Wisconsin's Constitution required each township to set aside land for public schools, however there weren't any public schools in 1855 Kewaunee County. Within four years, the county had 30 organized districts. Laws governing the county superintendent, enacted in 1861, held each town responsible for the students within its jurisdiction. Six years later - 1867 - Kewaunee Co. had 47 school districts with 45 teachers employed. At the time, the school census revealed 3,140 children between 4 and 20, 1,886 of whom were actually attending school.
Accounts of Wolf River schools differ. It is written that Wolf River's first public school was founded in 1855 in a little frame building on the north side of the river, near the site that would become Irving School at the approximate intersection of today's Church and Arlington Streets. Mrs. Sanborn, a Door County widow, was the teacher in the school that had 10 - 15 pupils. It is also written that Miss Irene Yates was the first teacher in a little log shanty on the south side of the river in 1856. Though other accounts say the north side school was not a public school, Mrs. Sanborn taught nearly all the children on the "Canada" side of the river.
What is certain is that what became District #2 had its first recorded meeting on September 27, 1858. Math Simon was voted in as clerk for one year. Treasurer Orin Warner won a 2 year term while William VanDoozer was voted a director for 3 years. District #2 raised $200 for the 1858-59 school year and again in 1859. The board generally met once a year to transact all business. After raising $200 two years in a row, the board voted to raise $100 for 1860. Funds were earmarked for the teacher's salary and for lath and plaster for the school house.
By 1861 the board called for 3 month winter and summer terms. Spring and fall were devoted to planting and harvesting. That year, $60 was allotted for wages, $40 for repairs and $6 for wood that was to be delivered. A year later, though wages remained the same, wood went up a dollar and the school year was increased to 7 months.
During the Civil War, in 1863, the board wanted a female teacher and raised $140 for the salary which covered the school year that was increased to 10 months. Just a year later, the school year was again restructured into winter and summer terms of 4 months each. The board again wanted to hire a female, this time noting "like Miss Startern" or "some other good person." By then Caspar Zimmermann was paid $12 to deliver wood, something he did for a few years at higher prices. He was required to split and pile the wood in a 4' x 8' woodshed built in September 1865.
Meetings continued in the same vein, however minutes contain curious entries. When in 1866 the board again decided on 10 months, they voted for have a female teacher in summer but required a male for the winter. Perhaps it was felt a male was more capable of making fires and keeping the building warm, however reasons were not given. They also decided a new school was a necessity and appointed a committee to draw the plans. After Jackson VanVranken built the new 22' x 36' x 12' structure, the old building was sold to the highest bidder. A year later the school was insured for $600, double the $300 cost of building it.
When the school census was compiled in 1867, of the 4 - 20 year olds in the district, 46 were enrolled in school, 20 didn't attend school, 8 went to the Catholic school and 4 attended the Evangelical school.*
Big changes came in 1874 when Henry Schmiling was the lowest bidder for the laying of a floor. The job included a 6' x 16' platform at the front of the room. A new lock was put on the door and windows and doors and outhouses were repaired at a cost of $34. Then Tom Osborn submitted a $27 bid for painting. He was awarded the contract for two coats of white paint. A dictionary was donated in 1868 when the board paid about $33 for other books. In 1874 the clerk was appointed to purchase books and blackboards for the teachers. Early books included McGuffey readers and spellers. Some schools had arithmetic, U.S. history, grammar and geography books though some children used the books their parents had a generation earlier.
A nine month school year was voted down in 1882 when the board kept 4 months in the fall and 3 in the spring. On the advice of the state, there was a change in books. In an effort to relieve families of the purchase of expensive books, the Wisconsin Assembly proposed that districts post of list of books which would be used for at least 3 years. A few years later, the district decided its books should be the same as those used in District 1. In 1887 the board had Mr. Tietz put in a "sufficient well pump" and "build sufficient outhouses." At the time, the school was equipped with new seats and desks.
Schools of the 1860s were generally small log buildings with lighting dependent on windows that were few in number. Glass was expensive and difficult to obtain. Scholars sat on benches that were little more than logs on blocks. Few schools had blackboards but the children usually had slates and chalk. Eventually schools got a globe, a map, blackboards and desks. Grades as we know them were unheard of in 1860 Kewaunee County. Students were either beginners or advanced. Years later, Ahnapee offered an intermediate department. As Ahnapee grew, so did its schools.
Ahnapee's early newspaper editors stressed the need for quality schools while lobbying for improved buildings as an inducement to attracting new families. Quality education has been on the minds of Algoma residents since that day 159 years ago when Orin Warner took Harriet by sailboat to school in Kewaunee.
Note: The Evangelical school was the Lutheran school. Ahnapee's early newspapers had ads run by several merchants announcing that school books were available for purchase. Ahnapee was spelled as Ahnepee until 1873 when residents decided that as long as the village's name was consistently misspelled by the state and others, they'd give up the spelling. Even postmarks are inconsistent.
Information for this article was found in microfilmed files of Ahnapee Record, An-An-api-sebe: Where is the River? c. 2001, and in the ARC at UW-Green Bay. The postcard of Kewaunee's first school comes from the author's collection.
