School Days By Harry Bauman
Memories of Life in Morgan Siding 1925-1933 '3 ^m*44
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11 ^jd^Cr^A^.pn. L^^ds-^m H^'- ^4^dU4 %a4a.^4M MJU Umj^ ^0 qt 6eJ^^ ^^^^ School Days Memories of Life in Morgan Siding 1925-1933
by Harry Bauman
Edited byjeri Bauman
Published by Muh He Con Neew Press, 2006 SCHOOL DAYS: MEMORIES OF LIFE IN MORGAN SIDING. 1925-1933 by Harry Bauman Edited by Jeri Bauman
Copyright © 2006 Muh he con neew Press N9136 Big Lake Road Gresham,Wl 54128-8955 715-787-4427 All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without permission in writing from the above publisher.
ISBN 0-935790-08-X
Permission for photos and other illustrations in this and subsequent printings of this book have been granted to Muh he con ne neew Press by the following:
Carol Bauman for photos of Morgan School taken in 2000 Jeri Bauman for her father's original hand-written manuscript of SCHOOL DAYS and for the photo of Perfect Attendance pencils SHAWANO LEADER Local News/Opinion Editor KentTempus for photos and printed clips from the SHAWANO LEADER-ADVOCATE, SHAWANO EVENING LEADER AND SHAWANO LEADER as credited Jeremiah Ward for the original sketches of Morgan School for the front cover and title page and of the look-alike of THE GOLDEN BOOK Bill and Pat Burr for the photo of Our Savior's Lutheran Congregation Anita Hashbarger for the photo of Leo Maxson's class of Grades 5-8 students Mary, Keith, Missy and Michael Raasch for the map of Morgan School District #3's boundaries Merton "Pete" and Irene Schreiber for detailed map of Morgan Siding, photos and state license for Hoefs' tavern Lonnie Schreiber for photos from the Town of Red Springs collection
And especially the family of Harry and Dean Bauman - Deanna Bauman, John Bauman, Mary Bauman Raasch, Carol Bauman, Jeri Bauman and Judy Bauman Ward - who graciously gave us permission to publish their father's manuscript as well as to use all photos and illustrations that are not otherwise credited in this work.
Design of cover and book by Brenda Buettner, Graphics Department of Mohican North Star Casino and Bingo
Printed by Roto-Graphic Printing, Inc. 255 South 80th Avenue Wausau.WI 54401 CONTENTS
PUBLISHER'S ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 1
DEDICATION AND ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 4
INTRODUCTION 5
MY BACKGROUND 7
DISTRICT #3 9
STATE AND COUNTY'S ROLE 10
SCHOOL DAYS 10
SCHOOL INTHEWINTER 13
THE CHRISTMAS PROGRAM 13
FEBRUARY 14
SPRINGTIME IN MORGAN 15
THE EIGHTH GRADE IS
THE GOITERTREATMENT 16
PUNISHMENT 16
CLASSES 17
WRITING, PENMANSHIP AND SPELLING 18
HISTORY 19
GEOGRAPHY 20
FAMOUS PEOPLE, INVENTORS
ANDTHEIR INVENTIONS 20
ROLL CALL 21
THE BOWERY 21
MORGAN SIDING 22
O.E."OLE" MORGAN'S SAWMILL 24
MORGAN SIDING'S DESTINY 28
CHURCHES OF MORGAN SIDING 29
MORGAN SIDING NOW 31
PHOTO ALBUM 32
EDITOR'S AFTERWORD 39 PUBLISHER'S ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The creation of this book has been a story of respectful memories of Harry Bauman by family, friends and former classmates at Morgan School, as well as citizens of Shawano County, the Town of Red Springs, the Village of Gresham, and the Stockbridge-Munsee Band of Mohicans. All who had photos were eager to share them with us and have them be a part of this book; even when they had no photos they were glad to tell stories about their experiences with Harry or Morgan School or the churches, stores, sawmill or saloons of Morgan Siding. Everybody knew somebody in the book; everyone had a story about a teacher, a classmate or an escapade in the classroom. The wealth of remembrances and their ease in pulling forth both hilarious and sorrowful stories from the past gave this publisher a renewed appreciation for the National Treasure that is our Elders.
Here are the names of those who contributed, in one way or another, to the making of this volume and to whom we wish to express our deepest thanks;
First, the Bauman Family - Harry's wife and children - who gave Muh-he-con- neew Press permission to publish his manuscript. Geraldine "Dean" Ninham Bauman, Harry's wife of fifty-four years, who was pleased to know that we would be publishing his memoir but who left us quite unexpectedly in 2004 before that could happen; Deanna, who searched for family photos to share with us and who introduced me to her sister Jeri's edited version of Harry's work, and more; John, who contributed more photos; Mary, especially, and her daughter Missy also, who spent many hours of many days with me visiting with Elders, listening to and laughing at their recollections of Morgan Siding, sorting out pictures, helping to create captions, and preserving it all on the computer, and more; Carol, who took us over to see Morgan School one early evening in 2000 and contributed the beautiful photos she took at the time (see back cover); Jeri, who was the first to edit her dad's memoir and who also lent us his original handwritten manuscript among other memorabilia pictured in the book; Judy, who encouraged her son Jeremiah to sketch Morgan School for his grandfather's book cover, and more. All have been supportive and helpful in every way they could and we extend our warmest thanks to them.
And then there were many others, whom I will list in the order in which I visited with them;
I BillTerrio, who first gave me a copy of Harry Bauman's memoir with the hope that it would be published some day; Delia (nee Murphy) Grant, who gave me information about the "Morgan School kids"; Anita (nee-Wickman) Hashbarger, who contributed photos of Morgan classes and gave me several good references for more; Ernie (nee Quinney) Murphy and Clarence Chicks, who answered as many questions as they could about Morgan School, its students and teachers; KentTempus at the SHAWANO LEADER, who gave permission to reproduce clippings from earlier issues of the newspaper; Dori Karcz, Marie Reed and Sue Hogard in the LEADER office, who exhibited great patience on several occasions when I needed help with those big "tomes" of newspapers of past years; Linda Grams and Cassie Cummings,librarians,and Kristine Neumann,audiovisual aide, at the Shawano County Public Library, for their help in finding resources and making copies; Bob Klopke, Principal of Gresham School, who gave me a copy of Jane Glenz's book TEACHING THEM TO FISH ... A HISTORY OF THE SHAWANO/ GRESHAM SCHOOL SYSTEM. Gwen Olsen, Town Clerk of Red Springs, who not only helped us acquire photos hanging in the Town Hall's display (thanks to Lonnie Schreiber's kind permission to take what we needed) but also lent us prints and a CD of Red Springs photos; Rosemary Bohm, Shawano County Clerk, who guided me through Harry's years on the County Board and during his chairmanship; Gordon Kopitzke, who recommended that I see Darlene Heller of the Shawano County Historical Society; Darlene, who found resources and made copies for me of documents regarding School District #3; John Mutter, who stopped by and had suggestions for the location of other resources; Linda Streyle of Door County Library, Katie Conklin of The Cooperative Children's Book Center and Nancy McClements, reference Librarian at the UW-Madison Library, who shared information with me about copyright law; Peg Hoffman,Tim Burr,Jackie Schmidt, Lollie Pleshek and Grace Schwefel, who gave me more suggestions of those who might have photos or information about Morgan Siding; Clark Raddatz of the Legislative Reference Bureau and Doug Huck, Mohican Tribal Attorney, who shared information on federal Indian policies; Jermain (nee Burr) Davids, who tried to locate photos of Morgan Siding in her family, and Bill Burr, her brother, who thereafter shared photos with us; Shari (nee Nietzer) Arendt of Gresham School, who referred me to her two uncles,Willie Little, who shared great stories with me about Morgan Siding and its school, and Fred Lemke, who also shared stories and tried to find photos for me from Harry Nietzer's collection; Edna Buettner, who took me on a tour of the Gresham Railroad Museum and went through numerous files and scrapbooks with me to find articles about folks from Morgan Siding in the '20s and '30s;
2 Betty (nee Robinson) Jonsson and Jan Ebert, who could not help with photos or information but were extremely supportive of what we were doing; Merton "Pete" and Irene (nee Dempsey) Schreiber, who had us giggling with stories of Morgan Siding, who literally tore photos out of their albums for us, and who drew the map of Morgan Siding with its buildings and list of residents that is reproduced in this book; Imogene (nee Miller) Beiike, who told stories of Morgan and had her own information to add to the Schreiber map because she remembered it from a different time; Reverend Josh Martin, present Pastor of the Old Stockbridge Presbyterian Church in Morgan, who shared with me a brief history of the Presbyterian Church in earlier days; Cindy Miller, who had worked on the history of the Town of Red Springs with Sue Giese and Grace Schwefel and who gave me more wonderful photos and a copy of the CD of Red Springs pictures; Deb Cotter, Shawano County Treasurer, who found the 1911 Shawano County Plat Book for me as well as a great spot in her office to study its map of Morgan Siding; Nathalee (nee Bowman) Kristiansen and Cindy (nee Sparks) Jungenberg, staff of the Arvid E. Miller Memorial Library Museum, with whom I shared photos and who shared theirs with me; Members of the Stockbridge-Munsee Historical Committee, who always support the work of Muh-he-con-neew Press; Molly Miller, Marketing Manager, Tim Wilke, Media Specialist and Brenda Buettner, Graphic Designer, all of Mohican North Star Casino and Bingo. Special thanks to Brenda who, in the design of this book, not only exhibited her many talents at the computer but was also incredibly patient while putting up with my persistent requests for changes and revisions;
And, of course, Dorothy Winona Davids, Mohican Elder and my partner in Muh-he-con-neew Press, for her unending critiques, suggestions and support The Press would not have come into existence, nor continued to survive, without her.
Ruth A. Gudinas Muh-he-con-neew Press Summer, 2006
3 DEDICATION
I would like to dedicate these pages to the teachers, especially those who taught in the one-room country schools. There must have been many of them in Shawano County, since there were 165 separate school districts, each operating their own school. The four teachers that taught at Morgan the eight years that I attended have all passed on. There are many that will recognize the events that happened at Morgan as being similar to their own experiences. They are a special kind. God bless 'em all.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I would like to acknowledge the help and encouragement I received from a number of people when I told them what I was trying to do, that is, resurrect and record some of the experiences of living, mostly during the Depression Era, especially as they pertained to living with the people of the Morgan Siding area and getting a basic education at Morgan Siding District #3 School:
Classmates Hazel Bowman and Leona Bowman; Francis Stoehr;former teachers Ludmilla Hoffman and Opal Stoehr; former high school classmate Ruth Peters; Betty Redman, Register of Deeds and her staff; Mike Hille, Director of Shawano City-County Library; my sister Edna Armstrong, who was a Morgan kid at the time; BillTerrio for his encouragement;Anita Hashbarger; Larvan Stuebs,former Shawano County Tax Lister; Rev. Knierim, Rev. D. Coats and Toby Beiike. Finally, my own wife and family, who examined every page and asked me questions like, "Did that really happen?"
