Name/Title
Waupun Area SchoolsScope and Content
Historical information on Waupun Area Schools for 1976 Bicentennial Celebration in Waupun, WI.
*Facts are typed and was scanned with mistakes, if any, left uncorrected.
HISTORY OF
Waupun Area Schools
The first school house in Waupun was built in 1844, which was in 1776 and 68 years after our country's Declaration of Independence; also 4 years before Wisconsin became a state. It was a log cabin, built of native logs and under the supervision of Charles Cleveland, who also was the first teacher. The school was located east of the railroad and between the depot and Main Street. The building served as a school, community center and a church. In the winter of 1845 Uncle Joe Fairbanks taught the only school in the area. Old pioneers said that Indians were among the total of 15 students, which also included the children of Waupun's first settlers, Mr. and Mrs. Seymour Wilcox. Some of the names of early pupils were Herman, Thurston, and George Wilcox, Mrs. W. Haughton, Mrs. Clinton Brooks, Mrs. Cyrus Taylor (mother of Mrs. Levey)and others.
In 1847 a larger school was erected on the location of the present Episcopal Church. The district grew rapidly with 49 male children between 4 and 20 and 40 female children between 4 and 20. In 1853 the citizens pledged themselves to raise $1,000 to purchase land and build a 2-room frame school. An acre of land was purchased from Seymour Wilcox in the block where the new public library is located. A committee of five had full power to design, contract, and oversee the work. They also decreed that there would be no school until the building is completed.
Little is known about the West Ward school on Beaver Dam Street. It was built in 1857 as either a rural or district school; however, it became a part of District #1 and was used as an elementary school with 1917 when Lincoln school was built.
The year of 1860 was a year of decision - should the district explore the possibilities of a Union High School or should the district split and each go its own way for education beyond Grade 8. On October 12, 1860, a resolution was passed to split District #1 strictly on county lines
and have two independent districts, the South Ward (Dodge County), and North Ward (FondDu Lac County).
Having no school, the North Ward electors voted to purchase an acre of land from Seymour Wilcox for $450. on the north side of Franklin Street and along Fond Du Lac Street. They voted to build a two-story brick building with four classrooms. School was opened late in the fall of 1861. (Bricks for the school came from Mayville at a cost of $6.00 per 1,000.) A High School course was established in 1878 and in 1879 a class of 5 was graduated. Minimum requirements of the State Department of Instruction were met in 1878 to qualify for state school aids.
In 1872 residents of the South Ward voted $10,000 for a new brick 2-story school with four classrooms. When it was completed they established a three-year high school, and later changed to a four year. 3 students were graduated in 1889. By this time there were so many students that they bought a lot across the street to the west and erected a one-story wood building. A second floor was later sdded and both floors were used until 1917 when the two-story structure was destroyed by fire.
The nearby village of Alto also took care of its early school needs. An excerpt from the Waupun Times stated that, "The new school house at the windmill in Alto was completed in 1880 and was used for holding classes during the winter season."
Many attempts were made at annual meetings in Waupun to comply with the State law of 1875 to unite small schools in a single community to improve the educational facilities and decrease the operating cost. In 1898 a special meeting was asked for by the electors, and with H.H.Hoard as chairman, Eli Hooker made this motion, Resolved that we will join the West and North districts heart and hand to endeaver to establish a union of the school districts." Tension between counties was high, neither wanted to cooperate so they let the decision to the city and town chairmen, They in turn passed the problem to the State School Superintendent whose verdict was "That the North, South and West &lards unite into one district and that a United High School District be created". Following this decision South Ward was built to twice the original size to house the Union 'school. The first Union School graduated its first students in 1900. (the last was in 1913)
In early 1913 the new high school was built slightly to the East of the North Ward school, which was torn down at that time. The new building was planned to accomodate grades 7-12, kindergarten and three grade classes It was felt that with South Ward, Lincoln and the high school; the guilding problems would be minimal for some time.
During the early years from 1860 to 1900 many private schools were established in vacant buildings or homes to teach music, dancing, art, commercial subjects, and telegraphy. A number of "select" schools actually competed with the public schools.
