Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1914-06-30
SCHOOL HISTORY
OF THE COUNTY
c. A. Baum was the First Superin-
tendent of Public instruction
and T. N. Skinner
Second.
SUPERINTENDENTS REPORTS.
The First Annual commencement of
the Webster City High School
In 1881.

From the History of Hamilton
County by F. @. and J. w. Lee:
In 1878 the legislature had ere
ated the Office of superintendent O
common schools. The election o
this officer took place at the April
1857, election. A number of per
sons received a few votes, but C. A
Baum received majority of all tn
votes cast and was therefore the frs
superintendent of schools in tn,
county.
In 1858 Mr.. Baum resigned ant
Rev. T. N. Skinner was appointed tt
fill the vacancy. The succeeding SUI
perintendents were: 1859, E. H
Blair; 1861, John w. Lee; 1866
Rev. o. A. Holmes; 1867, w. J. Gov
IL; 1869, DR.. H. N. Curtis; 1871
Rev. J. A. Potter; 1873, c. A. How'd
1877, H. H. Johnson; 1881, Geo. F
Richardson: 1887, VIM. Anderson
1891, J. H. Richard; 1894, A. A
Weaver; 1895, Will F. Cole; 1899
L. NJ Gerber; 1906; J. M. Holiday;
1910, E. F. Snow.
SUPT. SKINNER'S REPORT.
Early in March superintend dent
Skinner made report of the condi.
ton of the schools of the county and
as this is the first report ever made
on the subject, we will give a synop-
sis Of it.
January 7 visited school district
No. 2 in Cass; taught by J. w. Lee;
schoolhouse, a poor log cabin; school
we'll arranged; good order maintain
ed and pupils making rapid progress
school worthy of imitation and
teacher worthy of commentator
from all.
January 9 visited school No. 2,
Homer; teacher, w. B. Goodrich
good house but not finished; small
school.
January 10 visited No. 1, Homer;
E. H. Blair, teacher; good house;
school worthy of imitation.
January 10 visited school, No. 2,
Marion; new log house, with J. M.
Slower, teacher.
January II visited No. 1, Marion;
Noah Kunnel, teacher; house small
log cabin, rented.
January ~ visited No. 1, Hamil-
ton; taught by w. E. Gates; small
log house; not we'll seated.
January IA visited school in Clear
Lake; taught by Thos. Beardsley in
new schoolhouse.
January IS and 16 visited the
schools in Webster City; teachers,
Mr.. Pricham and Miss Susan Hillock.
He then speaks of number of
new districts in which houses will
be built and schools taught during
the coming year. He gives no report
of the number of pupils in the
schools, but generally speaks of the
school as being small. Compared
with the present when every four
sections of land on an average has
school, the advancement in this de-
partment seems wonderful.
In 1859 four-room brick school
building was erected in Webster
City. At the time this was consid- !
cred one Of the best school buildings
in Iowa.
THE FIRST HIGH SCHOOL.
The question of establishing a |,
county high school had been can
vassed a great deal from time to
time, and received a new impetus
when in 1875 Prof. F. O. Baldwin |
erected a two-story academy build
ing on Bank street between Wilson |
avenue and Des Moines street in
Webster City and opened an acad-
envy or select school therein. Octo-
Der 1st of that year the project of a
select school in Webster City was
encouraged by the citizens and the
board of supervisors was prevailed
upon to submit to vote of the peo-
pie proposition to levy tax to
build a county high school. 1t was
designed that Mr.. Baldwin should,
If the vote carried, turn over his new
building at cost, and the school {
could be at once put in operation. ,
But though the plan was generally /;
favored in town, the country peo- T.,
pie opposed it and the vote resulted !
in 430 for the proposition and $50 I
against it. The school established J.;
by Prof. Baldwin did not prove re- D.;
and after trial of two !
or three years the project was aban- {