Luther L Wright High School - Hematite Yearbook (Ironwood, MI)

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HISTORICAL SKETCH CHOOL district No. I of the township of Ironwood, then in Ontonagon County, was organized in the winter of 1885-86. The first district meeting was held at the Webb House, now the Walker House. Nels Vroman, D. Roach, and Patrick Dornan were elected trustees. The meeting determined upon the erection of a school building, voted to issue bonds and made the necessary contracts. The building on West Vaughn Street, which used to be occupied as the Salvation Army barracks, was the first school building erected in the township of Ironwood. Toward the last of March, 1886, Miss Gertrude Fitzsimmons, now Mrs. O. E. Karste, began to teach school in the new building, thus founding the educational system of Ironwood. The building which then stood on the south side of Vaughn Street was unfinished. It was lathed, but not plastered. There was neither platform nor steps; the pupils and teachers climbed into the front door of the building by the aid of an inverted barrel. There were no sidewalks, and no apparent street. Miss Fitzsimmons only succeeded in getting to the school house dry, shod through the swamp which then occupied the present business part of Ironwood, by jumping from one stump to another. There were about forty pupils present, among them being Miss Margaret Hartigan, now Mrs. Bush, of the class of 94; but they had no books, and neither did they have any for about a month. A few second-hand books of various kinds were gathered together by diligent search and inquiry among the early settlers, but the books were few and poor. Still, by changing them about from hand to hand, quite a considerable work was accomplished. Miss Fitzsimmons taught until the following June. During the summer the town grew rapidly, and in the fall of 1886 Mr. O. H. Carus, a graduate of the Michigan State Normal School, was chosen as principal, with Miss Ella Atkinson and Miss Margaret McVichie as assistants. The wonderful growth of the town during the winter of ’86 and spring of ’87, made the little building on Vaughn street entirely insufficient, and it was proposed to erect a new building. At the annual meeting of 1887, Messrs. W. L. Pierce, J. H. D. Stevens, Capt. Dan Sullivan, Andrew' Johnson, and E. B. Williams were elected as trustees. At this meeting held July I I, 1887, the proposition to bond the district for $15,000 for building purposes was carriedr hd a new building ordered. I was engaged as superintendent in July, 1887, and came to Ironwood in August of that year. The Central School building was erected on its present site, and finished ready for occupancy in September, I 888. So little did the then inhabitants of Ironwood appreciate the great natural resources of Iron-wood, that the board was severely criticised for erectng so large a building, many thinking that it would never all be used. In the winter of 1887-88, the Jessieville School was built and occupied. The annual meeting of 1 890 voted to build three new school buildings, now known as the Ashland, Norrie, and North Schools was built and occupied. The annual meeting of 1892 voted to build the buildings, now known as the Newport and Froebel Schools. Since that time the Aurora School was erected, about 1898. The Luther L. Wright School was completed in 1900, and since that time we have built the Domestic Science School, the New North School, the Manual Training School, and the new North Pabst School. In the twenty years which have elapsed since September, 1887, the Ironwood public schools have grown from ten teachers with six hundred pupils to eighty teachers with 2,900 pupils. From this time on the history of the school of Ironwood must be more or less of a personal narrative, and I hope the reader will pardon me if I speak in the first person. When I came to Ironwood twenty-four years ago, on the first Monday of September, 1887, six hundred children presented themselves for admission. We had one frame building with a room down stairs that would accomodate forty-five pupils, and one upstairs reached by a ladder-like outside stair-case, which, with crowding, would hold as 20

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FIRST SCHOOL HOUSE IN IRONWOOD 19

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many more. What to do with the five hundred ten was something of a problem. Buildings were few and rents were almost prohibitive. We succeeded in getting Mullen s hall opposite the Curry Hotel on Aurora street, in which we put two hundred fifty pupils and four teachers, one school in each corner. We rented a church, a saloon, a vacted gambling room, a store, and in various ways managed to take care of all, after a sort. The next year the Central School was finished. We established a high school, the sessions were held in a small room on the second floor of that building. There were thirty-five pupils, and I taught them all. There were no artificial distinctions in society; no cliques; no graduations. Everyone was just as good as anyone else, and was so recognized. It is true that a sheriff from an adjoining state came and took away one of our most prominent citizens to serve an unexpired term in the state prison, but little things like that did not disturb us. This school district has been most fortunate in its officers. They have been progressive, able, and honest, and as a rule school affairs have been conducted with economy, integrity, and prudence. The community has always been most loyal to the schools. It is my ideal of a school community. It has always loyally and liberally supported the schools. It has been an ideal community in which to live. The country is rough and tugged, the face of nature is scarred and seamed by gaps, and cuts, and caves; but I love its ruggedness and its hills; its summer climate which is not surpassed in the world. It has nearby natural scenery which is unsurpassed. I love the rugged and warm hearted people who partake of the character of the country and its climate. My friends and neighbors are in Ironwood, my home is there, and my heart will always turn to the Lake Superior country as my home and abiding place. I take the greatest pride in the alumni of this school; they are, I believe, without exception, good men and women of high ideals; men and women of character, ability, strength; honored citizens in their various communities, and so far as I know, everyone of them is a credit to his school and town. Many of them fill honorable and prominent positions in life. The first class graduated in 1890, and the school has had 254 graduates. Some of their occupations are as follows: Those actively engaged in teaching at the present date number thirty; engineers, fifteen; doctors of medicine, five; lawyers, six; there is one clergyman; one mining superintendent; and one newspaper reporter. In 1893 there was no graduating class because the course of study was changed from a three year to a four year course. The members of the class of I 892 were all boys, but one. The members of the class of I 894 were all girls. In the total list of alumni for twenty years there have been 9 deaths. I have been associated during this term of years with a great number of teachers, as a rule of the highest order of personality, ability, and high purpose. Four of them have died in service, viz: Mary Nichol, who was the first assistant in the high school; Edith Mott, the first kindergarten teacher employed; Sophia Bray, kindergarten assistant; Flora Richards, all noble speciments of womanhood. Many others are now residents of the community, and in most cases the real and responsible head of the family. Yours very truly, L. L. Wright. 21