Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1896-07-02

4
ings in Grand Rapids including the
present Howe High School. The first
school began in 1913, established by
J. S. Hurlbut, a missionary, and was
held in a Lighthouse in the present city
of Centralia, at that time Grand Rap,
ids. 1t was then taken by John
Warner, in 1874. He had charge
until 1916, when he gave it up to Mrs
Searles. The school at this time was
very small one. comprising in al
but eight scholars, and was main
tanned by subscriptions from those
was opened in 1916 by Miss Hannah
Dawes and was held in private
! house, which stood near where the
| eXpreSS-OtfiCe now stands. The first
| regular SchOOlin Grand Rapids, was be-
gun in the year 1852, the building being
| formerly used as blackSmith-ShOp
At the time of the establishment OF
this shop, Grand Rapids was practi,
cally nothing but thick woods, with
| the exception of few small houses
within the vicinity Of the school
| house. The building was pine
structure about 20X30 feet and was
not painted on the inside nor out.
The first teacher in this school was
Miss Leonard. She resided outside OF
the district and was hired by the
school board teaching but two terms.
| The next teacher was Sarah Grant.
who taught until 1855 and who lived
on the other side Of the river. The
seating capacity of the building was
very small there being only eight
| desks or benches to accommodate the
pupils. The benches were arranged
along the wall, facing the center of
the room. The smaller pupils sat in
| front of the seats and the larger ones
| behind for the reason that the smaller
pupils had no writing to do. The
work was done mostly on states, but
about twice in the week, the teacher
had the pupils work on perforated
cardboard, making the different
letters Of the alphabet. This was
soon abolished. There were no recita-
tiOn seats then and as the teacher
called the class to reCite, they had to
stand up all through the recitation.
The receSseS were somewhat differ
emily arranged than at present. The
boys and girls had separate receSSeS,
the girls having theirs first and the
boys following. ReceSseS were from
fifteen to twenty minutes long and
the usual play grounds were in a corn
field, near the school house, then
owned by Joseph Wood, now deceased.
No fence surrounded the school house
and consequently there was no limit
to the play grounds. The average
attendance at school was about
twenty-five and the number of days
taught, in a month, was twenty-five
so that would make school hold on
two Saturdays in a month. But this
was afterward abolished and only
twenty days taught, the same as at
present. Examinations were not
known to the scholars of those days.
They were marked according to their
daily recitatiOnS and at different
times, prizes were offered to the
scholar or scholars, having the best
lessons. ''Spelling down" was COM
mon in those days, and prizes were
often offered for the best speller.
Succeeding Miss Grant as teacher,
was Miss Mary Powers, deceased wife
of Mr.. Ira Purdy of Grand Rapids.
Then came Miss Susie Compton, de-
ceased wife of r. G.. WOrthingtOn, the
Centralia druggist. She taught the
summer of 1856 and was succeeded by
Mrs. Wiley, wife of DR.. Wiley, who
lived in a small house on a lot adjOin-
| ing the school house. Then came
Miss Sarah Jackson, who taught the
summer of 1857 and then moved to
Minnesota. Next came W. p. Butler
of Philadelphia, who taught until the
fall of 1858 and the school was then
taken by Lucinda Hall, who was
assisted by her sister. The school
being so crowded a room was rented
up stairs over a tin-ShOp, that stood
near the present residence of Mr.. E.
| c. RumSey on the corner Of Milwaukee
street and Washington avenue. The
| next teacher was Olive Lang, sister
of Mr.. Lang, who was the town super
! intendent at that time. She ''Wielded
the birch" one year, and then Mr..
| Taylor was hired as her successor.
| He taught about three weeks and was
discharged because he could rot con-
| troll the school and was not the kind
of a man for such position. Mr..
George Lang, a brother of Supt. Lang,
was chosen in TaylOr'S place and
taught until after the winter term of
1880 Mr. Walter Allen was then
| chosen. he being the last teacher in
| the building. the school lasting until
1861. This school building exists to-
day, as it did then. only that it has
since been used as dwelling house
and a few improvements have been
made on it. 1t stands at the corner
of Baker and Milwaukee streets and
is passed unnOticed many times a
day.
Owing to the crowded attendance
| of Solnpl hocDOpn nacoSS1TJr RI
build new and larger school build
| ing. Resolutions were proposed and
adopted by the school board, and the
amount of expense calculated: the
matter was left to the village trustees
| for consideration. The trustees
agreed and a suitable building was
constructed. At the completion OF
the building in 1861. the brave boys OF
the surrounding country were prepar-
| ing for war, and the new building was
dedicated by a supper and farewell
| dance in their honor. The school was
known as the Union School, cOmpriS-
ing the three departments, high, inter
mediate and primary, and the first
term in the school began the first
Monday in September, 1861, when the
graded school system was adopted.
The new building. which was two
stories high and built of wood, stood
in the southeast corner Of the present
school grounds. The first principal
in the school was NJ. W. Martin with
his wife and daughter as teachers OF
the other departments. He taught
three years and was succeeded by Mr..
Jackson. of Maine, who had charge OF
the school for two years and then
| 10