Historic Oconto County, WI school buildings.

Oconto County Reporter, Oconto, Wisconsin,
May 1, 1903

ABRAMS
Miss Frances Tupper's school closed last week Friday. An entertainment was given Saturday evening by her pupils which was attended by a crowded house and pronounced fine by all. Miss Tupper organized the school last year, bravely and successfully overcoming many obstacles that might have puzzled older heads. Her work has been very satisfactory indeed.

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This is the 13th in a series of articles
sponsored by the Oconto County Teachers Association
to promote better public relations in the schools of our county.

The articles were found in the scrap book of his late mother.

Article contributed by:
Larry Grady

(transcribed from the 1953 and 1954)

The Abrams school was a one room school in its beginning as long ago as 1875. The teacher that year was Mr. B. C. Wolter of the City of Appleton, who received $60.00 per month for a nine months term. The first school board was as follows: Mr. B. C. Waldron, Clerk; Mr. A. C. Lovell, Director, and Mr. Horace, W. Waldron, Treasurer. The first county superintendent was Mr. H.W. Gilkey.

The following is an excerpt from the notes of the meeting called to order on August 26, 1878: Quote: "Meeting called to order by B. Barker. Clerk's report of the last meeting agreed and objected to by Mr. A. C. Lovell, exposing the dileterry conduct of the school board in not binding the teacher to stay at the school house from twelve until one of the clock at noon, which Mr. Lovell claimed was the hour that all mishaps, misdemeeners, misfortunes, misconduct and mischief occurred. Great tumult and some confusion and finally the house came to order. "I certify that the above is correct record of the proceedings of the annual meeting held at this school house this 26th day of August, 1878." In the year 1893 a small school house was constructed for the sum of $373,75 to accommodate the primary department. Furniture for said schoolhouse amounted to $68.75. First primary department was taught by Miss Jennie A Major, nine months at $25.00 per month. Due to overcrowded conditions in the small schoolhouse, and also in the large schoolhouse a two-room addition was made to the larger building. Thirty years later another room was added to accommodate the ninth and tenth grades. This was discontinued at a later date.

At present the school is being operated as a three room school, with an enrollment of ninety-two pupils. The teaching staff is as follows: Margaret Johnston, promary; Janette Reed, intermediate; Ray Pankratz, upper grades. The present school board members are as follows: Helen Ellner, clerk, Louis H. Bohl, treasurer, and Ben Rickel, director.

The playground is one of the largest and best equipped in the county, enclosed by a sturdy board fence. The equipment consists of a merry-go-round. Trapeze, swings, slide and a volley ball court, with ample room for soft ball and football. The school is also supplied with ample visual aid equipment, consisting of two film-strip machines, one movie projector the screen, ample bulletin board space and a new record player. The school is also equipped with a telephone and piano. In 1945 the hot lunch program was inaugurated. The kitchen is equipned with an eight burner, two oven gas range, refrigerator, and tables and chairs to accommodate the seating of eighty pupils at lunch time. The cooking is being done by Mrs. Wesley Nicholas. In 1943 Mr. Steinkraus was hired to transport all children who lived two miles or over to school. At present Mr. Clarence W. Edinger is doing the transporting. The bus route covers twenty-seven miles and nineteen children are transported. Due to the overcrowded conditions in the three rooms, it is possible that a fourth room will be opened with a fourth teacher added. There is also a possibility of installing a modern central heating plant, water system and indoor toilets in the very near future. Our school today may appear the same as it did many years ago. However there are many technical advancements that have taken place. Mastery of the tools of learning, reading, spelling, arithmetic, writing and correct speech has been and always will be a fundamental task in our school. In fact we give more time and attention to searching for better ways of teaching these basic skills than to any other form of school improvement. The fact is that by and large, today's pupils read better, speak better. write better, and, spell better and have better command of arithmetic processes than the pupils of any previous period. Many research studies have proven this.