Manitowoc County WI Archives History - Schools .....Two Rivers Jt. 5 - Fillmore ************************************************ 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, 3:42 am TWO RIVERS JT. 5 — FILLMORE Suspended Two Rivers school district Jt. 5 was officially designated the Millard Fillmore school in honor of one of America's presidents. It is commonly referred to as the Schwahtes school because it is situated next to the Schwantes home. On March 1, 1856, the town superintendent of schools called a meeting of the voters of this area for the purpose of forming a new school district. The meeting was held at the home of Edward Schmitt on April 1, 1856, at 2:00 P. M. Wm. Klop was chosen chairman and Solomon Denis was elected clerk. The assembled voters authorized the construction of a log building to be built by the residents for which they were to be paid $1 per day for such labor The first school district consisted of land which was in Two Rivers township. Since the new district bordered on the town of Manitowoc, it was not long before this district became joint with Manitowoc. On April 9, 1861, all of sections 4 and 9 and the east halves of sections 5 and 8 in T. 19 N., R. 24E (Manitowoc township) were added to this school district. The first log school constructed in 1856 was a crude building 18 x 24 feet, valued at about $80. Both the inside and the outside of the school were mud-plastered. The interior was then whitewashed frequently. The room was meagerly furnished with homemade desks and seats, one "black" board 3 1/2 x 4 1/2 feet, a map or two, and a few books. When the next schoolhouse was built, the old log building was sold to John Krueger for $2. No mention is made of the use that he made of it. The old log school was to be located on the southwest corner of the SE% of Sec. 33, T. 20 N., R. 24E, the present Rhode cheese factory corner. On April 15, 1856, before the log school was begun, a special meeting was held to alter the site because there was no warranty deed for the first site chosen. The chosen site for the first schoolhouse then was one-half acre at the northwest corner of section 3, T. 19 N., 3. 24E., on the present Frank Koldoff farm. In 1867, the voters authorized the construction of a new frame schoolhouse. The sum of $400 was raised for this purpose. Because of a dispute over the old site, Mr. Schwantes donated the present site on the present county trunk highway D. The second school was about 24 x 34 feet with windows on the long sides. The furniture was still of the homemade variety. The frame schoolhouse was abandoned in 1885 and moved next door to the; cheese factory where it was used as a stable for chickens and pigs. Later on it was turned into a garage and so used until it was destroyed by fire in 1928. In 1885, the third and present schoolhouse was erected at an approximate cost of $571. It is a brick structure about 24 x 40 feet with three windows on each long side and two in the entrance side. A combination cloakroom and entry was attached later. The building is without a basement and so the heating-ventilating system was located in the northwest corner of the school room. The double desks and seats, purchased at the time that the present school was built, were replaced with single, adjustable desks in the 1900's. The school had running water supplied by an artesian well. The many library and text books were stored in cupboards built near the entrance. The first annual report of this district in 1856 listed 12 male and 14 female children of school age (4 to 20 years). Of that number, 14 attended the little log school. After the Manitowoc area was taken in, there were 83 pupils of school age in the district. The school population increased steadily until 1885 when 160 children resided in the district. After that date there was a steady decline, so that by 1900 only 74 school age children lived in Two Rivers Jt. 5. The growth and development of Manitowoc Beach, which is in this district, is reflected in the fact that by 1920 only 92 children were listed on the school census., By 1930, there were 129; by 1940 there were 220; and by the 1947 school census listed about 250 children. In spite of the large school census now and in the past, the number attending a public grade school has never been larger than 60 pupils during any one year. Parochial school attendance in Manitowoc and Two Rivers has limited public school attendance. Rural schools in Manitowoc county usually suspended because of an insufficient number of children who will attend the public school. Two Rivers Jt. 5 suspended in 1937 because the number to attend this school was too great for the size of the school building, and because the distance to the district school for the Manitowoc Beach children required transportation faculties. The voters at the annual meeting in July 1937, voted to suspend school and transport all public school children to the County Rural Normal model room at Manitowoc. Those who could not be accommodated there went to other public schools. During the school term of 1946-1947, the number of public grade school children in this district averaged 49 out of a school census of 247. There has been a great deal of sentiment to divide the district and to create a new district for the residents along the lakeshore. Some of the first settlers in this district were Edward Schmidt, Henry Beeck, Carl Stueck, Kurt Meyer, Christ Schmidt, Fritz Sommer, Carl Burmeister, Francis Svatz, Wm. Klop, Heinrich Meyer, Johan Willert, Fritz Nickels, Henry Schmidt, Christ Wirth, Carl Stahl, and Solomon Denis. The first school officers were clerk Wm. Klop, treasurer Solomon Denis, and director Kurt Meyer. Other prominent board members prior to 1906 were Christ Schmidt, John and Fred Raatz, Henry Beeck, Fritz Sommer, Francis Svatz, Frederick Schwantes, Joachim Marquardt, Carl Stueck, and Ernest Schwantes. The district records are complete except for the years 1861 to 1872 inclusive. The names of teachers teaching this school are recorded in the district records The first teacher in 1856 for 3 months at a salary of $20 per month of 22 days was Mary Jush. Others who taught school in this district were Jos. Luchanak, Wm. Klop, Henrietta Lehman, Jos. Farrel, and Amy Parker from 1857 to 1861; John Hussey, Mary Arp, August Nicolaus, James Kirwan, and Frank Blesch in the 1870's; Henry Deters, Fred Braer, F. C. Christiansen, R. Neckley, Maggie Kelly, Louis Kahlenberg, and Herman Schlundt in the 1880's; R. Stockinger, A. Hanson, August Grimm, Carl Zander, Fred Althen, and Henry Wilke in the 1890's; and Henry Wilke, Nora Johnson, Emma Eberhardt, and Louis Ahlswede up to 1906. The district has preferred male teachers, has paid the best salaries, and has had outstanding teachers who stayed for many terms. Among the more well-known former teachers were F. C. Christiansen, Louis Kahlenberg, Herman Schlundt, Henry Wilke, Warren Fischer, Walter Koehler, Ladimir Hrudka, and Leslie Guetschow. The last teacher for this school was Wm. Ledvina. Two Rivers No. Jt. 5 is affected greatly by the surburban growth of Manitowoc and Two Rivers. The residents of the district are deeply interested in district reorganization and consolidation since the present school aids have placed a heavy tax burden on the district property. One of the first reorganization activities of the County School Committee authorized by the 1947 state legislature was the attempt to dissolve this district and to attach the several areas to neighboring school districts. The hearing for this purpose was called by the County Committee for Wednesday evening, March 31, 1948, at the Koenig school in Two Rivers. At this meeting opposition was voiced by Two Rivers city officials because of a possible increase in school costs to the city residents. The School Committee conducted this hearing and at their next Committee meeting voted to defer action until a later date. 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/tworiver247gms.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/wifiles/ File size: 8.6 Kb