Students who wanted to be teachers only had to go to high school for three years, attend an institute of a week, pass their tests, and apply for a job. Later they had to be high school graduates, then a month, then a year in a county training school.
When the West Ward was condemned as a school, Lincoln was opened in 1917. At that time the total district enrollment was 712 with 104 in kindergarten, 460 in Grades 1-8, and 142 in high school. With this new high school came new opportunities for students in such activities as debate more athletics for boys and girls, inter-school commercial contests, etc. In 1923 the subject of chemistry was introduced. In 1924 the first prom was authorized by the Board of Education. Clarence Shaler, philanthropist a and former Waupun student gave a sum of $50,000to the city of Waupun, the interest of which to assist a student through college. The Little Ten athletic conference was established in 1926.
In the year of Waupun's Centennial, two schools received major additions. A new gymnasium- stage was added to the high school as well as an 8-room addition. An addition to the Lincoln school doubled the capacity of the school.
At 12¢ per meal the first school lunch program began February 1, 1945 at the high school. A Federal subsidy of 90 per meal helped balance the cost of the program.
World War 11 had its impact on the schools in 1942, with rationing boards set up in all schools, music teacher Howard Evenson was the first teacher draftee, book rental fee was vetoed at the annual meeting, the number of music rehearsals per week were cut, more mathematics was added to the curriculum, and school rifle teams were enterred in national shoots.
Two non-public schools open in Waupun. St.Joseph's Catholic Church opened a 1 - 8 elementary program in 1951 with an enrollment of 144 students. The school contains four large classrooms, basement auditorium and kitchen. In 1968 the 7 - 8 program was dropped and students attended the Junior High. Two years later the entire elementary program was closed. In 1949 the Christian Grade school, operated by the Society for Christian Instruction, opened with an enrollment of 100 students. An all-purpose room and more classrooms were added when the enrollment was in the area of 200 students. In 1958 a Christian High school was built to accomodate about a hundred students. As enrollment increased several classrooms, a gymnasium, and a vocational unit were added.
A new grade and high school facility was built at Fox Lake in 1950 to replace the school built in 1886. Fox Lake too opened their first school in 1844 as did Waupun. In 1954 Washington Elelentary was opened in the eastern part of the city. Due to consolidation of all the small one-room schools, three consolidated schools were built, Alto in 1959, Chester in 1954, and Amity in 1960. All were built with gymnasium- stage multi-purpose usage room.
Earl Irish retired after being a local elementary teacher and building principal for 38 years. The three local P.T.A organizations were in charge of the special recognition.
A citizen's advisory committee was appointed in 1950 to work with the Board in matters of buildings and grounds. The 24 acre Pattee property on Beaver Dam street was purchased as a possible site for a large elementary school, as was the Vandebery property north of the athletic field as a possible site for a hew senior high school. In 1958 the Jefferson school was built; the senior high school was approved at the 1961 meeting and was ready for occupancy in 1962.
During 1962 Fox Lake high school was released from the newly created, Meadow Wood district with Randolph and and was added to Waupun District No. 1. All 7 -12 students from Fox Lake would be attending Waupun Junior and Senior high school. This necessitated a special district meeting at which time an addition was approved to the high school and adding a gymnanium to the Fox Lake elementary school. The old high school was renamed "Middle School" by action of the Board when the 9th grade students again became a part of the senior high. The peak enrollment of the high school was about 1,100 while the middle school approached 600 with two grades.
Two new organizations came into being, the Cooperative Educational Service Center Agency (CESA) and the local Educational Service Center. CESA actually replaced the county superintents with special aids to schools in three counties, as special teacher procurement, governmental projects, a center for supplies, etc. The local service center is a central office for the business of the 9 schools, office of the business manager, superintendent of schools, processing center for all school supplies, maintenance center for school vehicles. With a decreasing
1976 enrollment in all schools, for a time our schools should be able to give primary attention to education and not so much to physical facilities.
Erwin Pfefferkorn
1926 - 1976Acquisition
Accession
2016.0075Source or Donor
Waupun Area Chamber of CommerceAcquisition Method
Donation
