Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1914-06-30

ny LudL time OutSIOWu the CdpdCALy
of the buildings and the academy
building was leased and the higher
departments of the city schools
were removed to it and it continued
to be used by the city until after the
completion of the new three-story
brick building, when it was aban'
doned as a schoolhouse. 1t was soon
afterwards transformed into a resi-
dence property. The building is still
standing. 1t is the frame building
just east of the Christian church.
sUPT. JOHNsON's REPORT.
In September, 1880, County SUI
perintendent H. H. Johnson publish
ed the following report concerning
the schools of the county:
This being census year, I viii
make and publish a limited report
of the progress of our schools in ter
years. According to the county SUI
perintendent's report for the veal
beginning October 5, 1869, and end
ing October 4, 1870, we had in Ham
ilton county 40 school districts
2,212 persons between the ages o,
and 81, So schools, 1,675 pupils
enrolled, an average attendance Of
929, average number of months Of
school, 6, average compensation Of
teachers, males, 1912; females
$2S.7S.
There were 81 schoolhouses valu.
ed at s30,1S4.45, with apparatus
valued at $3.50.
Now we have 95 schools GIG in
dependent and 70 -districts) and
102 schoolhouses, just double the
number we had ten years ago. Dur
ing the year we have had los
schools with an average of Z 10
months school. The average COM
pensation of teachers was males,
$2S.15; females, $2547 per month.
The number of persons of school
age, 1852. Number enrolled, g.
700; total average attendance, l.
COL. Our schoolhouses are valued at
$47,075.OO with apparatus valued at
s924.0O.
In 1880 the teachers in the Web
ster City schools were as follows:
Principal, Miss E. H. Hillock; assist
ant principal, L. J. Pierson; A.
grammar, Geo. F. Richardson; B.
grammar, Miss Hattie Richardson
(now Mrs. Louis Lager; intermed-
late and primary, Miss Brewster,
Miss Baird, Miss Fisher; outside
schools, Miss Ella Shook (now Mrs.
r. I. Burleson), Miss Cora Call (now
Mrs. F. E. Whitley, Miss Amy Legg,
Miss Eva Pray (now Mrs. Wesley
Frank.
NEW HIGH SCHOOL BUILDING.
The project of building new
schoolhouse in Webster City, one
that should not only afford ample IA
cilities for the public schools, but
be an ornament and an honor to the
town as well, had for several years
been much talked of, and one or two
votes had been taken upon the ques-
ton. But the people were divided
in opinion as to what sort of build
ing should be secured. Some object
ed to the proposed style, others to
the cost. Some thought it too small,
others thought it too large, while
others yet declared that the old
school house with the ward schools
then established with an occasional
addition of other cheap houses, made
ample provision for the schools and
that there was no necessity for the
expenditure of large sum of
money to build a large schoolhouse.
These contending opinions struggled
together for several years, the latter
opinion holding the field in practice
until 1880. At that time the schools
If Webster City were being conduct
I'd in houses as follows: Four rooms
n the old brick building, one room
n small frame building, few feet
rom the old brick, two rooms in the
building on Bank street, !
me room at the west end on Second
treet, one room in the east end west
# the river on Division street, one I
Dom on the east side of the river
md one room in the south part of
own on Seneca street The school
ouses except the old brick and the
cademy buildings, were all small,
uilt after the fashion of country
istrict schoolhouses and with a ca
acity each of from fifty to seventy
We pupils. The question now pre-
ented itself in a little different
orm. Some of the houses in use
aust be repaired or rebuilt. The
baldwin academy was only rented
nd with all more room was naeded