Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1870-06-09
The Next Normal school.

The time is fast approaching when the
Board of Regents of Normal Schools
viii be required to locate and put in cp
Grafton another (thc fourth) uorrnrl
school. at the meeting Of The board in
1869 tho following resolution was unani-
mously adopted:
ResoIped. That in the opinion of this board
the fourth Normal School should be put in
operation in the sixth or fourth congressional
district
II We consider only the claims Of the
siAih aud fourth districts in this matter,
We fluid that the former il, beyond a
doubt, entitled to the school. The third
normal school IS located at Oshkosh
Being within few miles of the dividing
line between the third aud fourth dis
iricts, It must Of necessity prove Of near
IL as great benefit to one as to the 9th
err. But the sixth district-the largest in
the siate-is, comparatively speaking,
beyond the reach of the immediate in6u.
ence of these valuable schools; the more
remote portions Of the district being al
most wholly deprived of the advantages
they al; rd, by their distant location, and
the expenses Of travelling, in order TO at.
tend them. Hence the educational in
terests Of this part of the state can justly
claim recognition over any other portion,
and rightiully demand The next normal
school.
But where in the district shall it be 10
cNte.li In determining this the pTospec-
tive future development Of the state must
be carefully considered. Because la
Crosse is tho largest city in the district
at the present time, is no good rea, on
why it should have the school. La
Crosse will give the largest bonne, but
this should not and viii not determine
the location. Other and less preteuiiods
towns are not to be ignored when they
possess natural advantages equal, il not
superior, TO their moro opulent neiglbors.
If the hoard Of regents desi.e 20 dishib
ute these Institutions to those districts
where The greatest benefits will accrue to
tie greatest number, looking to the fu
ture rs well as The present, they will de
eide upon some point in the St. Croix
Valley. 1t offers many favorable in
ducenents. Containing already about
$4,000 inhabitants, the years will be few
when it will have three times that num-
Der. And no one point in the whole re
giOh is better situated, or possesses great
er natural advantages, than the thriving
village Of River Fails. Its central loca
ton should unite all other towns in the
Valley in its behalf. With a united in
fuence and determination to secure il
At that point, success would seem to be
certain.
= In accordance with special act Of the
legislature, River Falls, and the adjoining
towns of Troy, Kinnickil nick and Cliff
ten, voted bonus of $4,000 to aid in
the construction of the school building.
This generous sum ought to be sufficient
as far as pecuniary aid is concerned.-
Taking this, in connection with those i'm,
portant natural advantages, beauty Of To-
cation, accessibility. healthfulness. the
abundance of building matsria', brick.
stone and lumber in the immediate vi
cinity, and River Falls distances all other
competitors for this educational prize.
We do not believe that the location of
normal school, at any other point in this
district, viii better subscrve the interests
OF education and meet the future wants
of tue northwest in a greater degree
AL we ask is, flat The claims of the ST.
Croix Valley in general, aud of River
Falls in particular, lie carefully consider
ed by the board. This done, We have no
fear Of the result.
1t IS time the northwestern portion Of
the State was recognized in the distribu
ton of public Institutions. We are not
awar, Of single state building erected
in the whole 9th congressional district
If there is a section of the state, of half
the extent, which has been so utterly ig-
nored, We would ike TO know where it
is. And the location Oi The next normal
school is pertinent 10 this subject. In
this district the school should be estab-
lished, and of all other competing points
River Falls possesses attractions and ad
Vantages second to none.
st. CrOix AMI Superior Railroad.
The bill extending the land grant Of
the St. Croix & Superior Railroad pass
ell tba Sonata on tho 1t inst II l. now