I have tried to give proper credits to all those who have been most helpful. My main concern is that I may have omitted a name or two, which is not my intention. I would like to thank every one of them, and I hope they get as much out of reading this as I did putting it together. For wherever this may lead, it has been FUN!
4 INTRODUCTION My school days began In the fall of 1925 and If there was one commonality of those who lived I graduated from the eighth grade in 1933. during the Depression years, it was the reluctance However, what started out to be a short to throw away anything that wasn't broken or recollection of the times and experiences of my completely worn out. There was always the eight years at the Morgan School has evolved into feeling that it might be useful later, or that you a much broader recollection of the people and could still salvage something from it some other events that put Morgan Siding on the map. time. These are now the items that you find for sale at the antique shops and flea markets at This happened because I received much help ten to twenty times their price when they were and information from many good people from new. How often it has been said,"I wish I hadn't this area, including some of my fellow classmates thrown away those glass teacups and saucers or and retired teachers, whom I had the privilege plates." Such items were often included "free" of growing up with and who shared memories, with each box of oatmeal or cereal. It was stories and experiences of sixty and more years possible to collect a whole setting that way. I ago. They were so helpful in reminding me of think it is called "Depression Glass" today. some of the situations that existed from their perspective of those days that I feel it is necessary Mustard, coffee, peanut butter and other foods to relate some background information so that came in jars that could be used for canning; you there can be a better understanding of the times. only needed to get new lids. Sugar and flour came in muslin bags that could be bleached and The years between the two great World Wars usually ended up being made into sheets and I and II brought postwar problems, including pillow cases (often embroidered and decorated Prohibition, the Great Depression and the with crocheted edges), dish towels and even drought. All affected everyone's life to the extent undergarments for the ladies. that everybody had very little money, if any, or very few of the things money could buy. If there If you look at all the items that are now available were "rich folks," they seemed so removed, at antique shops and flea markets, invariably far away and unapproachable that no one was they were part of everyday living in those days dissatisfied with his own status. when most people had no electric power in their homes. Many people didn't even have an People were willing to share with others. It was automobile. If they did, it was only used on not unusual for someone to organize a "bee" special occasions. "Going to town" was an event. to get neighbors and friends together to help A trip to Shawano was planned weeks before, someone or a family who had a streak of bad happening probably only twice a year. After the luck. Most houses and barns were built with the first frost, the radiator on the old "overland" was help of a raising bee or a shingling bee. It gave drained after each use. As colder and snowy the ladies an excuse to get together and socialize, weather set in, the car was put up on blocks for while preparing meals of food they donated to the duration of the winter. I don't know why, but feed the workers. After a new barn was built perhaps it had something to do with the tires. and before it was used, the farmer would show his appreciation by engaging a fiddler or two and Traveling was either by horse and sleigh or, someone playing a squeeze-box and have a "barn to further distances such as Shawano, it was dance" on the new barn floor. Moonshine was possible to flag down the Soo Line. This came sometimes available to spice up the party. I'm through Morgan Siding about four times a day, sure this was the origin of the term "barn dance." and you could get a ticket from the conductor
5 and go anywhere in the country where there Yet we all survived those years. In fact, we was a railroad. developed the sense of what it is like to appreciate the best of the things you have. One Nothing much was ever thrown away in those of the things that helped when we were growing days either. When you made a trip to the store, up in those days was being able to go to school. everything was purchased from a bulk carton or box, with a clerk measuring out or weighing what At the one-room school, the teacher's duties you bought. It was put into in a small paper sack included arriving early each day to open the which you then put into the basket in which you doors and do all the janitorial work, such as had brought the extra eggs or home-churned building the fires in the old heater or furnace, butter you traded for the groceries you needed. filling the water bubbler, and emptying the "slop I remember we got, in season, a bushel basket pails" from the water bubbler and the washroom. of peaches or pears, most of which my mother There was no running water or modern canned before we snitched too many of them. plumbing. Many schools had no electricity or the Those baskets are now collectors' items. things commonly associated with electric lights and power. Any scraps from the table were fed to the dog or recycled through the chickens and hogs, which All these chores were part of an expected were later recycled through us. Any wood or and unwritten job description which included cardboard that couldn't be used ended up as teaching and expanding youngsters' minds fuel for the stove. If a part of the stove broke, — this all without the help or interference you didn't throw the whole stove away and get of administrators or supervisors, principals a new one. You were able to get a replacement or superintendents, who in today's system do part from the hardware store. Washboards and not educate. They, the teachers, were blissfully flatirons lasted forever. unaware or encumbered by the red tape generated since the advent of the copy machine Nowadays you can find such smaller items and yes, even the computer fad, all of which in antique shops, while washers, dryers and support more administration than education. refrigerators are cluttering up the landfills. There you literally see mountains being built Teachers and school boards didn't need to worry out of the garbage and things we throw away. I about the lead content in paint, flaking asbestos, wonder what items are being used and discarded quotas or gender, health plans or union dues, today that antique collectors will be looking for holidays or vacations (vacation time was the seventy-some years from now, say in 2064. Will three months between May and September) or they be digging up the landfills to find the plastics guns or knives. You weren't a growing boy if you and styrofoams, the synthetics and mountains of didn't have a jackknife to do some whittling. The paper? Who would have imagined years ago that worst crime you could commit was to get caught one of the largest problems of the times would carving your initials in your desk. The word be the disposal of things thrown away? "graffiti" wasn't even a word in our language yet. Nor were kids killed for their faded and patched Something else that made the adversity of the overalls, their stinky tennis shoes or Starter Depression times even worse were the drought jackets. years of the '30s. They especially made it difficult to keep going on the farm. If the extreme heat Teachers could concentrate on teaching, not only and dryness of the summer didn't get to you, the the basic 3 Rs but also obedience and respect. clouds of dust and grasshoppers did.
6 MY BACKGROUND in my lifetime By way of my background as to when my family needs only a and I moved to the area, I was born May 13, little prodding 1920, at a small farm about a mile southeast of and reminding Gresham at the location now owned by Pete to recall the and Lolly Pleshek. Later, my parents purchased experiences a farm and 80 acres from Archie Hoffman. This I am sharing 80-acre parcel had been the original selection of with you. Zera and Electa Gardner. Zera and Electa built the house and the barn in 1903-06. It was one The year 1920 of best and finest set of farm buildings in the was in the Harry's parents, john and Babetta (nee Volnhalz) Bauman; no date. surrounding area at that time. The Gardners period of time sold the farm to Herman Hall, who later sold it immediately after World War I. At that time it to Archie Hoffman. was not very popular to be of German descent because of the war. Of course, having a name as German as Bauman was a bit of a handicap, plus with my hair being light in color (almost blond), together with my parents still using the German language most of the time, especially at home, made us sort of "different" in the community. Fortunately these feelings soon went away. About the only reminder I personally had was that I acquired the nickname "Dutch" because of my blond hair.
The Bauman family home, probably in the 1930s. I can recall, from conversations at home between my parents and my brother and sister. Art and When Ma and Pa purchased and moved to the Edna, who attended school at Morgan after farm on July 1, 1920,1 was about six weeks old. moving here, that their teacher was James Evans. My main reason for divulging this information is He and his family lived about I Vi miles west that I have lived at the same location virtually all and north of the school. He and his wife, who I of my life, and my memory of people and events believe was an aunt of Ruth Peters (nee Shepard), had several children of their own at Morgan School also. My brother. Art, dropped out of school after the sixth grade. Edna graduated from the eighth grade in 1929, along with Gertrude Robinson, Lenwood Kenote and Art Church. Mr. Evans was, as I recall hearing, a very strict disciplinarian, not hesitating to use the ruler when needed. He taught at District #3 School until the end of the term in 1925. I wonder if he was aware that I was coming and decided to get out! Ma and Pa with family in the 1920s: Art, Edna, Harry and Fred.
7 to a newAilis Chalmers tractor with disk (and dog). The farm equipment changed in the 1930y from horse and wagon...
Ma gathering the yield of the field; 1920
(I to r) Harry, Molly, Edna, and Dolly about 1930.
Horry at home with wagon and friend about 1928. ^
Harry standing on the running board of an automobile in 1928. Can you identify the car's make and model? 8 DISTRICT #3 21, then west to the west line of Section 20, Morgan School was originally built by the thence south to a line % mile south of County government in 1904 because it was in an Trunk Highway A, then east to the east line of area more or less populated by people of the Section 33, then north, intersecting with the east Stockbridge-Munsee Indian Tribe which was lines of Sections 28 and 21. Anyone within the situated in the Township of Red Springs and the boundaries of District #3 was obliged to go to Township of Bartelme. Morgan School at Morgan Siding.
By statute, school districts were formed and There were two other school districts in the buildings were located so that no one had to Town of Red Springs. District #1 was the walk more than three miles to get to school. "Koonz School," located in the northeast part This didn't seem to be an insurmountable problem for anyone. Children came to school in fair weather or bad, warm or extreme cold or in blizzard conditions. I was fortunate to live about a mile from school which means I very seldom missed a day. All during my sixth and seventh grade, I had a record of perfect attendance, never absent, never tardy. After my sixth grade term Mr. Engel gave me a set of three lead pencils with "Perfect Attendance" engraved on them. I still have them, unsharpened. After my seventh grade, Mr. Engel gave me a small triangular-shaped gold pin which, I am sorry to say, I no longer have.
Around 1915, as near as I can determine. Red Springs School District #3 was formed to take care of the expanding needs of a growing community. This was influenced largely by the expansion of Ole Morgan's sawmill and the settling of a number of white people on some of the land formerly owned by some of the Stockbridge people.
I will try to give the configuration of District Map of Morgan Siding showing boundaries of Morgan #3. The boundaries of the district were the School District #3. Map copied from 1921 Shawano County following: beginning on the east line of Section Plat Book, with boundaries added by the Raasch family.
Harry's reward for perfect attendance given to him by his sixth grade teacher in 1931. Photo of the pencils in their original box courtesy of Jeri Bauman.
