Madison Central High School - Tychoberahn Yearbook (Madison, WI)

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In 1873 a new high school was built on this same site at a cost of $20,000. Of the fourteen members of the graduating class of 1874, eight went to the University. In 1914 about one hundred out of one hundred sixty-seven graduates continued in the “U’ It was not until 1906 that our present $250,000 building was erected. Our high school today has twenty-nine class rooms, an auditorium seating 900, a large gymnasium, and a fine library. It consists of fourteen departments, fully equipped, together with a corps of fifty-eight teachers, and an enrollment of one thousand forty-nine pupils. It is one of the finest schools in the west; we certainly have reason to be proud of our Old High. PAGE TEN

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Om Hagfia School -P sft amd Present In 1838 a brush” building of rough oak shakes, about twenty by eighteen feet, was erected in Madison for the purpose of Education. 1 his building was put up at the cost of $70 raised by popular subscription from the parents of the fifteen pupils. Miss Brayton, the school-marm. was paid two dollars per week, of which she paid one dollar for her board. The rest was to be used for minor purposes. It was at this time that a group of Winnebago Indians in jocular mood formed a circle around the school one morning, and, |x unding on tin kettles, so horribly frightened the students that, after the Indians had gone, school was dismissed for the rest of the day. The benches of the school were split logs, slightly leveled, and placed on j egs for legs. Around the wall ran the shelf-like desks. When writing, the pupils turned their backs to the teacher; and when they had to recite, they gracefully lifted their legs over the benches, and faced about. When the school became crowded, the hollow square in the center of the room was filled with benches, and the writing at the desks was done on the installment plan. In 1844 there were only 215 people in Madison, and such a thing as a high school was unheard of. The teachers were not professionals, and were expected to teach only the three R s. Some time later a Select School for Misses” was established in the Capitol Square in a rude shack formerly used for a tool shed. Here somewhat advanced studies were offered at the rate of three dollars per quarter. In 1847 the Madison Female Academy was built at the cost of $3,000 on the site where our high of today stands. By 1858 this had become a general high school. It was at this time that the principal complained that 50 per cent, of the absences were caused by delay in building sidewalks to the school. . PAGE NINE

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PAGE ELEVEN Our Faculty