Manitowoc County WI Archives History - Schools .....Meeme Jt. 1 - Pigeon River 1948
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MEEME JT. 1 - PIGEON RIVER
Marion Wesener

    Meeme Joint district No. 1 was given the name of Pigeon River school because
it is located near a branch of that river. It is usually called the Olm school
because it is near the Olm homestead.

    Meeme school districts numbers 1 and 5 were one district in the 1850's. The
school-house for this combined district stood on the county line opposite the
present Schwinn home. The school was then a log structure and was used for
school purposes for about ten years. It was then abandoned and soon became
delapidated until a Mr. Muetzleburg bought the property and turned it into a
residence.

    The town assessment rolls indicate that the two districts were divided by
the year 1856, and this area became school district No. 1. By 1856, this
district was made up of sections 29, 30, 31, 32, 33 and the south half of
sections 19 and 28. It was not until 1918 that the Herman Koeser property in the
town of Schleswig was attached to this district and it became a joint district
and designated Meeme Jt. No. 1. Since its organization many parcels of land have
been attached and detached.

    The log schoolhouse for this district was built about the year 1862, and was
located a few rods north of the present building. The site was purchased from
Maurer who then owned the present Wm. Olm farm. No record is given as to size
and cost of the school. The hand-made seats and desks were large enough to
accommodate six to eight pupils. These seats were not adjustable so they were
made of varying heights. Wooden blackboards were used. Sander's first to the
fifth readers were used. The other subjects taught in this pioneer school were
arithmetic, geography, and spelling. No report was made of the disposition of
this log building when it was abandoned.

    The next schoolhouse, the northern half of the present structure, was built
in 1883 at a cost of about $600. That school then had windows on the north and
south side with the entrance and windows on the east side. The building was then
about 24 x 30 feet and without a basement. The main floor had a combination
entry and cloakroom which was shared by the boys and girls. Two doors lead into
a classroom which was scantily furnished according to the present day standards.
The pupils used slates and slate pencils. The long homemade seats were replaced
with double desks, and the room was heated by an old-fashioned stove in the
center of the room. Drinking water was obtained from the neighbor's well and was
delivered to the school by the larger boys or by the teacher. The water was used
from the pail by a dipper which everyone used. In 1909, a school well was dug by
Andrew Philips. School was called by means of hand bell. A new woodshed was
built in 1901. As time went on, a large Webster dictionary and real blackboards
and other equipment were purchased.

    By 1910, the enrollment being 70 and therefore above the number set by law
for one teacher, the district voted a two room school. The voters decided to put
an addition on the old school instead of constructing a new building.
Accordingly, the southern half of the present structure was added at a cost of
about $800. The new part, about 20 x 20 feet, consisted of an entry-cloakroom
and a classroom for the primary grades. It has windows on the south and west
sides. The old school was remodeled by putting more windows in the northern and
western walls. Since there was no basement, the two rooms were heated by stoves.

    In 1924, the enrollment had dropped to about 27 and school reverted to a one
teacher school. Since that time only the older and larger room has been used for
classes. The new addition now houses a large, well-built library cupboard. The
new entry is used as a storage room. Today the Pigeon River school has electric
lights, single, adjustable seats and desks, a floor furnace, recitation tables
and chairs, and modern teaching and learning aids. The lack of a basement,
indoor toilets, and running water keep it from being classified as a modern
rural school.

    A year after the schoolbuilding was enlarged, additional land to add to the
schoolyard was purchased from Wm. Olm for $20. It is said that in this new plot
two children of the Maurer family are buried. A belfry and bell were added at
the time that the new addition was built. The flag was flown from this belfry
until 1926 when the present flag pole was erected. In 1915, the children each
contributed ten cents towards the purchase of two pictures. These pictures, with
the names of the pupils contributing toward-them are still on display. The first
teachers in the graded school were Evelyn Dunbar and Stella Geraldson.

    The rise and decline of the number of children of school age is shown by the
changing of the school from one to two to one room. The county records do not
show that two terms per year were common after 1872, but it is reported that
religious instruction and German were taught in this school. County records also
reveal the fact that until the 1900's the enrollment never was large. The
average attendance from 1870 to 1905 was between 35 and 60. It was not until
1910 that the yearly enrollment went above 60. At present the enrollment
averages between 15 and 20 yearly out of a total of about 35 children on the
census list.

    Some of the early settlers in this district were H. J. Schneider, H.
Kuester, F. Maurer, N. Dittmar, M. and H. Roethal, and G. Meyer. Nickolas
Dittmar, owned about 360 acres in 1878. The first 160 acres were acquired as a
bonus from the government for his services in the Mexican War. Mr. Dittmar was
the first white man in Meeme to be married in the township, being united to
Caroline Ecke on May 9, 1848. Nickolas Dittmar also served in the assembly for
two terms in the 1860's. Herman Roethal served as assemblyman in the 1900's. F.
M. Schneider has been prominent in Meeme governmental affairs for almost a half
century as town clerk, town chairman, and school officer. Wm. Bennett, a
graduate of this school, became a prominent doctor in Milwaukee. Walter
Staeffler was with the Manitowoc Public Utilities for years. Three graduates who
entered the teaching profession in recent years were Viola Olm, Elmer Dirks, and
Emma Roethal, now librarian in Sheboygan.

    School records for this district were written in German until 1902. The
following served as clerks before 1906: Nick Dittmar 1872-4, Martin Roethal
1875-7, A. Dittmar 1878-80, Chas. Roethal 1891-6, and F. M. Schneider 1897-1908.
Others who served on the board were Fred Roeder, Geo Meyer, H. J. Schneider, and
Oscar Huber.

    There is no record of the first teachers, but it is believed that Wm. Leich
was the first male teacher. Mr. Leich was from Manchester, England. He died on
April 22, 1861 and was buried in the cemetery near the Liberty Pole. Quincy
Danforth taught this school in 1865. His teaching certificate is preserved by
his son Dr. J. S. Danforth at Sheboygan. The certificate indicates that he
completed the grades and took a teacher's examination in orthography, reading,
mental and written arithmetic, primary language, and geography. The marks were
then given on the basis of 10. Mr. Danforth got a mark of 7 in each subject. A
later teacher, Joseph Stephenson from Liberty, boarded at Nic Dittmar's and
later married one of the Dittmar daughters.

    The names of teachers teaching this school from 1871 to 1906 are quite
complete. Those teaching this school were: Quincy Danforth 1865, B. Danforth
1871, Jos. Stephenson 1872, Maggie O'Rourke 1873, M. J. Ward 1874-5, Faye
Richardson 1876, Thos. O'Neil 1876-7 and 1879, Wm. Mulholland 1878, K. E. Duesy
1879-80, Amor Hinz 1890, Anne Jenkins 1891, J. S. Danforth 1892-93, Anne
Danforth 1894-6, Nellie Egan 1897, Chas. Reineck 1898-99, Norma Garry 1900-02,
Agnes Conway 1903, and Mary Holfeltz 1904-05.

    When Meeme Jt. 1 became a graded school, sewing and manual arts were taught.
The materials made by the classes were displayed at school and town fairs.
Spelling matches were common in the early 1900's. By 1920, town and achievement
contests were popular. The winners of town contests entered the finals at county
contests. During the spring or fall the school children usually went on field
trips to the surrounding woods and kettle moraines.

    Today the district school is located in one of the more inaccessible parts
of Meeme Its isolation was brought out quite forcibly in the winter of the deep
snows during 1936 when no mail was delivered to the school for 61 days. The
district residents have been among the progressive farmers of Manitowoc county
for many years.


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 


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