9 STATE AND COUNTY'S ROLE State and county government had a minimum role in the local districts. There was little interference with the daily operations or the type of construction or shape of the building that classes were held in. Their main concern with the building was whether it was well ventilated and that the building had sufficient window area for day lighting. Their main School and church of Lutheran Indian Mission from across educational concerns were with the teachers' Mission Lake in the Town of Red Springs; no date. ability to teach and their ability to maintain control in the classroom. of the township, and District #2 was the school which most of us know as the "White School" (presently the Red Springs Town Hall). The The State Superintendent of Schools was Mr. Lutheran Indian Mission, located about Yi mile Callahan. His office was in Madison.The County south of District #2, was a parochial school Superintendent of Schools, Arthur Pahr, worked where a number of "Morgan kids" attended in cooperation with Mr. Callahan and his office. the boarding school. Much of the Town of Red Mr. Pahr was assisted by what was called a Springs, especially the northern and northwest "Supervisor Teacher." I remember it was a lady. sections, was at this time still wooded with no However, in trying to remember her name or habitation. checking with others who might remember, different names pop up. It should be noted that, on information I was able to gather from the Shawano County Tax The County Superintendent and the Supervisor Lister, there were 165 school districts in the Teacher were both employees of the county. As far county in the 1950s, each having its own school as I know, this was the entire administrative system board and taxing abilities. This was before all guiding the rural schools of the state. (Make your the school consolidations. It sounds monstrous, own judgment on the bureaucracy of today.) but the average school budget was slightly over $ 1000 per year per district! This, of course, The objectives of Mr. Pahr and his assistant were does not include a high school budget. There to make sure that all the schools in Shawano were only two or three high schools at the time. County met certain requirements of the state and that all the teachers were qualified to teach. They were also available to assist the many The first teacher, or schoolmaster, and his wife, districts within the county if needed, and they lived at the school, there being living quarters examined the "end product," the graduates, to built into the building. I was told that the make sure the basic educational requirements name was "Swift" (the only information I was had been met (more on this later). able to find). The second schoolmaster under government employment was Will and his wife Emma (nee Welch) Hashbarger. Emma was SCHOOL DAYS the sister of Elmer Welch, Flora Robinson and This part of the story will include some "Chub" Welch, et al. Will and Emma were there reminiscing about my experiences during the until the advent of World War I due to Mr. eight years I attended the old District #3 School Hashbarger's being in the government service located in the "suburbs" of Morgan Siding. This and an officer in the U.S.Army. is the place where I received my basic formal education.
10 ELEMENTARY SCHOOL REPORT CARD SCHOOL YEAR 19,?4 -19..?;^ I began going to school in . NAM E OF SCHOOL
September of 1925 as a ^AbT NAME FIRST NAME MIDDLE NAME CITY OlSTfllCT first grader. As I was five ORADE years and four months old SUBJECT Tnl (starting age was ordinarily six), the idea was that I Afiricall-.i Citizeathip would try it out. If I got Dome^ic Sc. lonesome or miserable, I 7' was to leave school and £'-sm:ri'^y^ HifLory 3 stop at Ole Morgan's house Lcng. or Gram. EKoa. 21 21 9%. and stay the balance of the Manual Tr. Coiuiua Mtt. M ChqriAbKnl day with my sister, who was Phrweal Ed. TimcA Tardy working as a housekeeper C A FORM 9 A^ for Mrs. Morgan. SMiMinCA.CHaikf.wii:
My first day of school evidently was such that I continued going regularly, graduating from the eighth grade in May of 1933 from this one- room school. All eight grades were under the guidance of one teacher. My older sister Edna was four grades ahead of me in school.
My first teacher was Mary McClean, who boarded at Ole Morgan's home. She taught for two years. I don't recall ever seeing or hearing of her again.
For the following two years my third and fourth grade years were taught by Virginia Housley. She was a niece of Mrs. Morgan. Miss Housely also boarded at the Morgans' place. She later married Gabe Beyer, a well-known eligible bachelor from the area. After their marriage they moved to Idaho, then later returned to the area with a family of three sons. They bought the Tom Little farm and farmed it for a number of years. Eventually, Mrs. Beyer (nee Housely) taught school again, even returning to teach at Morgan School.
The next teacher I had was a young man from the Pulcifer area, Arthur Engel. He stayed three years, my fifth, sixth and seventh grades. He boarded at the Lester Howell residence, which was also the local general store on the corner of Main Street Farewell gift of teacher Mary McClean to her students at Morgan School; 1927 in Morgan Siding. My eighth grade teacher was (see page 42 for more photos). Raymond Stoehr, also known as "Bear" Stoehr. to impose a penalty for some kind of infraction He was a Gresham product and also an eligible and make someone stay after as a sort of bachelor. I mention this because years later he punishment (no corporal punishment here). married one of the Morgan School teachers. This takes us up to the time of my graduation from the A new era in education at Morgan District eighth grade late in May of 1933. #3 began with the start of the school term in September of 1933. The Lutheran Indian Mission The normal routine of the school day was Board, I suppose because of the economic times, as follows: The teacher, or one of the taller decided to no longer operate a boarding school kids, would put up the flag, then ring the bell at the Mission. Even though the Mission closed promptly at 9:00 a.m. After everyone was the dormitory, they did continue to operate a seated the teacher would take roll call, marking "day school" at their facility. This had an effect on those present on a chart. Anyone coming late the enrollment at Morgan District #3, because was marked tardy. After roll call, everyone there were a number of families in the Morgan faced the U.S. flag, which was draped on the wall Siding area who had been sending their children behind the teacher's desk, to recite the Pledge to the Indian Mission facility. of Allegiance. This exercise taught us honor and respect for our flag and country. The District #3 Board, upon being made aware of the situation caused by the closing of the Children were seated at desks arranged in rows Mission, immediately began the process of parallel to the length of the building. The lower providing for the influx of kids from the Mission. grades, with smaller desks and without ink wells, It was decided to add an additional classroom were on the outside row to the teacher's right. to the present building and divide the grades. The "big" kids were seated at desks on the Thus, grades one through four were taught outside row to the teacher's left. As the years in the new or "little room," as it was called. went by, you not only advanced a grade level Grades five through eight remained in the "big but you were also promoted to a bigger desk. I room." Of course, this move necessitated the think there were four different sizes. hiring of an additional teacher to teach the lower grades. The teacher hired was Clyde The various classes were held with the children "Bozo" Herman, a Leopolis native. There was of the scheduled grades going to benches in much scuttlebutt about there needing to be the front of the schoolroom for 15-minute two "male" teachers because of those "naughty class periods to discuss with the teacher their Mission kids" coming to Morgan. Either it assignments for the day. Recess, my favorite worked, or the Mission kids weren't so bad class, was a 15-minute period of time twice a after all. The school room was built during day, at 10:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. At this time the summer break and was ready to go by everyone was allowed to do as they wished the beginning of September. Remember, all on the school grounds under the teacher's this happened in the very middle of the Great surveillance. There was a noon hour when Depression. everyone ate their lunch brought from home, in my case one packed in a two-quart syrup We, as kids, were perhaps the most fortunate pail. Hot lunches furnished by the school were age group of many generations, it being the never heard of, nor expected, even in these normal way of life for nearly everyone we Depression years. There were no such things knew not to worry about financial matters as school buses. The school day was over because there were no finances to worry about. promptly at 4:00 p.m. unless the teacher decided The experiences of having lived during those
12 times could make it much easier if it was ever Winter times were something very special. Even necessary to live through them again. though the snow drifts seemed higher and the temperatures colder, I can actually remember, SCHOOL INTHEWINTER as can others, the snow banks on the way to school being high enough so that you could Winters were challenging at times. The roads almost touch the telephone wires. Some of that were seldom plowed. In fact there wasn't much may have been because of the different way automobile travel. It was more desirable that snow is plowed today, but the snowbanks were there be good sleighing as long as possible. Even high. There are no telephone wires to measure the mailman covered his route with a bobsled the snowbanks today; they are all underground. pulled by a team of small horses. The bobsled had a sort of enclosed cabin with a small heater The temperatures were colder for longer in it. Walking was seldom crowded. periods of time. I can remember several times when the temperature didn't get above zero There were no such things as "snow days." That degrees for two weeks at a time. (This may be was a weather term, not a school vacation. The matched this year — 1994.) We also had -25 teacher lived less than a quarter mile from the and -30 degrees and the school bell still rang school, so school was always held. During my at 9;00 a.m. every morning. I suppose no one eight years at Morgan District #3, there were no had to worry about getting their car started or electric lights or modern plumbing. Water was if the roads were open. We walked to school, pumped by hand, usually by one of the larger many times walking backwards not facing the students who carried pails full of water into wind. Of course, we couldn't listen to the radio the school and dumped them into a lO-gallon to hear if school would be closed. The nearest crockery bubbler from which the kids would radio stations I remember hearing were KYW drink. The larger students were also allowed and WLS of Chicago. And although phones were (sometimes delegated) to keep the wood beginning to be common, the school had none. supplied in the basement from the woodshed behind the school; they also had to stoke the large furnace which was a gravity-type furnace THE CHRISTMAS PROGRAM with a large metal grate directly above the The big event of the year was the Christmas furnace. program, usually held on about the twenty-third of December. Preparations would begin at least Many times during extreme cold weather a month before Christmas for the program. kids kept their outdoor clothes on until the Each child was given a special part or recitation building warmed up, but you had to remove to be given at the program. It was held at the your cap. If you had to "go" and it was not school with all the proud parents and friends recess or the noon hour, you tried your best attending. Remember, there was no electricity. to get the teacher's attention by raising your The lighting was accomplished by using four or hand, extending one or two fingers, sometimes five gasoline mantle lanterns located throughout on the verge of an "accident" before you got the building. There was, of course, a tree permission to "leave the room." The teacher decorated with paper chains and star cutouts could soon spot a fake emergency. Only one made by the children, plus lots of red and green student was allowed to go out at a time. "Out" rope along with lead-foil icicles. Yes, a manger meant the two-room outhouse located behind scene was allowed, along with Jingle Bells and the school. One side was for the girls, the other Santa Claus (who was usually Fred Murphy). side was for the boys. Each of the children received a bag consisting of peanuts, a popcorn ball, chocolate drops.
13 some hard candy and sometimes an apple or an orange.
