Antigo Schools Are Ready to Open a New Chapter
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Antigo schools are ready to open a new chapter By JOE HERMOLIN Langlade County Historical Society When schools closed for the summer this spring, preparations were already in place to open next fall under a different structure. Over the years many changes have taken place in the school system as we adapt to changing economics, technologies, demographics and demands. Changes have not been without controversy. When the public school reopens in the fall elementary grades will be housed Antigo’s first elementary school was a 12 x 17 foot log cabin located at Superior Street and Third Avenue. before the area around Antigo and toes under control. The building school opened in the fall of 1883 that is where the first schools were was primitive but typical of a pio- with a student body of 41. located. The first elementary neer school: a log cabin with two or As Antigo grew in population, school, near Elton was built in two and a half windows, a floor of became incorporated as a city, and 1873 and was a roughly thrown mixed scraps of boards, and bench- became designated as the county together log cabin. The teacher, es of split basswood logs. seat, the need for an improved Addie Westcott, came from Antigo soon outgrew its first school system became evident and Shawano and she managed to pro- school and, for a brief while, by the late 1880s ward schools for cure a blackboard, also from looked for a more permanent elementary school students were Antigo’s first high school Shawano, for the school. Students home, holding classes in the offices constructed throughout the city. was housed in a four room ranged in age from five to 18 years of Francis Deleglise’s real estate By the early 1900s there were six of age. Subjects taught included business and, when that proved ward schools in Antigo. wood frame building that contained reading, writing, spelling, arith- inadequate, in the Winsor Hotel. Rural schools were also estab- a graded school. metic, history, and geography. In 1883 the city built a four room lished through the county. In 1881, It was built in 1883 on the site That school was soon followed by wood frame school graded school when the first school superinten- of the current museum. two others in what are now Lily at the site of what is now the dent’s report was issued, there in Antigo at the current Middle and Hollister. museum. It served as an elemen- were nine rural school districts in School. It has been a long journey Antigo’s first elementary school tary and high school. The high See Our History Page 13 from Langlade County and came a few years later. It was also Antigo’s early schools to what a log cabin, built in 1879 at Third exists today. Avenue and Superior Street. This Eastern Langlade County, was only a year or two after the around the Wolf River, was settled Deleglise family, Antigo’s founders, had settled into their home. The school was built by Joseph Krause who intended to use it as his home but decided to settle in Kempster instead. His cabin was a 12 foot by 17 foot bass- wood, scooped roof structure with a couple of 8 by 12 inch windows. Students sat on wooden benches without backs. Anna Sherriff was its first teacher. She was succeed- Provided by the ed by Sophie Deleglise, daughter Langlade County Historical Society. of Antigo’s pioneer family Francis To donate, volunteer or become a and Mary Deleglise. One of the member, call 715-627-4464. students was hired for $1 a month Visit the museum complex at to be a janitor and keep the fire Superior Street and Seventh Avenue going in a wood burning stove. or check out the Website During the winter the fire kept at www.langladehistory.com. students and teacher warm, while in the warm weather the fire cre- A large, brick high school was constructed in 1890 Our History ated smoke that kept the mosqui- on the site of the current middle school. August 2019 • Prime Time 5 Continued Our History Langlade County. By 1921 that had increased to 80 with an enroll- ment of 3,285 students. In the 1960s many of these schools were closed as consolidation began, (Some schoolhouses may still be seen, converted into homes. Three are available for touring at certain times – one at the county fair- grounds, one at Elton, and the third at Neva Corners at Highways A and B intersection). In the early years rural school teachers were paid a starting salary of $25 per month and their job included janitorial work. Rose Schmidt taught at the An architect’s drawing of the new high school, replacing the one that burned in 1916, serving as the middle school. Springbrook school during World War II and remembers those years state had issued a manual of stan- as “the best of I ever had. There dards for teachers. By the begin- was a good atmosphere between ning of the 20th century a more the teachers and the parents and formal structure was in place to the school was the center of the establish standards and train ele- community.” Rose Schmidt also mentary school teachers. recalled that her duties included The Langlade County Teachers tending the fire in the school stove Training School was formed in and having to shovel paths in the 1906. The Carnege Library (cur- snow to the outdoors toilets. rently the museum) had opened In Antigo, in 1890, the city the previous year with the second approved construction of a new, floor left undesignated and intend- brick, high school around the cor- ed for non-library purposes. The ner from the 1883 school. It was to space contained a large auditori- be on land donated by the um and it became a classroom for Deleglise family. That structure post- high school graduates to originally cost $16,500 but later receive initially one year and later additions and improvements were expanded to two year college level added to keep pace with increasing courses for elementary school needs. That building served as the teachers. The first graduating high school until it burned in class had 11 students. January 1916. The city scrambled The old Antigo High School was destroyed in a fire to find classrooms for the rest of By 1925, with a graduating class during the night of Jan. 16, 1916. the year and immediately began of 28, the Normal School had out- planning for a new building. grown its space and a separate the school was the center of the meals for families that had no one Classes were held in various ven- building was planned. A two-story community. That has been true for healthy enough to prepare meals ues such as store fronts, lodges, Normal School was constructed generations. For example, during for the family. Today the theater churches, and offices through the across the street from the library the influenza pandemic of 1918- and athletic facilities at the high rest of the school year while a new and opened for classes in 1926. 1919, the Home Economics classes school are an asset to the entire high school was planned for and (Today it is the Boys and Girls and facilities at the high school community and not just the stu- begun on the original site. A Club) That graduating class con- were put into service preparing dents. Milwaukee architect designed the tained 30 future teachers. building and it was constructed by That Normal School trained a firm from Fond du Lac at a total Langlade County’s elementary cost of $96,000. By the start of the school teachers well into the 20th 1917-1918 school year the new century. In the 1960s with gradu- building was ready to accept stu- ating classes generally numbering dents. Today, that building, with in the 30s, rules governing teacher modifications, is the Middle School qualifications changed, requiring and ready to undergo yet another four year college graduation. But transition during this upcoming current teachers were grandfa- school year. thered in, continuing to take qual- INCREDIBLE Of course a school is much more ifying make-up classes in the than a building to house students. building until 1971. The final STRENGTH. It takes trained teachers to direct graduating class of the Langlade their charges. In Langlade County Teachers College con- STARTING AT $1,699 ULTIMATE COMFORT. County’s early days teacher tained 14 students. At the time See the assignments could be haphazard. there were 20 freshman who Parts, Service and Sales Enduro Series County Supervisors issued teach- ended up completing their training Highway 45 South, Antigo now at: ing certificates. Sometimes they elsewhere. 715-627-4331 went to friends without considera- Rose Schmidt recalled that, dur- www.quinlansequipment.com tion of qualifications. By 1882 the ing her teaching days in the 1940s, August 2019 • Prime Time 13.