Manitowoc County WI Archives History - Schools .....Two Rivers 4 - Shoto School ************************************************ 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 January 15, 2008, 3:32 am TWO RIVERS 4 — SHOTO SCHOOL Mary Duffy Two Rivers district number 4 located in T. 20 N., Range 24 E; is known at the Shoto school. Years ago it was known as the Neshoto school and as the Kingsville school for definite reasons which are given in this school history. The 1856 Two Rivers township assessment roll shows that by that time at least the district was set up for taxation purposes. The district then contained sections 27, 28, 29, 32 in T. 20 N., R. 24 E. By 1861 the east half of section 32 had been attached to Two Rivers No. 5. There is no record of a school before 1860 although there were school sessions prior to that time in a private building. The first schoolhouse was built in 1860 at a cost of about $250. It was a large frame structure about 30x60 feet and contained one classroom. The first building was smaller but a later addition, due to increased, enrollment, was added. The school was located about two blocks south of the Shoto bridge, on the hill behind the present James O'Hearn home. At the time the school was located on that site, an east-west road ran past the southern boundary of the schoolyard. The school site adjoined a cemetery. Michael Schimmel and Alex Rutz, old residents of the district, remember the first school as having three rows of seats — two rows of three-pupil desks and seats and a center row of seats, each large enough for eight or ten pupils. The seats were made of planks. Books and slates were brought from the homes. A large stove furnished heat for the building. In one corner, on a rude wooden bench, was the old fashioned water bucket. The school was then known as the Neshoto school. When Cooper and Jones, owners of the school site, were ready to move out of Neshoto in 1875, they wanted to dispose of their holdings and so it was necessary to find a new location for the school. It was then decided to build in Kingsville which adjoined Neshoto to the east. The first school was torn down and some of the lumber was evidently used in the new school building. While plans and building conferences were going on, Alex Rutz reports that the district bought the house in which the Depons family lived for school purposes. This house was on the exact site of the present school. The second school, a brick building about 24 x 36 feet, was built in 1881 by contractor Schwantes. It replaced the Depons house which was torn down before building operations began. The second school cost $336 and consisted of a large class-room, an entry and hallway, a cloakroom on one side of the hallway and a fuel storage room on the other side. The windows were placed along the long sides of the building. The school was equipped with double desks and seats. Many of the texts were those found around the homes of the pupils. Slates were used in place of writing paper and tablets. The blackboards were "black boards". The heating equipment consisted of a stove, while kerosene lamps took care of the lighting problem. When the building was replaced by a third school, the bricks were used for the new school basement. The second school was known as the Kingsville school. The third and present school was erected in 1913 for $2,665. It is a modern frame building with a large class room, a roomy hallway, two cloak rooms, a full basement, a roomy attic, indoor flush toilets, a basement furnace heating and ventilating system, and a good-sized library room. The equipment consists of single, adjustable seats and desks, slate blackboards, bulletin boards, piano, and a steel filing case. Electric lights and services were installed in the 1930's. By the late 1800's when the post office name of Neshoto was changed to Shoto, the school became known as the Shoto school. As the hamlets of Neshoto and Kingsville grew, the school population increased, but as the mills shut down the school attendance decreased. The enrollment during the first year of the first school was 30 pupils. By 1870 the clerk's report to the superintendent of schools shows that 73 pupils were in school. From the high of 75 pupils in 1875, the enrollment shows a steady decrease until 1890 when but 22 pupils were in attendance. After that date the school enrolled between 30 and 40 students. The attendance in the 1900's has been about that figure with the present enrollment averaging 20. Today the school population is augmented by the children of the residents of cottages along the West Twin River. A very early settler of the community was Frederick Borcherdt who settled here in 1841 and took over the mill built by Burnham and Stringham. He was the first German settler in the county. Andrew Rutz who served on the school board and later became town clerk settled here in 1856. Other early settlers were Wm. Myer, Richard Bishop, Al. Schimmel, Rudolph Meissner, Clarence Krueger, a Mr. Schroeder, Albert Franz, a Mr. Timber, Henry Meyer, and Mr. Kott. Many of these family names are still common in the district. No record of the school officers prior to 1872 is available. The names of those on record from that date are: Henry Depons 1872-1874; Andrew Rutz 1874-1880; Chas. Raimond 1880-; and Chas. Hacker 1894-96. Henry Rahn, Wm. and Jos. Meyer, August Gehling, Carl Buenzow, John Petri, Alex Rutz, were others serving prior to 1906. The names of the first teachers in the old school are not on record. Some of those who taught from 1872 on were: E. H. Smalley, Louis H. Truettner, Catherine Stitt, Sarah J. Thompson, William Ross, Henry Walsh, Peter Carrigan, Jessie P. Ross, Emma Emerson, Emma Morrison, Clara Filholm, Lena Miller, Alice Newcomb, Carl Zander, Wm. Engel, Floyd Brown, Myrtle Mosher, and Mary McCullough. Those teaching in this school after 1906 are listed in the county school annuals. The district maintained summer and winter sessions as late as the 1870's. The early texts included Ray's arithmetic, Phinneas grammar, Sanders spellers and readers, Guffey's history, and Mitchell's geography. The teacher's salary was always a bit higher than other nearby districts paid. There are few records of community activities held in the schoolbuilding, but it is reported that old-fashioned spelling bees were held once or twice a year. The Shoto district has one of the most interesting community histories of Manitowoc county. Two distinct hamlets, Neshoto and Kingsville, sprang up along the West Twin river. The population of Neshoto at one time was about 250 persons. Cooper and Jones Lumber Co. owned much of the property in the village. They operated saw and lath mills located near the dam. The saw mill was located on the north side of the river by the sluice way. A post office, established after 1880, was at first to be called Neshoto, but since there was already a post office by that name in Wisconsin, it was called Shoto in spite of the fact that a Mr. Hacker wanted to have the village named Hackerville. The first postmaster was reported to have been August Gehling. The office stayed in existence until the inauguration of the R. F. D. system. A cemetery next to the first school was used for the burial plot of the old settlers, the mill workers, and members of their families. The cemetery is now a cultivated piece of land. Th south river bank below the dam was built up in docks, back-filled with sawdust and slabs. A large tug hauled lumber and mill work from these docks to Two Rivers. Small sailing vessels also docked here. Today nothing of these docks remains except rows of logs lying on the shore river bottom. The busy village even boasted of two hotels at one time! Kingsville adjoining Neshoto to the east had about fourteen families with a population, of about 125 persons. The village was platted by a Mr. King. It was the business and residential section of the two villages, although a grist mill across from the present home of Theo. Kowalski was in operation. The mill was later moved to Shoto and is now owned by Jos. Holly. The present home of Theo. Kowalski was at one time a tavern, while his barn lumber was once used in a large dance hall. Another tavern run by Silbersack was located across the road from the present school. This, too, was moved later to Shoto and is now the tavern of Ben Loef. Mr. King conducted a store in the village. Other residents in Kingsville were Salomon, Oestreich, Kettenhofen, Hess, Meyer, August and Wm. Schmidt, Kestley, Mueller, and Wolferman families. Today Shoto has become a scenic and sports area. Summer cottages of residents from Manitowoc and Two Rivers dot the shores. People from all areas of Manitowoc county travel to Shoto for picnics and fishing. 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/tworiver246gms.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/wifiles/ File size: 9.4 Kb