I remember one time Lucy Schroeder had to do the recitation,"Twas the Night Before Christmas," which is quite long. Everyone The was holding their breath hoping she could go through the whole thing without prompting. Soldun Tr^asurg She did it without a miss. I wonder if she still of remembers it. FAVORITE Some people who were a little more AMERICAN adventurous traveled three or four miles to take in other schools' Christmas programs. SONGS Mrs. Schmidt, the teacher for many years at the District #2 "White School," had the reputation for having excellent programs each year. She made all the costumes for the various parts out of colored crepe paper. What an effort! Candy bags were also distributed to the students at these other schools, and, if there were any bags left over from taking care of their own students, you might get another bag of goodies.
All the favorite Christmas songs were sung without accompaniment. The school didn't Sketch of book cover similar to that of THE GOLDEN BOOK used by Harry and his classmates in the '20s and have a piano. We sang songs like "Silent Night," '30s. Sketch by Harry's grandson Jeremiah Ward; 2006. "Away in a Manger," "O Come All Ye Faithful," "Joy to the World," "It Came Upon a Midnight Library. Of course, I had to return it. It brings Clear," along with "Jingle Bells" and "Up on back memories of many songs we used to sing in the Housetop," etc. None of these beautiful school. There were songs of the Revolutionary Christmas songs were thought of as being illegal War, Civil War times, old Negro spirituals, or offensive if sung at school. Christmas was patriotic tunes, plus many more. We sang all allowed to have some meaning. Now you can the verses, too. Most people don't remember only sing such songs as "Rudolph the Red-nosed that there are three verses to "My Country Tis Reindeer," "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus," of Thee" or remember the words to the "Star "All I Want for Christmas Is My Two Front Spangled Banner" or "America the Beautiful." It Teeth," "I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas," seems it is almost forbidden to mention God and the like. Madeline Murray, the agnostic, and country to our children. wherever she is, must be very content with her accomplishment. FEBRUARY February was a special month in school. Remember THE GOLDEN BOOK OF February 12th was a special day when we were FAVORITE SONGS? It was commonly used in taught over and over again about our great the schools in those days. I finally tracked down sixteenth president, Abraham Lincoln, the a copy of this book from the Door County Emancipation Proclamation and why the awful 14 Civil War was fought. Many of us memorized When the days started getting warmer in Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, one of the early May, it was hard to keep your shoes greatest speeches ever written in this country. on in school. I wonder if there was anything that felt as exhilarating, especially for a kid in February 22nd was also special, remembering school, as going barefoot for the first time in our first president, George Washington, spring. It seemed that your feet were equipped and the sacrifices made by the people of with springs, and you could leap and jump like the Revolutionary War era, led by General a yearling deer. Of course, later came the Washington to secure the freedom of the problems of stubbed toes and slivers and you colonists from the monarchy of Mother England. had to wash your feet every night.
With the lack of patriotism and respect in our Children coming to school would take short• country today, I wonder if any of this is being taught cuts through the woods to pick handsful of in our schools any more, or if it is even allowed. spring flowers, such as mayflowers, violets, trilliums, ladybritches and phlox, and bring them Another special day in February was Valentines to the teacher. I can still smell the aroma of Day, the 14th. Everyone made valentines to be these wild flowers. Other wild plants growing handed out to your favorite classmates, making in the woods were leeks. Leeks are to the plant it real fancy if you could, but not signing your world what a skunk is to the animal world. They name. Of course, the teacher always received don't smell so good, especially when eaten. one from everybody. I wonder how many were Occasionally, someone would come to school in interpreted? the morning after having had a mess of leeks the night before. Whew! SPRINGTIME IN MORGAN Everyone looked forward to the last day of Springtime and warmer weather were always school and the picnic near the end of May. challenging, especially for those of us who had Parents came with baked beans and potato to get to the school from the north (past the salad, lemonade made with real lemons, plus store). It seemed all the melting snow had only sandwiches of ground bologna. It seemed the one place to go, that was on the road between weather was always good. Ah, memories! the store and the schoolyard. The entire road and much of the schoolyard was under water every spring thaw. One had to walk quite a way THE EIGHTH GRADE into a nearby field which was also muddy. It All eighth graders who went to Morgan School was almost impossible to get to the two-room must remember going to the Gresham School outhouse back of the school. The area around to take a test supervised by the County the well pump was also under water. Superintendent of Schools. At that time Gresham School was a big lO-grade school, two I recall that the house on the corner by the store stories high, and all the other awesome things was under water; it was then occupied by the we one-roomers thought it would be. I suppose Felix and Eunice Bruette family. Boy, the almighty this test was necessary to see if our teachers DNR would have had a picnic if they had been had taught us the proper things. around at that time! Fortunately, no one was ever hurt, just a little inconvenienced for a while. I recall eighth graders cramming for weeks in Later, the town fathers found that the problem anticipation of the questions that might be asked was solved by making a ditch across the yard of on the exam. This exam usually occurred about the old mill and putting in a couple of culverts. the middle of May. It was given by the County
15 Supervisory Teacher who was supervised by needed to have the required days in attendance and worked with Arthur Pahr. Mr. Pahr was the at school before receiving a diploma. Without County Superintendent of Schools, a position this diploma you would not get into high no longer in existence. It was required that school. If you didn't meet these standards, it you get a passing grade on this test, plus you meant another year in the eighth grade. I don't remember many kids not being promoted.
THE GOITERTREATMENT
..^ATE OF WISCoj^s,^. Remember, once a month and usually on a
SHAWANO COUNTY Friday, each of us had to take a chocolate- flavored iodine pill. It was determined by the State Superintendent of Schools that each student, by taking one of these pills once a month, eliminated the chance of developing a goiter. Evidently it worked. I don't know of any ""'"•"nentofPuhKc^'""' youngster developing a goiter. I recall seeing
This Certifies That some older folks with a goiter, so the idea was successful. Since that time, iodine has been HARRY BAUHAM added to salt, something everyone uses, which of—Dist. No.^in the "^^^of Springs County of Shawano, has completed the Course replaced the need to take goiter pills. of Study in the Common Branches required by law to be taught in the Public Schools of the State and is therefore awarded this PUNISHMENT DIPLOMA It seems that every teacher had his or her own
Givrn •! Shawano. method of handling disciplinary problems. I don't recall anyone ever getting a whipping \e-rte)Led„ /C^J%U ^ or even a whack with a ruler. There was one incident when I thought Oliver Samp was going to get it. The teacher took him into the side room, asked him to remove his belt and then to spank himself. Occasionally a student would have to stay inside during recess or remain after school for twenty or thirty minutes. I imagine the teacher had the chance to in the ^BiHVC^r-riy.... of ;/^<^. r-^l^-^^^tTt^^ii^hawaiio Comity, Wi.scoiisin. has been awarded a Diploma ojEvUraduati* based on the follow• have some straight talk with ing staiuliiig,s. Passing mark is 75. the student. I don't recall that Spelling ... 9^. Geography there was any form of "capital
Reading . .. History .. punishment" handed out.
S^U Civics—U. S. & Wis. . Another mode of punishment Writing ^P. Phys, & Hygiene was on the order of "Write 100, Grammar & Lang Arithmetic Agriculture 200 or 300 times:'I will not (the Shawano, 7.1Wisconsi n infraction) again'" before a certain ^i^hJLfi^ ...^t.Je<.t{Cu^ time. Paper was scarce and Teacher Co. Supt. Schools expensive. A ruled coarse paper tablet cost five cents, smooth
16 paper tablets suitable for Ink cost ten cents. I The classes I am referring to could hardly be know I did my share of writing, often on the recognized today. First of all there was no back side of some used paper. Store wrapping kindergarten, pre-school or Headstart. You paper worked well too. It had to be written were supposed to be six years old and able legibly or we would have to do it all over again. to get to school before the bell rang at 9:00 It seems funny now, but maybe the teacher had a.m. The teacher would arrange students a two-fold purpose. Besides being punished, alphabetically in rows according to your grade. we practiced writing legibly and small. I don't With my last name beginning with a"B," I remember how many times I had to write "I will usually found myself sitting in front nearest the not whisper again." teacher's desk. The second grade sat in the row behind me, the third graders sat in the row
One of the teachers' favorite punishments was behind the second grade, and so on. In the first that you had to stand erect against a wall for grade it was important to learn the alphabet, to 15,20 or 30 minutes, holding both arms straight write keeping the letters on the line and to spell out horizontally from your body, usually being simple words like "cat," "rat," "dog," "see," "the" reminded to raise them up if your arms were and the like.The forms and shapes of the letters sagging a bit. Try it sometime. That is torture, were always in front of us above the blackboard. without using a whip. If I remember correctly, there were three different sizes of desks, all in the same room for the eight grades. CLASSES By classes I mean, in modern terms, subjects, Reading was the next accomplishment, and of not social standings. The Depression had a way course spelling and penmanship. Is that being of equalizing everybody. Everyone was poor in left out in today's modern teaching methods? material things, but we were rich in involvement You hear continually of high school graduates and helping one another. not being able to write legibly or pass simple reading tests. Why is it being advertised on the radio and television that you can buy for a couple hundred dollars 1M a tape teaching phonics? ItarnnBtn They promise that after using this tape for two or three weeks, you will be able to read and IPaVing «ati*farl«ril2 raai|il«lrt ll;r rrakiag ^rr»rrtV>» thr Stlatr llraaiag Cirrtr Haark («r Ikr .„^^^,e.^^rar i» write. What is being brrrkg jraalrt Ikia BipUmU aa rkiktara af taactbg rabrakar aak aa a lakra af Ike kalae af jaak laaira aak kakila in rraklng. Ckr rreikieal la railHrk la a aral la ke allaekek kerrla far rarh akailiaaal ^rar af teakinf kaae anker Ike taught in school? aaa^irea aak kailk Uie a|i|irakal af llfr Siaraaaia flaaag |]eafle*a Urakiaj Cirrle.
