School: Neillsville - First School Cost $500 (100 Years Ago - 1875)

Contact: Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon
E-mail: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org 

Surnames: Hoesly, Miller, Smith, Bacon, Bradshaw, O’Neill, Hewett, Huntzicker, Hansen, Peters, Lauscher, Makie, Dickey

----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark Co., WI) 11/06/1975

Neillsville’s First School Built at Cost of $500 ( 100 Years Ago - 1875)

(The Press Editor’s Note: The following history of the Neillsville schools was researched and written by Mr. and Mrs. Jacob H. Hoesly in preparation for the 50th year reunion of his graduating class of 1925.)

Exactly 100 years ago, in 1975, the first graduating class, number- three students, received their diplomas after completing the three-year course offered at Neillsville High School. This year, 1975, the graduating class numbered 114. From a high school enrollment of a dozen or so students in 1875, Neillsville High School has grown to an enrollment of 524 in 1975, in the four-year senior high school.

The class of 1925 came half-way in this century of progress. For this reunion a little research was done in the old school board records. A few of the interesting findings are written here.

According to school records the history of the school district began on October 20, 1866, when District No. 1 added territory and became District No. 4. “District No. 1 was to pay $570.86 to District No. 4 but was to retain the schoolhouse, stove, and a proportion of money on hand.” In 1867 a schoolhouse was built for $500 plus more incidental expenses. “In the spring of 1873 C.E. Miller was employed as teacher in the higher department (high school). He taught 13 months in the old blue school.” (From a letter from Ella Bacon Smith ’77, dated November 9, 1932.)

There were three graduates in 1875; none in 1876; four in 1877; none in 1878. “On March 7, 1878, the board received a petition to call a special meeting for the purpose of discussing and deciding upon discontinuing the high school department in District No. 4. The special meeting was called on March 16, 1878. After remarks by a few present, a motion was passed unanimously that the high school be continued.” There were no more graduates for three more years, not until 1882.
“On October 5, 1868, the board voted to purchase a schoolhouse site of two acres offered by Jas. O’Neill for $200.” The site was south of the schoolhouse then used.

“A building committee and plans for a building were discussed on July 22, 1872. The building was to be brick, was to cost no less than $12,000 or more than $15,000.” The bid was let on March 4, 1874, to Bacon and Bradshaw. The building was to be ready for fall, with one year more for the second story. The bid was withdrawn on April 28, 1874. The next day, April 29, the bid was let to James Hewett for $7,000. The first floor was to be completed by November 1, and the rest of the building by September 1, 1875.

The high school department was organized under the State Free High School law in 1878, “though previously operated in its present capacity.”

In August 1885, the decision was made to buy the Huntzicker property for $800 to be paid over two years. There the North Side School was built in 1886 at a cost of $4,000.

“On July 25, 1904, a resolution was passed to build a new high school building, and also passed was a resolution to authorize the application to the state commissioner for a loan of $22,500.” Architects were hired and building plans made in 1905. The building was started in 1905 and completed in 1907.

In 1905 a room in the new high school building was rented to the city to house a library.

Neillsville was the only high school in the county to offer teacher training. Originally the course was part of the four-year curriculum, but in September 1926 it became a one-year postgraduate course. It was dropped in 1938.

The office of Superintendent of Schools was established by action of the school board on March 29, 1929. The position was given to William C. Hansen, supervising principal at that time, who held the office for only four months. Donald E. Peters succeeded him in the summer of 1929 and served in that capacity until his retirement in 1961. Ivan W. Lauscher, formerly high school principal, succeeded Mr. Peters and served until his retirement in 1971. Gerald Makie came to the office on July 1, 1971.

In 1944 planning for a new high school building started when $10,000 was voted at the annual meeting to be placed in a building-fund. (A like amount was voted each year for the next 10 consecutive years.) At the same meeting $500 was voted to buy the 15 acres of land known as the Dickey property. This land lay east of the city standpipe and was available at that price for school purposes only. The building was constructed in 1953-1954 at an initial cost of $500,029, but by the time that tile, ceilings, and paining were added, the cost had reached $555,520 in 1959.

An addition to the “new” high school was completed for classes in September 1965. The new elementary school, constructed at the same time, was not completed until December. When school resumed in January 1966, the new elementary building replaced the North Side and South Side schools. This 1964-1965 construction cost $803,570.

The Northside building was razed in 1967. The Southside 1875 building, which had not been used after 1955, was razed in 1964, and the 1905 building, which had not been used after 1965, was razed in 1972-1973.

This year, 1975, a new middle school (for grades 6-8) located between the elementary and the high school buildings will be completed. The public school buildings now form a huge complex.

The 50 years since the Class of 1925 graduated have seen much progress in education, and Neillsville has kept pace.

 

 


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