Manitowoc County WI Archives History - Schools .....Mishicot 5 - Pine Grove ************************************************ 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 22, 2007, 5:30 pm MISHICOT 5 —PINE GROVE Shirley E. Schroeder Mishicot District No. 5 is officially designated as the Pine Grove School because it is situated near a grove of pine trees. The school is located near the junction of Highway 163 and County Trunk B in section 9, township 20 N, and Range 24E. To many residents of this section of the county the school is now known as the Steiner's Corner school. While the township of Mishicot embraced the townships of Gibson and Mishicot up to 1858, the present Mishicot District No. 5 was Mishicot District No. 11. At that time the district included sections 9, 10, 15, and the E 1/2 of section 16 all in township 20N, range 24E. After Mishicot township separated from Gibson the school districts were renumbered and this district became District No. 5, Mishicot. Today this district is made up of sections 9, 10, 15, and very small parts of sections 4 and 16 in township 20N, range 24E. There are no official records of the school prior to 1904 in the hands of the present school officers. The facts given in this history are those obtained from county records and from personal comments of old timers in the district. The first log schoolhouse was built about 1860 on the site of the present school and stood there until 1908. In later years the logs were covered with boards. The old building had a lean-to woodshed and the school itself had two windows on both of the long sides. These windows had shutters customary to buildings of that time. These shutters swung on hinges and were used to board up the windows during the nights and during the summer. A fine picture of the old school is to be found in the 1909 Manitowoc County School Annual. Henry Thielbar, a former pupils, reported that the furniture consisted of six wooden seats about 8 feet long, a teacher's desk, library cupboards, and chairs: A wooden blackboard about 4 by 8 feet was used. There are no records of the cost of this building nor who built it. When this old school was abandoned in 1908, it was moved to the corner of Highway 163 where it is still used as a garage. The second and present brick veneered schoolhouse was erected in 1908 at a cost of $1,694. The building is 36 x 22 feet with a schoolroom 26x20 feet. It has a large cloakroom, a library room 7 1/2 x 5 feet, and a full-sized basement. A basement furnace provides heating and ventilation. During the 1940's electric lights were installed. The school is modern in every respect except that outdoor toilets are still used. Enrollment records dating back to 1870 were found in the annual reports of the township clerks to the county superintendent of schools on file in the latter's office. In 1870, the enrollment in this school was 44. In 1880 it was down to 28. By 1895 the attendance was thirteen, but by 1905 it had gone up to 29 pupils again. The average enrollment for the last thirty years has been between 10 and 20 pupils. At present there are nine children enrolled. The enrollment in the school has been affected by the rise of the parochial school system and by other factors common to rural areas. According to the Mishicot assessment roll of 1858 the following settlers lived or owned land in this district at that time: Lorenz Schulter, Mathias Scheuer, Mathias Hoffmann, Nicolaus Scheuer, Henry Mueller, John Breider, Albert Wittenberg, and Casimer Young. Some of the family names are still common to the district. Families who settled in the district at a later period were the Thielbars, Redekers, Benzingers, and Wilsmans. This district, too, has produced prominent leaders in business and agriculture. There seems to be no record of graduates who became well-known in the professions and in politics. The earliest record of school officers found in the teachers' record book in the county superintendent's office lists these district settlers who served as clerk with the dates of their tenure: Anton Palzer 1872-78; Bruno Mueller 1878-90; Nic Schroeder 1895-98; Winar Bedbur 1903-05. The county records show that this district had no summer, and winter terms at least after 1872. By that date school was in session for six months of the year. The teachers' salaries up to 1900 averaged about $28 per month. Some teachers who taught in this district were: Mary Ross 1872; Julia E. Ricker 1873; Mary Walsh 1874; Sarah Henry 1875-79; Mary Taugher 1894-95; Dora Clausen 1896; Mary Redeker 1897-98; and Mary. Redeker again in 1905-06. The district has consistently shown a preference for women teachers. The texts used during the latter part of the 1800's were the Sanders and the American spellers and readers, Ray's arithmetic, the Montheith's and the Mitchell's geographies, the Phinneas and the Smith grammars, and the Guffey and the Swinton's histories; Emphasis was placed oh the three R's and many of the subjects now a part of the school curriculum were unheard of in the early days of this school. During the 1900's school fairs, contests, and spelling matches were popular. The Pine Grove district is and always has been a pure farming community. Many of the farms are in the hands of descendants of the original owners. Although it is one of the smaller districts of the township, its assessed valuation indicates that it is one of the more prosperous districts. Scenic East Twin River which forms the eastern boundary of the school site winds its way through and bisects the district. The river provides residents with fishing and picnic spots. During the spring the river is the center for sucker fishers for residents from near and far. 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/mishicot208gms.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/wifiles/ File size: 6.3 Kb