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Outagamie County (Wis.) State Centennial Committee / Land of the fox, saga of Outagamie County
([1949])
Mann, John P.
"Readin', 'ritin' and 'rithmetic", pp. 186-207
PDF (9.8 MB)
Page 193
RITIN' AND 'RITHMETIC'' building. An addition was added 12 years later. In 1926 the vocational school was opened up at Kimberly to take care of classes in trade, industry, sewing and cook- ing. The Vocational School had an en- rollment of 215 during 1947 and 1948. Also in 1926 the board decided to es- tablish a four year high school. At the present time the high school has an en- rollment of approximately 275 students and the grade enrollment is 125. The work now includes departments in kindergar- ten, elementary school, four years of high school and the vocational school. Besides the regular academic work the school offers work in industrial arts, homemak- ing, commercial, health, physical educa- tion, art and a music program. The school has a faculty of 17 teachers. Improvement plans for 1948 schedule the building of a new community athletic field including a quarter mile cinder track, together with a lighted field for base- ball, football and softball. SEYMOUR The first school district of which Sey- mour was a part was formed May 12, 1860, and was called District Two of Os- born. The site for the schoolhouse was not surveyed until April, 1861, and the schoolhouse was situa'ted about a half mile west of the south end of Main Street. The building served many purposes and was used for Sunday School and church services, town meetings and general pub- lic gatherings. This first district included all of the Town of Seymour and a portion of the Town of Osborn. After the separa- tion of Seymour from Osborn this school was continued as a joint district until May, 1869, when it was dissolved and new districts formed. Sometime during that year the old log schoolhouse was sold to the highest cash bidder for a price of $28.66 and was afterward used for a church. A portion of the city of Seymour, to- gether with portions of the Towns of Osborn and Seymour, were included in a joint district until 1887, when by an act of the Legislature the territory within the city limits was made one school dis- trict. A building was procured which was remodeled; in it both the grade school and the high school were established with a combined faculty of four teachers. Merritt L. Campbell was appointed principal of the high school and a three year course of study was offered. The first graduates who received their diplomas in the spring of 1890 were Charles R. Prosser of Seymour, N. J. Stewart of Green Bay and A. C. Walch of Manawa. With the exception of the year 1891, a class has been graduated each year and a total of 1,312 persons have received diplomas from the high school. The first persons to complete the four year course received their diplo- mas in 1896. Mr. Campbell was succeeded by one, Professor Schmidt, who headed the school for six or seven years. F. W. Axley was appointed principal of the school in the fall of 1899 and completed a remarkable term of thirty years in that position. After his retirement from teaching, Mr. Axley continued to serve the schools for many years as a member of the Board of Education, resigning that position in the summer of 1946. Mr. Axley was followed by Erling Fro- stad who remained until 1932. In the fall of 1932, E. T. Hawkins was appointed principal and continued in that position until 1945. M. A. Patchett is the present principal. The original school building was de- stroyed by fire in 1903 and a new brick building was erected in its place. An addi- tion, completed in 1936, consists of a gymnasium with connecting wing com- prising the main entrance, stairway and corridor, four classrooms, an office and washrooms. Above the gymnasium is an auditorium, study hall and library and two classrooms. Below the ground floor level are shower and locker rooms. In 1941 another building was added to READ IN', 193
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