«ikea al •l)alaaaa, ^iaeaaala, Ibia eft' kag, af J^ae4e4ta^ WA=.f Arithmetic is what it was called in all the Aalbarile af \\t jj'latr Urafeiag
17 more digits. As grade levels progressed, the next school. Being in a one-room school exposed goal was the multiplication tables up to 12x12. to all eight grades definitely had its advantages. A student who mastered the times tables could Students in the lower grades couldn't help but instantly answer. These exercises were heard hear, on a daily basis, the discussions going on by all the students in school, not only the class between the teacher and the kids in the upper in front. By the time the third grader got to be grades. By the time you reached the upper a sixth grader, he or she had already heard the grades, you had already heard the lessons and exercises many times. instructions many times. It is more like review time and is much easier. There were other classes, such as language, history or geography. History included There were also "spell downs," where students memorizing the names and order of all the would line up standing against a wall alternately presidents and vice-presidents, the wars and spelling one word after another. A student would treaties, and other important dates affecting our remain standing until he or she would misspell country's history. Are these still being taught a word. The next student would then attempt today? Talking to some of today's students, they to spell that same word correctly to remain seem to have little knowledge of or appreciation standing. This would continue until only one for how our country grew and developed, or student remained standing. The teacher would what sacrifices were made to enable the United select a team of spellers from those he or she States of America to progress. thought were the best, and they would participate with several other area schools in a spell down. WRITING, PENMANSHIP The winning school would be the school that had the most kids standing the longest. AND SPELLING Penmanship was a subject that was stressed through the grades. ames Huntington I can remember that on the wall above the blackboard, in letters Heads Society SThe first and second grades are about eight inches high, the entire irry Bauman, Alma Leicher, Bllecting pictures for their social alphabet, both capital and small Qyde Burr and MHo Burr tudy booklets. Other Officers The seventh grade Geography letters, was written in script form. iss made a physical salt and flour The teacher would occasionally MORGAN SIDING—A literary so- ip of South America. All regions :y was again re-established in our ire colored. It served as a school furnish paper that was ruled with lool last Friday. Mr. Engel ex- !om decoration and as a good class double lines to accommodate writing led all the rules and regulations reject. the society to the pupils after Maps of the middle Atlagtic states words with both capital and small ich followed the election of the ive been completed by the fifth letters. We had to practice that lety officers. James Huntington, rade geography class. ire^dent; Harry Bauman, Vice-pres- (The 6fth and sixth grades are exercise time after time and were ,t; Alma Leicher secretary; Clyde aklng booklets on, "The lives 6t graded according to how well we rr treasurer and MUo Burr receiv- Men" for social studies class. the position of Sargeant at Arms A Bunco party and box social was could write. Every once in a while appointment. All pupils showed ren at our school last Friday eve- tag. A number of Mr. Engels someone would have beautiful great interest in having the society itablished. Friday November 8, tends of Pulcifer attended. Many flowing penmanship. They must have first regular meeting will be held, the home folks patronized the en- e all hope that it will be a success. rtainment. All reported having a taken penmanship seriously. You Several of the third and fourth ted time. also see the other kind where it is lers have been working on a long This is being constructed for difficult to read and decipher. third and fourth grade social udies class.
Spelling was another class at Morgan Shawano Leader-Advocate, November 14, 1929, p.S. District #3 and I suppose at every
18 to the grade level or alphabetically. MORGAN MORGAN I know that the more difficult
Geo. Richards was elected ovir new Hurrah for our school! We won the words came in the latter pages road boss. spelling contest at Shawano. Now of the book. We would practice The Red Spring club held a dance for Oshkosh April 20. at their club house on Tuesday even• Mrs. Howell was a Shawano caller for quite a few weeks. What a ing. Every one reports a gocd time. on Friday. sneaky way for getting us to learn! Mr. and Mrs. Ray LaRoys drove to Mrs. John Doxtator, who has been While all this was going on, all the Antigo on Wednesday in their new a patient at Benin's hospital in Green Durant Bay returned home on Saturday. lower grades in the one-room Mr. and Mrs. Henry Russell, of Marion Robinson, who has been school could absorb some of the Shawano visited Sunday at Mr. and gone all winter returned home Satur• Mrs. Bert Huntington. day. learning processes that were going Miss Virginia Housley and Mrs. Mr. Kellogg and Mr. Baker held a on also. By the time they reached Morgan and little Betty May did shop• council meeting or the Six Nation ping at Shawano on Saturday. club at the Morgan hall last Sunday the upper grades, it was much Mrs. Beilfeul, of Red Springs will afternoon. easier to learn. Large schools with be employed at the John Samp home Helen Schreiber visited friends at a few weeks. Leopolis on Sunday. separated classrooms may have Mr. Kellogge, of Seymour, was here Adolph Fink of Bonduel, visited some advantages, but in the process last week coUecJing dues for the Six friends here on Saturday evening. Nations. A number of friends gathered at they have lost these advantages of Bert Huntington has rented his the home of Mr. and Mrs. Abner Burr the one-room school. mother's farm and will move on this on Thursday evening to help Mrs. week. Burr celebrate her birthday. Cards Dont forget the dance April 20th were played—not saying who won. A at the Morgan hall. Good music. dainty lunch was served. HISTORY There will be an Easter dance at Miss Edna Schmidt, who teaches at I remember "History" at District Regina brought some of her spellers the Morgan hallfi Sunday, March 31. over last Friday to spell our school Music will be furnished by Rutte's #3 was just that. It seems that Harmony Kings. down but had to go back defeated. now they have different names Miss Allie Church winning again for our school. for classes or subjects. We were Shawano Leader-Advocate, taught about the discovery of March 28, 1929, p. I. Shawano Leader-Advocate, our country by a European, April 18, 1929, p. 12. Christopher Columbus, in 1492. Our country was named after a later discoverer from Italy, I must not have been one of the better spellers. Americus Vespucci. Ferdinand Magellan was the I still have trouble with "Does 'i' come before first man to sail around the world. We learned 'e' except when?" or "Should you use two Ts?" about the first Pilgrims who landed on these or "When do you use'lly' instead of'ley'?" etc, shores in 1620, and the first Thanksgiving Day etc. I remember we competed with the Hohn which was celebrated with the native Indians School and Elm Grove School kids. Can anyone by thanking God for their safe arrival on these remember where Elm Grove School was? It shores and a chance to raise some crops so was located on County Highway A, about Va mile they could survive the winter months ahead. west of the Camp 14 Road. I recall that Regina Although Thanksgiving Day is still celebrated, I School, another school we visited, was about wonder how much of the real meaning is left. two miles west of Bowler on County Trunk Highway D. It was exciting to get to travel to another school, even though it was for only a We learned about the Boston Tea Party, few miles. when colonists under British rule got fed up with paying tribute to the English monarchy, finally starting the Revolutionary War against The text book that was used was about a government much more powerful than the 6/2 X 8/2 inches with a dark tan cover. I fractionalized colonies. This unified the cause, don't recall the name. I believe it was used which led to the victory over the English throughout the county, perhaps the entire state. monarchy and finally to forming the basis of our I don't recall if words were arranged according
19 being taught these days "Reja Truth" and what will be taught about almost daily events that will be history in the future. A few students of the present time, with whom I have had limited contact, no longer call it "History." It is now "Social Studies" or "Economics."
GEOGRAPHY Compositions I remember we had to Property o£ learn the names and
Front and back covers of a Composition Book found among Harry's school memorabilia. locations of all the Courtesy of jeri Bauman. forty-eight states and the great country and its constitution, which has U.S. territories, along with been used as a model by all the freedom-loving the capital cities of each state. Anyone who countries of the world. could get them all correct would get a gold or silver star placed behind his or her name on a
We learned again about the practice of slavery, chart. We learned about the seven continents practiced by many of the eastern and southern and the oceans, the countries of the world and states of the union but opposed by those who their capitals. Many of the countries, because thought that the Revolutionary War was fought of the world wars, have changed names and so that ALL people had equal rights. boundaries and are still changing. It must be difficult to learn them now. History and Geography were very important. I hope they still are. The importance of the lessons our country should have learned from the most devastating war of our country, the Civil War, which nearly FAMOUS PEOPLE, INVENTORS divided our country, was a lesson taught in ANDTHEIR INVENTIONS our History classes. The terrible tragedies and Who can put together the names of the famous sacrifices that were made by the people of that people with their fame and the inventors with time were studied and remembered. Some of us their inventions? studied and memorized the greatest speech any Galileo Gutenberg^ president of our country ever made. President Fulton Pasteur Lincoln's Gettysburg Address. Whitney "Bell Howe Marconi History, for us, sort of ended at about the McCormIck Deere onset of World War I. Events really don't Westlnghouse Edison become history until after a generation or two Ford Firestone has passed.Things usually take on a different Wright Brothers DeLaval perspective as years pass. For example, how
World War I and the Great Depression both These are some of the great thinkers and led us into World War I I should be pretty inventors who have changed our lives and well analyzed by now. I am wondering what is 20 whose inventions affect our lives daily. Today's Russell, LyIe Russell, Vera Malone, Cynthia inventions and inventors, although equally Malone, Georgie Maxson, Dewey Miller, important, seem to be lost in the huge Gertrude Robinson, Barbara Huntington, James corporate enterprises where no single Individual Huntington, Rosie Huntington, Alphaleen is recognized or important. Morgan, Alfred Morgan, Jr., Claude Bowman, Eudora Bowman, Merill Little, Lucille Little, I wonder what is taught today. Times are moving Lenwood Kenote, GuidaTousey, Alice Quinney, so fast. Many items are obsolete before you get Ernie Quinney, Vernie Quinney, Ardis Quinney, to know how to use them. Kenneth Miller, Lorraine Miller, Carol Petersen, Selmer Peterson, Robert Elm, Dehlia Elm, Ira ROLL CALL Coyhis, Caleb Coyhis, Aught Coyhis, Ethel Coyhis, Margaret Welch, Merton Welch, "Porky" I know I shouldn't do this, but this tale wouldn't Welch, Earl Hill, Louise Little, Harold Fust, be complete unless I made the attempt to Cornell Copt, Zelda Gardner, Joseph Ninham. remember the names of all those kids who went to Morgan School District #3 when I did, from This list is to the best of the collective 1925 to 1933: memories I used for help in compiling it, which
Ralph Burr, Leona Burr, Berga Burr, Boyd Burr, included Hazel Bowman (nee Kessen), Leona June Burr, Gordon Burr, Jerry Burr, Jeanette Bowman (nee Burr), Edna Armstrong (nee Burr, Clyde Burr, Milo Burr, Joyce Burr, Amy Bauman), plus a few others. I am sure another Leicher, Alma Leicher, Anita Leicher, Fritz name or two will be remembered. What Is most Leicher, June Petrich, Joyce Petrich, Manny interesting are the names of those no longer Petrich, Sammy Brushel, Sugg Brushel, Waldeen with us. Flauger, Janice Flauger, Lucy Schroeder, Jeanette Petrich, Art Church, Allie Church, Laveda THE BOWERY Church, Irma Church, Dewey Church, Howard Remember the Bowery? It was located Stick, Owen Stick, Marjorie Stick, Zena across the road from the school where the Bowman, Bill Bowman, Oliver Samp, Earl Samp, Presbyterian Church now stands. It was an Ervin Samp, Evangeline Samp, Gladys Samp, octagon-shaped building owned by Mac Tousey Nancy Cuish, Elsworth Cuish, Delia Murphy, and had a hardwood maple floor, so it was used Catherine Murphy, Velma Murphy, Nora Murphy, occasionally for public dances. It was also used George Kessen, Hazel Kessen, Robert Kessen, as a gymnasium and at times for an indoor Jack LaBarge, Lyie LaBarge, Vivian Tousey, Betty playground. We had a basketball but no baskets. Morgan, Calvin Peters, Myrtle Peters, Dorothy I suppose the ceiling wasn't high enough, but we Howell, Tillie Reed, Eva Reed, Parisade Reed, would choose sides and play "keep-away." That Steve Reed, Ralph Schreiber, LyIe Schreiber, area, along with the church building, is now the Merton Schreiber, Walter Wilbur, Helen Wilbur, church's parking lot and cemetery. Jimmy Wilbur, Cecil Bowman, Audrey Bowman,
Pembrook Bowman, Edna Bauman, Harry On acreage across the road from the Lutheran Bauman, Eugene Huntington, Delbert Welch, Church, on land that is now occupied by Clyde Welch, Malcolm Davids, Norman Davids, the low rent housing units and parts of the Delores Pleshek, Joe Pleshek, Laverne Pleshek, Presbyterian Church parking lot and cemetery, Lorraine Hahn, Eldor Hahn, Ardis Hahn, Lydia was a regulation-sized baseball diamond, where Huntington, Harry Huntington, Annabelle the kids played baseball or softball. The Morgan Huntington, Morris Bowman, Clarence Siding B.A.B.A. baseball team used this as their Bowman, Giles Bowman, Mildred Russell, Irene home field also. Some of the players on the 21 Morgan team were Ray Leroy, Lewis Leroy, mill and other enterprises. I supposed that it Fred Leicher, Floyd Tousey, Brim Tousey, Earl was called "Morgan Siding" because of Ole's mill Quinney, Gordon Robinson, Ben Ninham, Morris and lumbering operation. "Buckshot" Ninham and Erwin Pleshek. I am sure there were others. They were a good Now I believe that is only part of the story. In team, giving us lots of excitement on Sunday the SHAWANO COUNTY CENTURAWANO, afternoons. printed in 1953 to celebrate Shawano County's one hundred years, 1853-1953, is an article on MORGAN SIDING the history of the Township of Red Springs. This article states that a Tom Morgan (no relation to In searching through the records of the Ole Morgan) was the first settler in the area. beginning of Morgan Siding as a lumber mill Later, in the booklet GRESHAM CENTENNIAL, town, I tried to find all the information I could 1908-1958, it states that Morgan Siding was about O.E."Ole" Morgan, who built and ran the named after "old Alfred Morgan," who was the first settler of the locality.
