The Baraboo news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1884-1911, 1906-06-20
sIxlY-NINE TEACHERS
Have Taught In This Old
School House.


the history of School District No. s.,
towns of Delton and Baraboo, was
read at the recent commencement
exercises there by Miss Kate Wad-
dell:
Tnis little school house has his
tory and it has the renown of being
the oldest one in Sauk County. If
you will go back with me ffty-six
years you shall hear some of the
important events in the history Of
School District No. 8 Towns of Del
ton and Baraboo, at that time
called New Buffalo and Baraboo.
In 1849 when Baraboo was mere
village and Reedsburg contained
but two or three buildings, this
road passed nearly the same route
it does now, but at the time my his
tory began only one house marked
the route, - ''The Lamberton Tav-
ern." Settlers soon came. and like
all American settlers they began to
think of school, so their children
could have an education. Some of
these families were, Nelson Welch,
Moses Murphy, John Bottsford,
William Graves and Ben Holt.
The first school-house was a
shanty with the roof slanting one
way, the seats consisting of plank
around the sides and the teachers
desk a dry. goods box in the middle
of the room.
The first teacher, Miss Weather
by, received $40 per month, the
school consisting of about eight or
ten pupils. The teacher was one
of the persuasive kind, and if she
could not persuade the pupils to be
real good by talking when her
gentleman friend came to visit the
school she persuaded them by throw
ing sticks OF wood at them. But
young America was not to be treat
ed in that way without retaliating
and soon Miss Weatherby found her
stovepipe and other things missing;
in spite of the vigilance of Mr..
Bottsford's dog watching the school
house the stovepipe would be taken
every night and at last Miss Wealth
erby resigned. She has lived near
Baraboo since and died about two
weeks ago.
In time the old shanty had to be
replaced by something larger and
substantial and while it was being
done school was held in a granary
standing in Mr.. Powers field and in
an old building near the place where
Mr.. Hunt now lives. By this time the
settlers were quite numerous and
this district and the Jopp district
were one, but a disagreement arose
as to where the new school-house
should stand and so the district was
divided, and Nov. II, 1854, the legal
voters met at the home of Nelson
Welch and elected these officers:
Clerk, F. r. Jenkins.
Director, Nelson WEIGH.
Treasurer, Moses Murphy.
The land was bought of Mr..
Bottsford. $4,000 was raised for
the building and $24OO to pay
teacher and the school was to be
kept three months. Mr.. Daniel
Graves was to receive 81 ,220 for his
services when the building was COM
pleted. School was to begin June
l. 1855 and continue three months.
Thus was district No. 8, Towns of
New Buffalo and Baraboo, formed.
Some of the teachers after Miss
Weatherby were-Laura Coome,
Jennie Koons, Hester Vaughn, AL
mrna Teel and Laura Spencer. One
teacher, Miss Flora Bacon, taught
f ur successive years. Many of the
old teachers still live near and two
are still teaching-Miss Walker of
Delton and Miss Conway first assis-
tant in Kilbourn.
Among the little urchins that
used to go to school was John Jen-
kins. He used to be very rough in
his play and one day got struck
over his head with a large piece of
bark for his roughness by Adelbert
Lamberton, but when Mr.. Lamber-
ton did it he little thought he was
Furnishing future judge and con-
gresham. John jenkins moved
from this neighborhood to Chippewa
Falls where he was elected Judge of