|
- The activity of the Rock County historians
during recent months regarding interesting
- early history had brought to light
some old, yellowed papers on file in Joint District Number Two,
Fulton and Milton, formerly known as the Mazo [Mizo] District,
and now as Oakdale.
- One paper, the lease to the land on
which Oakdale School is located, is dated 1846.
- Mention is made of "Territory
of Wisconsin", and the property is described as "1/4
acre in the S. E. corner of Sec. 24 of Town 4, R 12." The
land was bought from Joel WOOD for one dollar. The lease
was signed by John L. KIMBALL and Charles S. IOULAN
for Rock County, Wisconsin Territory, and notarized by John KIMBALL.
- Another interesting paper states that
the first school meeting of this district was held
- on October fourteenth, 1845 at the
home of Joel WOOD who lived where the Paul WIXOM
farm is now located. The residence, in 1845, was in the northwest
corner of the part of the farm which lies across the highway
from the present dwelling and faced the town line road. It was
a few rods south of the old John ARNOLD homestead, now
owned by Harry ARNOLD. An old abandoned well marks the
spot where the buildings stood.
- At this school meeting the voters made
Joel WOOD their chairman, and Joel
- WOOD,
Alexander CLINTON, and Warren SWEET were named
trustees. Bernut BEARDSLEY, who owned the Percy BALCH
farm and the Charles ARNOLD farm adjoining, was the clerk.
They unanimously voted to raise one hundred dollars to build
a log school, eighteen-by-twenty feet. At the next meeting,
a few weeks later, they voted to rescind that motion deciding
on a frame building "twenty feet wide by twenty four feet
by nine and one-half in the clear (high)". Six windows
were to be in the building with twelve panes of glass, nine inches
by twelve inches, in each window. Benches with writing tables
were to be built on three sides of the building and benches with
backs were to be placed in the front of the room.
- In the minutes, it was stated that
two-thirds of the public money be used for a winter
- school and one-third for a summer session.
The trustees were authorized to receive one-third of the tax
money of each person taxed "in labor in the erection of
the schoolhouse, if performed when called upon by the trustees".
- A paper dated 1862 mentions the fact
that a new district north now known as the
- Merrifield District, was being formed.
The south half of section 13 and the southeast one-fourth of
section fourteen of town four, north of range twelve east, was
taken from the district and added to this new district. The
detached property was some of the Merrifield farm now owned by
Ottar VEIN and parts of the John McCULOOCH and
U. G. MILLER farms owned now by Floyd ARNOLD and
Mr. U. G. MILLER. Another yellowed paper mentions that
a new district was being formed there, later known as the LACKNER
District.
- In 1858, fifty-seven acres were added
to Oakdale, and this, according to an old
- county atlas was the Mary KIDDER
property. All this alterations were signed by J. D. SLOCUM,
Superintendent of Schools in the town of Fulton and L. B. HUDSON,
Superintendent of Schools in the Town of Milton. Mr. HUDSON
was an uncle of C. T. HUDSON, now living in Milton Junction.
- A school contract, dated 1857, with
R. W. McHENRY, a teacher, was given for
- three months at twenty-six dollars
per month. It was specified that the teacher must board himself.
- On October fourteenth, 1925, the families
of the district and their friends marked the
- eighty-fifth anniversary of the founding
of the school. A program was presented, and a picnic dinner
was served. Several early settlers, then quite aged, and now
deceased, were present to tell what they remember of former years.
- Additional Information
Notes taken by Mrs. David A. ARNOLD (Eva HUDSON)
- No further minutes of meetings were
filed until 1910 when Mr. O. G STRIEGL,
- then of Milton Junction, probably took
up the office of clerk and the records since then are complete.
- Judging from the antique appearance
of the little box used for years to keep the
- school district papers, it is perhaps
the one used by these early pioneers of 1845 and had perhaps
become too crowded so that the intervening records have been
destroyed.
- In another paper mention is made of
the detachment of the LACKNER property from this district
and the attachment of this land to Dist. No, 9, a new district
being formed and now known as the Rex KIDDER District.
- In 1858, 57 acres of land which was
at that time a part of Dist. No. 5, Fulton, was
- added to our District. This according
to the county atlas was the Mary KIDDER property. There
were other alterations, some of them rather inaccurately described
and therefore quite difficult to locate.
- These alterations were signed by J.
D. SLOCUM, Supt. of Schools in the Town of
- Fulton and by L. B. HUDSON,
Supt. of Schools for Milton. Mr. HUDSON was a great Uncle
of Mrs. Harry ARNOLD (Grace HUDSON) and Mrs. David
ARNOLD (Eva HUDSON), also Will HUDSON whose
children attended this school.
- The first treasurer's bond on file
was given by Nathan GRAVES for $100, with Kiah
- MELVIN
as his surety and given in the presence of Joseph KIDDER
and Hannah GRAVES. It was approved by Joseph B. KIDDER
and Alexander CLINTON.
- A bond dated April 30, 1958, was given
by Warren SWEET as treasurer with J. B.
- KIDDER
as his surety and signed by Warren SWEET, Sarah KIDDER
and Joseph KIDDER.
- There is also a school contract dated
1857, with R. W. McHENRY, a teacher, who
- was hired to teach the school for 3
months at $26 per month. This contract is signed by Joel WOOD.
This is not an extremely low wage for those days since many
people can remember of teachers' wages being as low as $18 per
month. It was specified in this contract that the teacher should
board himself.
- Another paper contains the information
that Warren SWEET resigned the office of
- treasurer in 1861 and the Supt. of
Schools for Fulton appointed Henry KIDDER to fill the
vacancy till the next annual meeting. Mr. KIDDER gave
his bond, which was signed by William JANES in the presence
of A. C. DODGE.
- A legal paper of much interest bears
the date April 17, 1846. In the old legal form
- used in this paper the words "Territory
of Wisconsin" is used. According to this paper which is
the lease of the land, our school house is located on the 1/4
acre in the South East corner of Sec. 24, of Town 4, Range 12
and our present school ground was bought from Mr. Joel WOOD
for $1.00 to be held by the District as long as it is used for
school purposes but when no longer used for such purpose it reverts
to the heirs of Mr. WOOD with "all the improvements
and appurtenances thereon." (The lease was signed as described
above.)
- This paper is well preserved and shows
the attention given to details even in the days
- of few laws and perhaps less strict
enforcement. The fact that this paper has been so well preserved
through these 80 years also shows careful handling on the part
of those people who have been entrusted with public property.
- No attempt has been made to tell who
some of these people referred to were, and on
- what farms they lived, or to give any
details in connection with the construction of the first railroad.
The old buildings near the track on the George KIDDER
farm have early historical significance and no doubt there are
other landmarks; but there are those with us today who can relate
much of that history.
- It is hoped that the young people of
this District will be further inspired to carry on the
- educational work of this community
through a little knowledge gleaned from this short history of
the early pioneer days as revealed by old documents. Not days
of automobiles and airships; radio and telephone; but days of
hardships and privations interesting to read about but which
required sterling worth to endure.
|