Regardless, I believe the "Morgan" part of the name came from one of the early settlers. The "Siding" part could not have appeared before the railroad came and there was a need for a siding to accommodate the shipments from Ole Morgan's lumber mill. So perhaps Morgan Siding is the correct name regardless of its origin.
"Mrs.Wilbur's Store." Photo courtesy of the Town of Red Springs.
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Morgan Siding in the 1920s looking west:August Hoefs'saloon in left Donaldson's store in 1996 shortly befoii foreground, then Mrs. Wilbur's store in the distance across the railroad the store was torn down. tracks; Ole Morgan's sawmill is on the right, then Bruettes'house and the Photo coutesy of Bill and Pat Burr. blacksmith's shop. Photo courtesy of Pete and Irene Schreiber.
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Map of Morgan Siding in the '20s and '30s. Created for this publication by Pete and Irene Schreiber. Additional information from Imogene Beilke's recollections.
1 Mill 14 John Bauman 27 Bill Huntington 40 Ed Cuish 2 Ole Morgan 15 Bill Day 28 C. Brown/J. Reed 41 George Church 3 Hoefs Saloon 16 Belle 29 Williams House 42 Webb Miller 4 Ed Reed Saloon 17 Philip Tousey 30 Al Morgan 43 ElmerWelch 5 Mac Tousey Saloon 18 Louis Hahn 31 Homer Kindness 44 J. Perish 6 L Howell 19 Martha Gibson 32 Blacksmith 45 Ernest Miller 7 E. Quinney 20 Glen Quinney 33 Art Bruette/Roy Miller 46 Mac Tousey 8 Ed Reed Residence 21 Wilbur Residence 34 Boarding House 47 J.Tousey 9 J. Howe 22 Anderson Ninham 35 School 48 F. Robinson 10 Jed Wilbur 23 Flora Robinson 36 Bowery 49 Nelson Gardner 11 E. Stick 24 John Burr 37 Jon Kessen 50 Pumper Car/Depot 12 E. Bowman 25 Joe Stone 38 Fred Murphy 51 Electa Gardner 13 Joe Pleshek 26 Al Hammer 39 Wilson Ninham 23 O.E. Morgan started the sawmill in Morgan in of acres of prime virgin timber lands to extend 1906. During that same year the Wisconsin and open the country of the State of Wisconsin. Northern Railroad Company built the railroad The grant of land to the Wisconsin Northern tracks through Gresham and Morgan and points led right through the middle of the Menominee north, such as Neopit, Holister and Crandon, and Stockbridge Indian Reservations. The all heavily Involved in supplying virgin timber and railroad was later known as the Soo Line logs to the growing metropolises to the south. Railroad Company, because its terminus The railroad,Wisconsin Northern, locally known extended to Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, the as the "Whiskey Northern," certainly had a large gateway to the Great Lakes and eventually the effect on Morgan Siding's development because of Atlantic Ocean via the St. Lawrence Seaway. the % mile side track they put in to accommodate Fortunately, this opened up the area to trade the carloads of lumber and lath that were with the entire world. I'm sure much of Morgan produced at the mill. Siding's products were shipped and used during World War I in Europe.
In the mid-1800s the U.S. Government granted to certain railroads and lumber barons millions O. E."OLE" MORGAN'S SAWMILL This story would be incomplete if the effect Ole had on Morgan and its settlers wasn't recalled. I have recollections of my own and I have looked to many other old-timers for their recollections. It has been a lot of fun talking with others, trying to jar their memories about the old days, especially those of the Depression times. Ole provided the livelihood for many of the Morgan Siding families. 'Whiskey Northern' The Wisconein and Northern Railroad want "Whiskev Northern-" it is now the SooLine through Gresham and was known as the Photo ctinrteay of Harry Nietzer, Gresham, I was told that Ole was a foster child of a Shawano Evening Leader, June 29, l984.The original family living in the Town of Belle Plaine between photo, probably taken by his photographer son, could not Shawano and Embarrass. He must have come be found among the late Harry Nietzer's photo collection. to the Gresham area on business and while there met and married Alma, the daughter of a well-known Gresham business man, August Schmidt and his wife Alma (nee Froemming).
August, along with a partner named Gustave Hohn, formed a partnership in Gresham known as Schmidt and Hohn, which was a retail business that also traded for furs with the Indians of the area. Alma Schmidt
O/e Morgan's crew outside the sawmill. Photo courtesy of Irene and Pete Schreiber and Lonnie Schreiber.
24 also had three brothers.Walter, Dewey and wife Alma had a pretty strong influence on what Marvin, and a sister Edna, who became a Ole did or did not do. school teacher and taught in many of the local area schools. The store and business stayed Ole and Alma settled on the same forty acres of in the Schmidt family for many years after it Section 29 where the Morgan District #3 School was no longer known as Schmidt and Hohn. I was established. Ole built a fine home for his can personally remember it as being Schmidt bride, and it still stands and is now occupied by Brothers Store (Walter and Dewey). Madeline Crowe. It was at that time the largest, most elegant built home in the area, surpassing, I The store burned down one blizzardy night, believe, even the finer homes in Gresham. It was I believe in 1926, after which the Schmidt also the headquarters of his operation, the office Brothers moved across the street in the area being located on the southeast corner of the first of what is now the Washerette in Gresham. A floor. I remember that a Miss Morton was his few years later, they put up a building across bookkeeper, but Alma was "Boss" of the house. the street that now houses the Whistle Stop. Sometime after that, Walter and Dewey As I stated earlier, Ole built the sawmill at dissolved the partnership, Dewey took on his Morgan in 1906 because of the railroad having son Jack as a partner, and the store became opened the area for commerce via the siding. known as Dewey Schmidt and Son. The store This made it an excellent opportunity to harvest continued pretty much in the same type of the plentiful supply of virgin timber products operation throughout the years — general that existed in the area of Red Springs and merchandise and trading. Upon Dewey's demise. Bartelme. The first recorded transaction that Jack operated the business alone, finally deciding I was able to find was a bill of sale from Elmer to close it down. The rest is recent history. and Martha Quinney in 1906, when he paid them $70 for all the basswood, elm, select maple and I don't know why I got into all this history of the birch, standing and growing on the SW % of the Schmidt family, which Ole married into, but his SE % of Section 19 in the Town of Red Springs.
Another view of Ole's sawmill with crew, horses and wagons posing. Photo courtesy of Pete and Irene Schreiber. 25 The price of the elm was $6 per thousand board on huge skidways. In the spring and early foot and the price of maple and birch $2.50 per summer, the crews worked at the mill, sawing m., allowing three years to be held with rights of the logs and piling the lumber to dry for final removal. This 40-acre parcel lies I % miles due finishing. Many of the crew spent numerous west of the mill location. hardworking hours with the horses, clearing land so that enough hay and grain could be raised to In the interim, there were many such feed the dozen or more teams of horses that transactions from various landowners, mostly were needed for the mill and logging operations. members of the Stockbridge Tribe, to Ole and to [Editor's note: This parcel of land was commonly other land and timber buyers as well. By 191 I, referred to as the "stone forty" and justly so because according to a 191 I SHAWANO COUNTY of the abundance of big rocks on the land. You only PLAT BOOK, O.E. Morgan owned three forties need to see the stone fences completely around the of timber land. This was, of course, the nucleus forty to understand what the author means.] for the mill operation in Morgan Siding. There was a complete crew in Ole's employment. Eventually, Ole Morgan owned practically all of John Samp, the blacksmith, could fashion the land in the Morgan area. There were many nearly anything you needed out of wrought homes built, mostly for members of his crew iron without a welder. His talents varied from and their families. Most of the crew worked for making cant-hooks to eveners, from clevises Ole all year. During the fall and winter months, and axe handles to shoeing horses, and included they worked in the woods as lumberjacks when making sleigh runners and rims for wooden- logs were cut and hauled to the mill and decked spoked wheels. I remember seeing butcher
Photo copied from the book GRESHAM CENTENNIAL, 1908-1958. Photographer unknown; no date. 26 the buyer's specifications. It was then loaded 1 O. E. MORGAN i into boxcars spotted at the siding for shipment Manufacturer of to places probably all over the world. This was Hard and Soft Wood Lumber all manual labor, a long time before the advent of CEDAR POSTS. POLES AND PILING PULP AND FUEL W(M)D hydraulic rams and forklifts.
