bookcase was used to store the library and text books. In 1933, the district residents voted to improve the Hillside school through W. P. A. aids at a cost of about $3,500 to the district. The building was placed on a full basement which houses fuel, storage, furnace, and playrooms. The windows in the east wall were removed and all of the windows for the classroom placed in the west wall. The two windows to the front were retained to light the partitioned cloakrooms. An entrance shed was constructed from which a door opens to a basement stairway. Straight ahead of the entrance door, steps lead to a small landing from which three doors open. Two of these doors lead to the cloakrooms - one at each corner, and one door, leads directly into the schoolroom. Each cloakroom also has a door leading directly into the classroom. The blackboards are placed along the east wall with the pupils facing that direction in comfortable single, adjustable seats and desks. The building is modernly equipped with a piano, radio, steel filing case, worktables, chairs, maps, reference books, etc., The school is modern except for indoor lavatories and running water. During the decades when summer and winter sessions were held, the number of children attending was high. In 1870, the town clerk's report to the county superintendent shows that 91 pupils put of 112 chidren of school age attended the little log school. That figure, no doubt, is the sum total of the two sessions for the year. After single terms were established in the 1880's, the enrollment was about 50 out of 125 children in the district. By 1890, the attendance had again gone up to over 70 and remained there until the 1900's when between 40 and 50 attended yearly. Since this district is not affected greatly by parochial schools, the average yearly enrollment now is between 20 and 25 out of a school census of about 70 children. Wm. Sawyer, who settled in this district in 1848, was one of the pioneers. Others who settled here at about the same time were: Oanen Torrison, Jon Johnson, Tosten Knutson, Ole Paulson, and Jens Hansen. The 1866 assessment roll lists Wyman Murphy, Chas. Gustaveson, Even Gjerulfsen, S. Osofsen, Osul Terkleson, L. Norboc, Torjus Kostelson, J. Lantry, Chas. Solberg, Amun Torgusen, Issac Erickson, Hans Gunderson, John Olsen, Andre Onunseh, Thos. Anderson, Chas. Bull, Moses Tufts, Peter Kelser, and Wm. Back as land owners in this district. The above names indicate very clearly that this was a Norwegian settlement. John Gunderson established a lumber camp on the river. Captain Gustaveson, a veteran of the Civil War, went to this school. Some of the older residents vaguely remember the return of the Civil War veterans. They recall being in school and seeing the veterans come marching up the road. No "school" for the rest of the day! The hundreds and hundreds of former pupils have become prominent in local, county, and state affairs. Among the families producing teachers were the Wigen, Terkelson, Vogel, Brehmer, and Geraldson names. Gretna Terkelson became supervising teacher of Manitowoc county. The voters of the old River Road school elected the leading citizens of the district as school officers and kept them in office for many three year terms. The first clerk of whom there is a county record was John S. Tufts who served before 1872. Chas. Gustaveson served from 1873 to about 1890, G. Gunderson from 1890 to 1905, and Severt Terkelson from 1906 to 1914. Others on the school board before 1906 were Peter Terkelson, John Gunderson, Christ Hanson, and Otto Seestedt. The list of teachers is incomplete. Teachers usually stayed only one year evidently because the salary paid was below that of surrounding districts. It was not until Dave Fitzgerald taught this school that salaries comparable with Branch and Rapids were paid according to county records. The policy during the last 30 or 40 years has been to get and keep the best teachers for long tenures. Teachers who taught this school before 1906 as listed in the teacher's book in the county office were: Eliza Allen 1872 S, Mary Hubbard 1872 and 73 winters, Jennie Mickelson 1873 S, Anna Gustaveson 1874 S, Aurelia Lawrence 1874 W, Mary L. Shove 1875, Byron Oakley 1876 and 1878, Melora Shove 1577, Ella Edwards 1879, David Fitzgerald 1894-7, T. E. Thompson 1898, Louis Ahlswede 1904, Anton Knutson 1905, and Celia McCarthy 1906. In 1875, according to P. N. Terkelson, the texts used were Sander's readers and spellers. The principal classes were spelling, reading, arithmetic, and geography. Later on grammar and history were added to the course of study. Today the eight grades enrolled have a total of 28 classes daily. Community gatherings were common at the turn of the century. These consisted of spelling bees, singing school, tableaus, debates, and school fairs. Debates by district residents were carried on during the time of Dave Fitzgerald. In the 1920's and 1930's when town and county contests were popular, Hillside school had many town and county winners! Today the community uses the school for 4-H Club and Homemakers' meetings. Mrs. Morton Geraldson, a district resident, was chosen state president of the Homemakers for 1947. The Manitowoc river provides scenic and recreational areas for district and county residents. Murphy's mill along this river was one of the early business places. Frank Hein's tavern and hotel was destroyed by fire about 1900. Prior to 1912, there was no bridge between Branch and this community. People wishing to cross the river at Wettenkamps had to do so by fording. Another old landmark in this district is the Wettehkamp tavern located a half mile west of the school on the River road. Today this community has become one of the prosperous farming areas of Manitowoc county, vitally interested in the problem of rural education. 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/manitowo181gms.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/wifiles/ File size: 9.4 Kb