School: Forman - All That Remains are Memories (1982)

Contact: Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon
E-mail: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org 

Surnames: Free, Tyler, Beckler, Gresin, Bass-Boss, Potter, Baker, Adams, Mills, Snyder, Phelps, Tiller, Wendt, Hawley, Rhea, Schafer, Rowe, Bardell, Buettner, Norman, Aberholtzer

----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark Co., WI) 10/14/1982

All that Remains of Forman School Are Memories (1982)

By Florence Garbush

The old records of the Forman School, serving families in the Towns of Weston and York, will always hold secrets since there was a rule that when the bills were paid, the orders were to be destroyed. Left for the records are only rows of numbers. There also was no consistency in paying the teacher. That was back in 1885 when the total amount of revenue was $411.14, and expenditures were at $259. The year before they had taken in $322.26 and had a balance on hand of $105.19 when the year was over.

By 1886, there was more pattern to the orders paid out, but nothing was said as to what. One can just assume the teacher received $26 per month from October to July. Nothing was itemized until 1889 when as assessment on Insurance came to the whole sum of 61 cents. That must have been the first payment as the next year that amount was paid twice. By 1896 various people were buying books from the district—priced from ten cents to nearly $3.

In 1896, a new door latch cost fifteen cents and the broom was a quarter. That apparently was more important to itemize than the teacher’s salary. The latch must not have been too good as the next year, the district got a “dore” latch for thirty-five cents. A broom, wash dish and dipper totaled 38 cents.

Clara Free came along to teach in 1899 and received $24 per month from January to June 24. The district also paid out $1.50 to “clean house.”

In 1899 school started in September and the same teacher received a raise--$26.00 per month. About that time, a well was dug for around $100; another $21.35 was spent for a pump.

Times must have tightened for the 1900-01 session as the teacher received $22 per month.

The fall of 1901 was a time to clean the well—that is take out the sand as some of the old-timers recall. Mabel Tyler became the teacher for the sum of $30 per month. Two years later Besse Beckler received $28 per month. Things must have gotten out of hand as Clara Gresin came in January 1904 to teach for $35 per month but Lida Bass-Boss finished out May and June for $30. She stayed around through 1905 when Marie Potter came for the same salary. The district was getting “up in money’ when it took $458.28 for the year.

You can only wonder how the district divided a newly purchased desk. The school district paid $13, and the teacher paid $9.50 in 1907 purchase. It was Miss Nellie Baker and she received $90 in the fall and $160 in June for the remainder of the year.

Sadie Adams came to teach in 1903, but Claud Mills finished out the year from March to July. The fall of 1909 brought up a problem for the clerk, according to the orders. The teacher was “Floyde” Snyder; “Floide” Snyder and then became “Floyd” Snyder at the rate of $40 per month. About that time a cord of wood came to $14.50. In 1911 Claud Mills came back to teach.

New School

A big event was when a new school was built in 1913. The digging of the basement to the laying of the brick and oiling the floor came to the total of $1,323,15. The old schoolhouse was sold for $12.

They loved the new school and a group donated money to buy an organ. Several others citizens went together to buy a bell, which is now located at a camp in Hatfield.

Citizens paid out $46 for “seiling” in 1915—one can hardly tell whether they were sealing something or putting a ceiling in the schoolhouse, but they did paint the ceiling for $3.00 later that year. Another big improvement came in 1917 when they bought a “Lenox” furnace for $279.97. By that time Ora Phelps was teaching for $55 per month. Lynn Fire Insurance carried a policy for $2.80. That was in the World War I period and the district paid out $7.50 for the Children’s Red Cross tuition. Gerda Tiller was getting $65 per month and a new broom cost a dollar. Then in 1919 Claude Mills came back to teach for $75 per month.

They prettied up the school room by paying $3 for “calsomining.” It didn’t say what color. In the 1920-1921 term they built a porch with lumber and mason work. Claude Mills was getting $125 per month then and they were having some kind of “hot lunch” at school.

There was a “Social” of some kind back in the period, raising money which seemed to have gone into the general treasury. The money was raised with pie socials, basket socials, a play and a dance. Some of the money paid for the Red Cross dues and candy and nuts for Christmas. Montgomery Ward received $15.25 for a stove (for hot lunch?) and a flag with the cost at $1.41, “Coco,” sugar and Postum cost $1.15, and the dishpans, kettles, spoons and cups cost $14.45. The social funds also bought a map for the school.

Expenses Grow

The years of 1921 and 1922 must have been a good time as the expenses for the year, came to $1,483.16. Many books were purchased with company names still in business today, like Ginn and Co., D.C. Heath, Webb Publishing, Eau Claire Book and Stationery and others, Claude Mills was back again with a salary this time of $109.25. There have been a few memories of incidents when a former hand was needed, and he could provide that.

When Laura Wendt came to teach in 1922, her salary dropped to $95. By that time they had added tornado insurance to the expense account.

The social money brought some of the finer things of life for the district. Purchased was a Victrola and records for $30.25. Marjorie Hawley took a round of teaching for $96; in later years she became a supervising teacher for the county.

In May of 1924, the district paid Elsie Rhea $6 for fumigating the schoolhouse, but the records didn’t say why. Someone had scarlet fever in 1926, and the district paid out $3 to clean the schoolhouse. Then in 1928 the school was paying for “caring water” as the pump must have needed repairs. Several items later they were “carrying’ water. By the end of May, a new casing was purchased, and the well was cleaned.

Depression Years

When hard times came in 1929, a man named Everett Schafer received 50 cents for piling 20 cords of wood. Buford Rowe, Wilbur Bardell and Russell Buettner also received that amount for piling 20 cords of wood. The teacher, Ward Norman, was getting $104.50 per month. That fall C. B. Aberholtzer received $110 per month. The Marshfield-Herald subscription was $1. The social money was an important item to bringing up the funds for the treasury.

That was a far cry from the present day, but the effort made for a tightly knit community. They were proud of their school, and it meant much to have the organ, the Victrola, etc.

Nothing remains of the old Forman School, Joint District No. 2 Weston and York, but a few fond memories, a picture or two and a dusty record book.