Manitowoc County WI Archives History - Schools .....Schleswig 2 Hillside 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 December 30, 2007, 7:28 pm SCHLESWIG 2 —HILLSIDE GROVE Mary J. Buckley Schleswig school district No. 2 was officially designated the Hillside Grove school in 1918 because the schoolhouse is situated on the side of a hill with a grove of trees nearby. The school is commonly referred to as the Quante school because of the connection that the Quantes have had with it and because it is located adjacent to the Quante farm. Just when the district was organized is unknown, but the Schleswig assessment roll of 1856 shows that by that year it had already been organized at least for taxation purposes. The district then contained sections 3, 4, 9, 10, 15, and 16. Some boundary changes have occurred since then but that is the approximate extent of the district now. The first log schoolhouse was apparently built in the later 1850's on the present school site. No record of its size, cost, or construction is to be found. It is known that a quarter acre of land was donated for a school site on May 14, 1860 by Christ Fischer. On Dec. 2, 1904, an additional acre was purchased from Wm. and Ida Pohl, and on July 7, 1917 another 1 1/2 acres was purchased from Norbert Reichert, making the present schoolyard 2 3/4 acres. Old residents remember the old log school as having a large wood stove in the middle of the room. Two small "black" boards cared for the few assignments and board work of the students. The desks and benches were crude, homemade affairs, large enough to seat eight pupils to a bench. The water bucket and dipper were .placed "conveniently" in the room. The small school-yard forced many of the pupils to play on the so-called Center road which passes the school. After the school had served its purpose, it was torn down and used for fire-wood. The second and present schoolhouse of frame construction was built in 1885 at an approximate cost of $800 by Christ Fischer. It was not quite as large as the present building because about 1912 an addition was made to enlarge the hall-cloakroom on the south end of the building. The present building had six windows on each of the long sides and no basement when it was first built. Double seats and desks replaced the long wooden benches but a wood stove was used to heat the school. The equipment, though better than in the first school, was still crude and meager according to the present standard. Soon after the turn of the century the progressive district voters under the efficient leadership of outstanding schoolboard members voted to make their school a modern one-room rural school. As new improvements and conveniences for rural schools became available, this district was a leader in adopting and installing them. When the state granted special state aid in 1905 to schools complying wtih [sic] certain standards, Schleswig 2 was among the first to take advantage of the law. Continuous improvements were made as the years passed, so that today the district maintains one of the most modern one room schools of the county. The frame building was remodeled in 1917 to conform to state standards by adding a full basement and by putting all of the schoolroom windows in the west wall. Since that time the best and latest playground equipment, electric lights, an electric stove, files, a radio, piano, phonograph, and telephone have been added. A well was drilled to avoid the need for carrying water from a farm across the road. A basement furnace now replaces the old schoolroom stove. Three years ago stoker was installed. In the summer of 1946, indoor toilets completed the modernization program. The swampy land behind the school was filled in and made into a fine playground and baseball field. The enrollment of the school has varied with the times. About 1910 the number of pupils enrolled was so great that there was some idea of creating a two room school system, but this did not materialize. According to county records the highest enrollment occurred in 1875 when 82 pupils were enrolled. By 1890 the attendance had gone down to about 30 pupils, but the number from that low point increased yearly so that by 1910 about 70 children were attending. Since the average daily attendance for the year was below 60, the state did not force the district to provide two teachers. The present enrollment averages, about 20 pupils yearly. Schleswig 2 district is a farming community. Some early settlers according to the 1859 assessment roll were Thos. Sullivan, Peter Scherer, John Rourke, Henry Engels, Richard Christie, Christ Casper, Peter Hartmann, Nick Balz, August Quante, Rudolph Ruh, and Fred Nimmer. Most of these family names are no longer common to the community. The many graduates of the school became successful leaders in the communities in which they settled. The district has usually kept its school officers for long years of service. Peter Hartmann is on record as having served at least from 1872 to 1880. Names of officers listed from the incomplete records of 1894 to 1906 were Richard Christel, Chas. Reichwaldt, Fred Broeckert, and R. J. Hungsford. More recent long service records were held by Ervin Reichwaldt, Rudolph Quante, and Geo. Rabe. There is no indication that two terms yearly were held in this district. It is known that the best teachers were hired, and the monthly salary was always above that of most nearby teachers. As usual Sanders spellers and readers, Davies arithmetic, Monthieths geography, and Barnes history were later 1800 texts. Teachers' names definitely recorded were C. F. Eller, 1872; August Elmgreen 1873; R. A. Pendleton 1874; M. Quinn, 1876; P. J. White 1877; James Connell 1878-9; Katie Fardy 1880; Anna Brockert 1894; A. H. Lindemann 1895-6; Ida Pihgel 1897-8; Rudolph Graf (now Dr. R. Graf of Kiel) 1904; and Viola Sullivan 1905. Others who taught before 1906 were Maggie Pinter, Ralph Elmgreen, Harry Nimmer, Richard O'Shea, Joyce O'Connor, and Julia Densmore. Later teachers who became Manitowoc county supervising teachers were Amanda Heyroth and Frieda Hammann. The Sullivan girls, Viola, Genevieve, or Mary, taught this school from 1905 to 1916 except for a year or two. Spelling bees were common in the early days. Maypole dances were held some springs. Old pictures in school show the school and town fairs that the school took part in. The annual Christmas program is a featured affair for the community. 4-H Club meetings, every first Tuesday of the month, are held in the school. The district has several small lakes but none of real recreational value. Mail for the community was gotten from the post offices at Louis Corners, Steinthal, and Kiel. Today Schleswig No. 2 district leads in the maintenance of one of the most modern rural schools of Manitowoc county. 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/schleswi233gms.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/wifiles/ File size: 7.5 Kb