Mill at Morsan Sidins P. <>. GRESHAM, WISCONSIN The machinery in the mill — the saws and carriages, the conveyors to move the sawdust, Advertisement in the 1921 SHAWANO COUNTY PLAT BOOK. the edgers and trimmers, the planer and side- knives made from part of a crosscut saw blade cutters — were all belt-driven from a main that would take an edge after honing like a power shaft which was driven by a reciprocating straight razor. All you had to do was give him steam engine whose main pully and flywheel was an idea of what it was you wanted. He could about eight feet in diameter. The steam engine hammer it out of wrought iron or tempered got its steam from a boiler fired with the slabs steel that he heated to a glowing red hot in the and bits of wood from the saw cuttings. Really a hand-cranked forge. He was a true artisan. I self-sufficient operation. still remember the clanging sounds of the anvil.
The starting time was 7:00 a.m. with a full noon John Kessen's specialty was being a saw filer. He hour which, I believe, was more for the horses kept the large circular log saw always sharp and than for the men. Quitting time was 5:00 p.m. making true cuts so as not to waste much of the These times were always signaled by a blast log. The trimming and edging saws needed his from the steam whistle which could be heard attention too. Crosscut saws, if not properly for miles around the area. Even the horses set, sharpened or gauged, could make quite a recognized the 5:00 whistle and always turned difference in how many logs a pair of sawyers towards the barn. could cut in a day. Kessen was known as one
of the best in the area for fixing saws. A good Speaking of horses, one of Ole's main teamsters lumberjack kept his own axe in shape, bringing it was Webb Miller. I believe he was the boss of to Kessen occasionally to be retouched on the the summer crew that worked the land, dug the hand-cranked grindstone. rocks and put them in the fence rows.
Mike Fischer, Sr., who lived in Cresham I was told, Fred Murphy, the "happy little Irishman," was was the head sawyer of the mill. He pumped a the barn boss, taking care of all the horses at handcar on the railroad tracks to and from work the barn located near Morgan's house. He was every day. His job was to ride the log carriage usually Santa Claus at the school Christmas back and forth all day long, setting the thickness programs also. of the slice taken off the log and getting the most mercantile lumber out of each log. I realize that I may have missed naming quite a few of the crew that worked for Ole Morgan in Eddie Cuish took the freshly sawed lumber, those days. Believe me, it is not intentional. which had been stacked on wagons, to the
lumberyard where it was sorted and piled so I was told that all the mill workers were that it could dry properly without warping. aware of the fire danger from smoking when After the lumber was adequately cured, it was working in and around the mill. Those that reloaded and taken to the planing mill where it used tobacco chewed. There were at least was sized, smoothed and grooved according to four different brands of chewing tobacco that
27 was packaged mostly in Vi pound packages Depression. Ole had other mill operations, but — Standard, Plowboy, Peerless and Eight the mill at Morgan Siding never started up again. Brothers. They were also available in smaller 4 ounce packages that would fit in your back MORGAN SIDING'S DESTINY pocket and also one pound tins. Some of the If there was a single event that affected the way men used "Horse and Shoe Plug" which was of life in Morgan Siding, it was the ending of the sweetened and pressed into a shape similar sawmill era. Remember, all those fine people who to a bar of soap. Anyway, with all the chewing depended almost entirely on working for Ole and spitting going on, the floors in the mill Morgan for their livelihood no longer had a job. must have been pretty shiny. The saloons, of course, had spittoons. In the early '30s, another event brought change] to Morgan Siding. The Eighteenth Amendment Early one morning, sometime in 1928, tragedy was repealed and the Prohibition Era of the struck. We noticed the brightly lighted sky '20s ended, so the sale of beer and liquor was to the west of us and soon discovered that again legal. The Morgan Siding vicinity during the planing mill was burning. This was before Prohibition time had at least five saloons, plus the days of sprinkler systems and fire trucks places where you could get your supply directly and even electricity. So in a short time the from the local moonshiners. Morgan Siding had planing mill burned down, with all the shavings the reputation of being more or less "sin city," and chips making it even more flammable. It although nothing really happened in Morgan is my recollection that several boxcars that that wasn't common in other communities of were in the process of being loaded on the - the county. siding burned up also. This was the death knell for Ole Morgan's operation at the siding. Remember, this was in the beginning of the
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^iaaA.r'gy^rff H i.Zl7ui,4 ^XtflLi..Ph mMmjAmyf^^ mhf >2^-^ nf (/ff . County of n fr7 «aaO Wiaconain, for tbe period endii^ Jmie JO. August Hoefs with a tamed be
: b subject to all leoolntiooe, ordinencen, lefoktiona aad pc m may be et any time impoaed by the local in front of his saloon. Photo badyar miy kwa of tbe State of Wkooneia, end k lobject to layocitioo m provided by lew. looks west toward Howell's sto Giyca luader my band and thaocrpoiate aaal of the •••^*»«A '30s or '40s. Photo courtesy o Pete and Irene Schreiber. Augt Hoefs was Pete's grandfathei Nettie Hoefs' /936 iicense to serve "fermented mo/t iyeverages"in her hushand's tavern where she tended har. Photo courtesy of Pete and irene Schreiher. Nettie was Pete's grandmother. I 28 Huntington family home, his family being much involved in what later became known as the Assembly of God. They built a fine edifice on the foundation of a building which formerly housed a hotel and a general store during the heyday of Morgan Siding. That building, which was located directly across the road from the Ole Morgan house, had burned to the ground. I don't remember the year, probably the late '20s. I believe at the time it burned it belonged to Ted Beyer, the family of Gabe Beyer, Mildred and Dan Ralph, Pete and LyIe Schreiber in the foreground, with Ed Beyer. The owners prior to the Beyers were Reed's saloon (second from right) across the street, then Bert and Annie Huntington, who also operated it the pumper car shed, and finally Ole Morgan's sawmill. as a hotel. Bert and Annie were grandparents to Photo courtesy of Pete and Irene Schreiber. Harry Huntington. But change was on its way. Whatever it was that caused the change is debatable, but The Orthodox Presbyterian Congregation had Morgan Siding did a 180 degree turnabout in its its beginning in about 1937-38, organizing from a supposed reputation. group of people, some of whom were members of the John Sargent Presbyterian Church at Red CHURCHES OF MORGAN SIDING Springs, near what is now the town hall. The In the very early'30s, the Lutheran Church, Harry Shepard family. Brim "John," Eunice and under the guidance of Rev. O.W.C. Boettcher, Elsie Tousey, and Irma Church were the nucleus who was the motivating force at the Lutheran forming the beginning of the new Congregation. Indian Mission of Emmanuel at Red Springs, They met for nearly eight years at what was started a mission endeavor at Morgan Siding. once the Mac Tousey saloon. Over those years They used the District #3 School for holding services on Sunday afternoons, which led to the formation of Our Savior's Lutheran Congregation. In 1932, Ole Morgan donated to the Congregation two acres of land adjacent to the District #3 School property. The present church was built and dedicated that same year and engaged the services of Louis J. Dau as its first pastor. The Congregation has flourished all these 60 plus years since. About the same point in time, or perhaps a little later, Mrs. Leatham, a revivalist, appeared in the community, probably invited or sponsored by a local group of people. She held services and rallies in what was the former saloon run by Confirmation class of 1933 with Pastor Louis Dau in front Mac Tousey. The followers of the group, being a of Our Savior's Lutheran Church in Morgan Siding. part of the Pentecostals, later met at the Harley Photo courtesy of Bill and Pat Burr. 29 This building was originally a bar owned by Tke OrtKoJox Preskyterian McMullenTousey.Then it was Huntington's Store. Then the Assembly of God Congregation used it Photo courtesy of the Town of Red Springs. MESSENGER they accumulated a building fund and Go! MARCH, 1952 Teach' purchased the old mission dormitory There was an audience of about 150 Church ngned rescdutioiu of protest a people in and around the schoolhouse on gainst the policies of the Presbyterian building from which they salvaged a the night of August 16, 1936, to hear Church, U.S.A., and sent it to the clerk good deal of building material. Finally, Mr. Perkins tell "Why I Am No Longer of the session, thereby withdrawing them• in the Presbyterian Church, U.S.A." selves from that denomination and form• in 1948, they put up the present Some of these people had been converted ing the nucleus of a new congregation from ungodliness because of Mr. Perkins' which was named THE OLD STOCK- building on land donated to them by BRIDGE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. preaching, as well as the faithful preach the Shorty "Pete" Peters family, who ing and pastoral work of Mr. Hillegas. The names of these people are Harry and The result of this gathering was the Meredith Shepard, Gordon and Ruth were and still are staunch members of announcement of a prayer meeting to be Shepard, John and Eunice Tousey, Elias held the next Wednesday night at one of Tousey, and Irma Church. The elder the church. The church building and elected was Harry Shepard. the homes and Sunday morning Sunday its property are located directly acros: School and cdiurch services at the same Mac Tousey had not joined the old schoolhouse. After school surted in Sep• church because he said that he would not the road from the old Morgan District tember we met in the Red Springs Town• join with a church that mistreated faithful, ship Hall for several Sundays. Then we servants of God. He took his first com• #3 schoolhouse. The church edifice is settled on the place of meeting already munion in a service conducted in the built almost exactly on the same spot referred to above. This "converted" saloon pUct where he used to have a bar along of Mac Tousey's was to serve us well for the wall. Others like Mr. and Mrs. Pete as was the former Bowery or dance about eight years as a place to conduct Peters, Mrs. Anna Williams, Vivian Tou• services and classes. sey and Shakir Malouf joined with him. hall that I mentioned earlier. It is On May 21, 1937, eight members of The latter was an old Syrian man who presently a beautiful building, well usec^ the John Sargeant Memorial Presbyterian was brought up in a Scottish Presbyterian Boarding School in the Lebanon Mount- and maintained, along with a cemetery^ for its members. Above text excerpted from " Our Indian Mission in Wisconsin," pp. 1-3. 