Mayville High School - Rocket Yearbook (Mayville, WI)

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OUR SCHOOLS. OUR SCHOOL'S HISTORY. The educational history of Mayville had it's origin as far back as 1845, three year before Wisconsin was placed upon the 1'oll-call of the states. The early settlers had been here less than a year when they made their first preparations for a school, knowing that an education was the best estate they could leave to their children. In the winter of 1847 the first session of school was held. There was no school-house, but the home of one of the citizens was used for the purpose. The fol- lowing spring saw a small school-house under construction at the present cite of the Chas. Ruedebusch Co's. store. '

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SCHOOL BOARD. O ALVIN !DREGER, Clerk K C. W. DOCTER, Director H. H. RUEDEBUSCH, Treasurer

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In the year 1848 Wisconsin assumed new responsibilities as a state. At the same time the schools of Mayville underwent a change, passing from a more primitive form to one which was at that time considered modern. The Foster brothers at that time donated to the city a tract of land which is now known as Foster Park, for the purpose of building a school-house there. As a result a structure was erected, consist- ing of four rooms, and being two stories in height. The new building enabled new studies to be established, and also more teachers were hired. Three new departments were established, and with them came the studies of History and Geometry. tit is often wondered at if the fathers of the school knew what an unpopular study they were introducing in the latter. After the Civil War, the foreigners came to this city in great numbers. The class of immigrants now coming to this section were mostly Germans, a thrifty and in- dustrious class of people who, almost immediately upon their arrival, took a deep and active interest in the affairs of the school. Due to the increase in the population, a still larger school was demanded, and in 1857 a new addition was made to the old structure which gave it the present re- semblance to a court-house. The same bell which called the children of the early sett- lers to school, calls the scholars of to-day to their studies. The bell bears the name of the donors and the date of it's donation as follows: F. Sherin, 1857. In 1880 the present High School was established with a three-year course. The first principal was J. M. Turner. His sussessors were as follows: Horace Gibson, J. H. Martin, L. S. Keeley, M. A. Bussewitr, and Mr. Keeley again, who is the present prin- cipal. The advancement of the Mayville schools has been one of great rapidity, the following studies have been added to the course of study: Music, Drawing, Domestic Science, and last of all, a Teacher's Training Course. Graduates of this school can be found among the best peoples of the nation, and only the best people shall our school continue to give to the country and to hu- manity. -