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


ing to execute the will of the people
upon this question. The school board
at that time consisted of G. B. Pray,
| president, Col. G. w. Crosley, Sum-
Ter Wilson, l. w. Packard, E. n.
Lee and F. @. Lee. School buildings
in other towns were examined and
all the information gained that was
| possible and the board were mostly
of the opinion that a two-story
building should be built. But there
seemed to be general demand on
the part of the citizens for three
story building, one that would be
imposing in appearance and an orn-
ament to the city. The board there
fore yielded to the general wish and
about the 9Th of April, adopted plans
furnished by Architect Foster of Des
Moines. Foster had been the archi-
tect for the courthouse and his work
gave such general satisfaction that
the board were pleased to have him
placed in charge of the new school
building. The contract was let to
D. N. Stearns for $4,000. After
the schoolhouse was completed, the
contractor was unable to pay all his
bills and it was represented to the
school board that on account Of the
advance in cost of labor and mater
ial, the building had cost over 3d.
900 more than the contract price
and an effort was made to get the
board to pay this extra price. The
board had no authority to do this,
but they did appoint committee to
| investigate the cost of the building
and the committee reported it's act
ual cost to be $25,2S5.90. AS a con-
sequence of this investigation, the
following proposition was submitted
at the March, 1883 school election:
Shall a tax of $4,000 be voted to
reimburse Mr.. Stearns for his loss in
erecting the school building The
proposed tax failed to carry, the vote
being As for and 245 against.
While this tax proposition was
submitted ostensibly to aid the con-
tractor, the real parties in interest
were Nelson and Sladden, local lum-
Der dealers who held a large unpaid
account against the contractor, and
who had made the mistake of at
tempting to hold the school district
liable for the material sold to the
contractor.
THE FIRST COMMENCEMENT.
On June "a, 1881, occurred the
first annual commencement of the
Webster City high school. The ex-
ercises were held at the Congrega-
tional church. The graduates were
Anne J. Parker, Clara M. Wilson,
Nora F. Thompson and Teresa Will
son.
The course of study in the high
school at the time of the first COM
mencement was as follows:
First year: Arithmetic, English
grammar, U. S. history, civil govern
ment, physiology, physical geogra-
ply.
Second year: Bookkeeping, aIge-
bra, natural philosophy, chemistry.
Third year: Algebra, geometry,
chemistry, general history, botany.
Fourth year: Geometry, general
history, zoology, geology, astronomy,
botany, rhetoric.
Elective courses of Latin and Ger
man were also provided.
At the time of the first commence
ment, Elizabeth Hillock was at the
head of the schools. When the new |
schoolhouse was completed Prof. w. |
H. Dixon was placed in charge, and
was retained about six years. In
ooI d. r. barge, d member OF the
school board, was elected principal
but after months unsuccessful at
tempt to manage the schools, he re-
signed and Prof. A. A. Weaver sue
ceeded him. Prof. Weaver remained
in charge until 1892 when he was
by Prof. e. r. Fitch. Prof.
Fitch was succeeded by w. H. Mar
tindale and he by Lyman H. Ford.
Prof. Ford conducted the schools I'M
til 1909, when d. NJ. Kelly. the pres
ent superintendent, was elected.
During the thirty-fve years of it's
existence the Webster City high
school has graduated nearly six hun
lred pupils.
Besides the high school at Web
ter City there are now high schools 6
It Williams, Ellsworth, Jewell and ,
Stafford
Higher education is also supplied ,
~ the Jewell Lutheran college, ,
which was established at Jewell, ,