30 MORGAN SIDING NOW It should be noted and observed that two things Influenced and changed life in Morgan Siding during the mid-1920s to the early '30s — the Depression Era and the repeal of the 18th, or Prohibition, Amendment, which had been the law of the land for about fifteen years. Morgan Siding became a town with at least five saloons where home brew and moonshine were readily available. They were even sold to people of the Menominee Tribe living on their reservation just a few miles to the north, although a federal law made it illegal to sell to or serve intoxicants to Christian Congregations within an area of % mile. Immediately after the repeal of Prohibition, four of the five saloons closed their doors. The fifth saloon, later called a tavern, was active for a few years, changing hands several times, finally succumbing to a fire and never being rebuilt, probably for lack of business. In the prior years, the entire Township of Red Springs, in which Morgan Siding is located, supported at least another half-dozen saloons or outlets for moonshine. The paradox or the amazing thing that has happened is that today there are at least six active Christian Congregations in the Stockbridge area. The only tavern license is held by a seasonal operation, the golf course. What caused the change? Cod moves in mysterious ways! 31 FAMILY PHOTO ALBUM 32 HARRY AFTER Harry upon graduating from f^^^^y 23 in the backyard of the family home. Oshkosh High School in 1938. 33 A FAMILYWAS CREATED their first child. Deanna. John, Mary and Deanna among the hay in 1950. 34 THE FARM CHANGED 4^ Harry on the tractor and hired man Louie Bump in the early or mid-1940s. Harry and Pete Schreiber by Harry's threshing machine which he stored at Hoefs' farm. Photo courtesy of Pete and Irene Schreiber. And here are those Bauman Holsteins pasturing contentedly on the farm in the '50s. John Bauman and sons Fred and Harry Harry and helpers Eldor Hahn (next to Harry), installed this type of windmill called the brother Fred (pointing) and unidentified man "Challenger" throughout the Shawano using the thresher in the 1950s. County area. This is the one on the Bauman farm, pictured in 1982. 35 ONE GENERATION LED TO ANOTHER... Grades S-8, Morgan School, with teacher Leo Maxson in 1937; Dean's sister, Mary June Ninham, is in the last desk of the row on the far left. Photo courtesy of Anita Hashbarger, Maxson's niece. Deanna Bauman, third from the left in the top row, with her classmates and teacher in front of Morgan School in 1948. 36 ...AT MORGAN SCHOOL Morgan School's "Big Room"; daughter Deanna is second from front in the row to far right; son John is third from front in the row to the far left; 1953. Morgan School's "Little (or Lower) Room"; daughter Mary is first in the second row from the right; 1955. 37 ANDTHE MILESTONES WERE OBSERVED AT FAMILY CELEBRATIONS z? ^1 *f \ m Bauman family in 1980: Harry, Deanna, John, Mary, Jeri, Dean, Judy and Carol. Harry and Dean in 1981. m A I Dean and Harry at their SOth wedding anniversary •mm in l990.The gift of a bike commemorated Harry's Who is this REALLY, celebrating Dean and Harry's SOth courting of Dean on his bike. in their original wedding garments? (Could it be grandson Keith "Skeeter" Raasch and granddaughter Emily Lindner?) 38 EDITOR'S AFTERWORD Upon graduating from the eighth grade at Morgan Siding, Harry, my father, attended Gresham High School which was at that time a two-year high school. He then went to live with his older sister Laura Christensen in Oshkosh,Wisconsin, and graduated from Oshkosh High School in 1938. After graduation Harry apprenticed as an electrician under Laura's husband, Harry Christensen. I My father returned to the farm in Morgan Siding and married my mother, Ceraldine (Dean) Ninham on February 11,1940. They had six children, Deanna, John, Mary, Carol, Jeri and Judy. Dad's interest in 1^ being an electrician led him to form Bauman Electric. jeri and her Dad in about /965. Dad continued farming until 1967 when he sold the Photo courtesy of Jeri Bauman. cows and purchased the lot where the old jailhouse on Main Street, mid-town Cresham, stood. He demolished the jailhouse and built Cresham's first laundromat. We still have a stack of bricks from the old jailhouse at the farm. Throughout his life. Dad served the local community in many capacities. He was the assessor, clerk, chairman and supervisor for the Town of Red Springs. He served 26 years on the Shawano County Board with 12 years as Its chairman. He served on a number of boards and committees, including the Shawano County Hospital Board, Shawano Community Programs Board and the Shawano Library Committee. Dad concluded his political career in 1990, when he did not seek re-election. However, he continued as a citizen's watchdog, debating and presenting his political views through letters to the ^ ^ r. editor, published in the local George Gri//, who resigned as Shawano County Board Chairman Tuesday, stands to yield his chair newspaper, the SHAWANO to the new/y-e/ected chairman, Harry Bauman, left. EVENING LEADER. Shawano Evening Leader, October S, 1977, p. I. 39 Continuously being Page 4 SHAWANO LEADER Thursday, June 2, 1994 active within the community, Dad served as treasurer The Shawano Leader Serving the Shawano area for 113 years of the Stockbridge- Munsee Elderly Steering Stephen P. Staloch, Publisher: . Guy Huffman, Advertising Director; Bartjara Jansen, Controller Committee and the Rod Christtnscn, Production Manager; Jeff McCoid, Circulation Manager Cresham Cooperative Denis Downey, Employee cf the Month Board of Directors. He was also a member and served in many offices, Bauman dedicated including president, of the Cresham Lions politician, citizen Club and served as Shawano County lost a dedicated public servant and branch chairman and citizen this week. Former county board - secretary for the AAL chairman and Town of Red _ ^. . (nowThrivent Financial) Springs official Harry Bau- EdltOnal Branch #2359. man passed away Tuesday — at the age of 74. Bauman, who was a veteran county board member before deciding not to seek re-election in 1990, remained Both of my parents politically active in recent years. were active members of Harry's views often appeared on this newspaper's edi• Zion Lutheran Church, torial page after his political citeer ended. He may have been viewed, by some, as a thorn in the side of county Cresham, and Dad leaders who followed him. had served as council Harry raised many questions in our public forum on county spending, including the need for a larger jail. president, secretary, elder But if you agreed with him or not, Harry still played a and trustee. Both parents vital role after he stepped down from the board. also sang in the church Public debate in a democracy is healthy. And Harry was always ready and able to debate the direction county choir. government was headed in. Farewell Hairy! You'll be missed. Dad grew up surviving the Creat Depression. I guess you could say he was a collector and a saver of everything. For example, my Mom would attempt to throw out small appliances that no longer worked, such as toasters or coffee makers, only to discover them later either in the basement or the garage. It was Dad's opinion that someday he might need a part. Thus, Mom learned that if she wanted to get rid of anything she gave it to Mary to throw out. I must admit that Dad's saving and collecting has saved me from the cost of a major repair a time or two. As evidenced herein. Dad was a writer. Upon his passing in 1994 and my mother's in 2004, we, the family, have discovered numerous letters and articles he authored. Along with writing, anyone who knew Dad knew he 40 had a great sense of humor. Dad would emcee banquet events and at these events he would read "telegrams" that he wrote. These telegrams would express regrets of the sender in not attending the banquet and would be from famous people, past or present, such as the Queen of England, President Johnson, or President Abraham Lincoln. My father died on May 31,1994, at the age of 74. I believe he wrote the original manuscript, in long hand on the unused side of paper he saved, in 1993. He later typed it, using the "hunt and peck" method of keyboarding. I made him a few photocopies of the typewritten manuscript and he gave a copy to a few local residents, including Bill Terrio, who had expressed a desire to assist Dad with publishing the manuscript. After his passing, I found the manuscript and edited it to share with my brother and sisters. I never thought it would actually be published and have to thank Dorothy Davids and Ruth Gudinas for making it a reality. Also, a special thanks to my sister Mary and her daughter Missy who spent a lot of time gathering the photos for this book. It's Impossible to guess Dad's reasons for writing this book.Was it to share with others his experience, to help jog memories of those that also attended a one-room schoolhouse, to make one think that maybe we should go back to the one-room schoolhouse, or for pure enjoyment for both the author and, ultimately, the reader? I'll never know the answer. I do know that It has been fun for me. I don't think I can say it any better than my daughter, Emily (nee Lindner) Pleshek did in a high school English essay about her Grandpa: My grandfather grew up poor and worked hard to earn the money he had, but he was proud. He was willing to speak his mind and was knowledgeable in what he was talking about He was a great man, but it didn't take great expensive things to make him happy because he enjoyed the simple life. I'm proud that he was my grandpa and i hope one day to make him proud. Jeri L. Bauman, Editor Emily with her grandpa in about 1980. Photo courtesy of jeri Bauman. Summer, 2006 41 j> perpetuate our pleasant school day memo- es th^s token is t>re»ented to you *iih the k.ndest 4r^ regards from your TEACHER y "Live to learn and you will learn to live.'* tjQod instruction is better than riches" "Advance in learning as you advance in life." MORGAN SCHOOL District No. 3 "Kindness is the noblest Town of Red Springs weapon to conquer with." Shawano County, Wiseonsia June 3, 1927 "Education is the chief defense MARY LOUISE McCLEAN. Teacher of nations." PUPILS 'A^uire not only learning but Eighth Grade Lucy Schroeder Georgie Maxson the habit of leamir^." Robert Miller Sixth Grade Gertrude Robinson Lenwood Kanote Edna Baunaann Arthur Church Third Grade Alice Quinney Doloris Pleshek Alma Leicher James Huntington Barbra Huntington Delia Murphy Cornell Copt Carrol Peterson Zelda Gardner Malcolm Davids Norman Davids Second Grade Milo Burr Anita Leicher Dorothy Howell Oliver Samp Erma Church Ralph Burr Vivian Tousey Harry Baumann Hazel Kesson Clyde Burr Leona Burr Joyce Burr First Grade Vernie Quinney Selmer Peterson Catharine Murphy Rose Huntington Ralph Schreiber Claude Bowman Howard Stick Eugene Huntington Lydia Huntington Earl Samp SCHOOL BOARD Mrs. Auguet Hoefs, Clerk L. D. Howell, Director B E. Huntington, Treasurer 42 U/JbutM^ Bd^^^ cAuk^xui^^ od~~l£^ (LzLc^4A^ ^ ^ iX^ Mf^ dl^ &k£M « aMJr^^jk^ »ydi Cvh»u Z>%wf^ /fcf-rdu ii^tS^ mm ^oio 'ddjtd^ d QAvMd _ , ^fi;. kAH4 A^T# mJT ^J£mji^f^t ^'ll^^mA ^Ji^ ISBN 0-935790-08-X $12.00