Manitowoc County WI Archives History - Schools .....Rockland Jt. 2 - Woodcock ************************************************ 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 25, 2007, 11:23 am ROCKLAND JT. 2 —WOODCOCK Verna Mae Hougen Rockland school district joint 2 is and has for years been known as the Woodcock school because the site on which the school is located was donated to the district by John Dexter Woodcock. The schoolhouse is now located on the S. W. corner of Section 33, township of Rockland. The Woodcock district is reputed to have been organized about 1851 when this area belonged to the original Eaton township. The present Rockland sections 31, 32, 33, and S 1/2 of section 34 lying south of the Manitowoc River and near which sections this school is located, belonged from time to time to Eaton, Walders, and Rockland townships. This school district then has been listed as Eaton, Walders, and again as Eaton school district No. 7 as this area changed its township name. After the above named sections were incorporated permanently as a part of Rockland township in 1869, this district was renumbered and became Eaton Jt. 2, joint with the township of Rockland. Since the first schoolhouse was located in town of Eaton, the district was designated as Eaton Jt. 2. When the new schoolhouse was built in 1883, it was located in Rockland so it was given the designation of Rockland Jt. 2. Since its organization, many changes have occurred in the boundary lines, but the northern boundary is still the winding Manitowoc river. The first schoolhouse for the district was a small log structure about 14 x 20 feet. It was erected in the early 1850's and stood on the A. C. Tuft farm south of the present site. It served the district until 1883 when it was sold for $8 and eventually torn down and used for firewood. The little log school had windows on three sides. The cracks between the logs were chinked to keep out the rain, snow, and cold. The furniture consisted of rude, homemade benches and desks. A box stove, a small "black" board, a woodbox, and a bucket and dipper completed the school's equipment. Due to the increasing enrollment with the coming of more settlers, and to provide a better school building for its children, the district, in 1883 voted to erect a new structure. John Dexter Woodcock donated a corner of his farm for the site. The frame school, the one now in use, is about 24 x 36 feet in size. It cost the district the sum of $633 according to county records. It has a combination entry-cloakroom and a good-sized classroom. A semi-enclosed storm porch encloses the entrance. The usual windows on the long sides cause objectionable cross-lighting. During the 1930's a door replaced one of the windows at the northeast corner of the schoolroom so that the toilets and woodshed at the rear of the school would be more convenient. The school is heated by a floor furnace. A woodbox placed in the wall between the schoolroom and the entry was partly removed in the 1930's so that open library shelving could be placed along this wall. Electric lights were installed about 1938. Other conveniences added in recent years were a steel filing cabinet, a telephone, primary work table with chairs, and single seats and desks. The schoolyard in enclosed on two sides by a board fence. The playground equipment consists of a merry-go-round. The pupils are called to their day's work by means of a hand bell. The Woodcock school has always remained a one room rural school. During the first years of the log school, the enrollment was about 12 for the three month term. By 1870, the town clerk's report to the county superintendent showed that a total of 55 pupils was enrolled for the winter and summer sessions. During the remainder of the 1800's, the attendance ranged from 50 to 65 yearly. The highest enrollment occurred in 1905 when 70 pupils were attending. The attendance for the last few years has been from 10 to 20 pupils which is high since the number of children of school age averages only about 40 for the district. According to the early assessment rolls, some of the first settlers were M. Wegner, L. Marcks; J. M. Tyler, M. Streckert, N. Porter, W. Woodcock, F. M. Boucher, M. C. Tyler, and N. K. Johnson. All were farmers since this is a farming community. The earliest known school officer was Frederick Pollack who served as treasurer in 1868 Frank Markee succeeded him in 1870. John D. Woodcock served as clerk in 1872. Emmett Rickaby was school clerk from 1873 to 1876. Others who served on the board up to 1906 were Fred and August Schwalbe, Paul Wegner, Nathan Porter, James Carroll, and Ferdinand Woodcock. Rockland Jt. 2 had summer and winter sessions until about 1876; according to county records. The early terms were about 5 months in length. The summer session lasted from May to October. The first 9 month term was held in 1894. The salary of the teacher ranged from $33 per month in 1872 up to $45 monthly in 1894. That was average for the times. The names of teachers on record are: 1867 D. C. Makham, 1868 K. S. McGinley, Eliza Allen 1869, Sarah M. Carey 1870, Robert Dobyns 1871, Melora Shove 1872, Pat E. Skahen 1873, H. M. Tyler 1874, Ella Ross 1875, Maggie M. Foye 1876, Julia Ross 1877, Ella Ross 1878, Gustie Boetteher 1879, Maggie Cody 1880, E. S. Crowe 1894, Daisy Fulton 1895-98, Catherine Doolan 1904-5. Julia Sullivan was another early teacher. The many pupils who have attended the Woodcock school have become successful in their chosen fields. All of them take pride in the fact that they at one time attended this district school. Among the more well-known graduates are James Carroll who became state senator, and William Carroll who became assemblyman, both in other areas of the state. Early records of 1868 show that money to run the school was obtained through "land certificates". Fred Pollack, the treasurer in 1868, received one for the amount of $226.32 at that time. The texts common to other county schools were used in the later 1880's. The Woodcocks have at present a small leather bound arithmetic book, "First Book in Arithmetic", published in 1847 and still in good condition. Records show also that the school treasurer received and paid out funds for box socials, raffles, and school fairs. Today Rockland Jt. 2 remains a quiet but prosperous farming community. The western edge of the district contains a portion of the Rockland-Eaton swamps. The eastern and northern boundaries contain portions of the Collins marshes along the Manitowoc rfver. An historical place of interest to old-timers is the Streckert cemetery near the southwestern limits of the district. 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/rockland221gms.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/wifiles/ File size: 7.3 Kb