YORK Township

~~romadka school~~

Clark County, Wisconsin

Circa 1905 (1st Building)

Circa 1907 (2nd Building)


The first school in the (Romadka) area seems to have been a log building located on what was known as the Sutherland land (now Steve Schlinsog's).  There seemed to be no records available but there were settlers in the area in 1873.

The first regular school meeting of District 4 then known as the "Garbisch" school was held on July 5, 1887 when John P. Kintzele was elected chairman of the meeting.  Apparently the first frame school was built then and continued in use until 1906.  The building was located further up the hill from the later building near what is now Harold Schlinsog's line fence.  The 1907 school officers were Fred Garbisch, J. Canfield and John Kintzele.

The new two room building was put up in 1906 and was in use by 1907.  The second room was not used until the fall of 1916.  Gretchen Palmetier was teacher for six terms during the period.  She was later to be Clark County Superintendent for some time.  In addition to the regular school subjects, the upper grade pupils had additional work in manual training and the girls in cooking, sewing, and infant hygiene.  The school had a kitchen in the front between the rooms and also a wood working shop in the basement.

Some of the teachers who taught there were Sadie Graves Rowe, Mabel Gibson (the first teacher), Bertha Albrecht Bartz, Victor Pagenkopf, Helen Braatz, Mildred Braatz, Evelyn Bartz, Verna Kozmoski, Anna Scherer Zank, Marie Zillmer, Mary Yankee, Ella Raine, Ethel Grottke Paulson, Violet Walker Bender, Natalie Dankemeyer, Nina Wolter and Faith McVean.

It continued as a two room State Graded School until sometime in the 1940s when enrollment dropped.  In 1959, the school was consolidated with Granton and was closed in 1959.  A fire of unknown origin destroyed the building on September 21, 1963.  Alfred Garbisch had previously bought the building.

The highlights of the school year in the rural schools were the Christmas programs put on by the pupils and followed with an exchange of gifts for which the students drew names, and the school picnics held the last day of the school year.  The picnic dinner to which almost everyone in the district came, was followed by a ball game which usually pitted the fathers of the students against the school children or for which sides were chosen.  After a few innings of ball, they often went back in for some more ice cream and lemonade if there was still some remaining from lunch.  Perhaps few things united a community as did participating in rural school activities.

There were only 11 families in the district of 1884:  J.W. Breese, Judson Canfield, J. Duffy, Fred Garbisch, George Harding, John P. Kintzele, Jane McMahon, E. Shuster, M.G. Sweet, W. Sutherland and Jos. Sutherland.  By 1905 when the second building was built, there were 39 families listed on the assessment roles.

Excerpt from "The Centennial History of the York Center United Methodist Church (1880 - 1980) and the Town of York (1857 - 1980), p91 - 92.


1908 Class and School Photo

 

 

 

 


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