Ripon College - Crimson Yearbook (Ripon, WI)

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tang am-. dfiifilfhe E024 Cazmsomla as it 1 4 I Home af F0uricriiz's Here for six years, happy in the enthusiastic faith that they were toiling for the welfare of the race, This body of men, women, and children worked and planned, and watched their ideals grow into realizations. And though in this projeet as in every other, enthusiasm came gradually to wear off, fortunately the wisdom of guiding minds directed the company into paths of prosperity and good citizenship. One of the leaders otf the connnunistie society expressed The gist of the history ot this experimental period when he said: Socially it was a. failure, but financially it was a great success. The Phalanx was composed of good souls whose ideals during the experimen- tal period were of the highest, and who after The dissolution came, remained ,in the township to aidxin uplifting The community and in carrying on the projects which have made Ripon what iT is now. 'l'hese guiding lights were noble men and women, upon whose work the superstructure of Ripon now stands, better and stronger beeause of The worl: that they did here over seventy-eight years ago. lt was in 1845 that the ill itfate of the utopian connnunity was decided. David P. Mapes, a robust man, itull of vigor of thought, and as versatile as he was robust, settled in the township which the Phalanx had named Cereseo. Mapes saw the possibilities ol' water power and consequent manufacturing in the many unsettled acres on the hillside just east ot the settlement. There the destroyer of peaee, as the Phalanx ealled him. built a home for himself and tilled The soil all about him, to the best advantage. Strite arose between the social experimenters and the genius Mapes. tor The possession of this traet of land which the latter was now occupying. with a resulting agreement between the pioneers and the owner ot the tract, Governor Horner, of Green Bay, where- by at town of large proportions was to be started. Accordingly, in the same year preparations for a new township were begun. Immediately the Phalanx planned w-225. pm rm 1 mtg, Q a Page 70

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uw? fr 'Ulla 1024 WZ Q.Hic -H 5 i New Ripon -U is l From Ceresco to Ripon if, HY Ceresco, Wisconsin, should have been chosen by a, pioneer band as a AI place conducive to eonnnunistic interests. nature richly explains. Here 2 was fertile land entirely unclaimed and inviting cultivation, ,with a beautiful stream tlowing down through a valley. and hillsides covered with valuable tim- it-I ber, basswood. oak, pine, and maple. Such was the region which the Wisconsin Phalanx selected as the place where the principles olf Carles lfourier might be worked out ideally and practically, to the advantage olf the race and themselves. t The eonnnnnity they named Ceresco. in honor ol' Ceres, the classical M, goddess of harvest. adding co.'l the ahl.n'ex'iation ol' company ' ' fl Here during the years IS-L2 to 18-lb. experiments were attempted, based upon the principles enunciated by ' Fourier, and seeking to demonstrate t that an ideal society can exist and L - 9 grow and come at last to ameliorate y N social conditions. By-laws against l p iinniorality and vice sought to eradi- it cate all social evils from the connnu- ffl nity, All business affairs were placed lil in the hands of a council. Thus the individual was lost sight of except as a ineniber of one great 'liilllllly which is . . . if iiorined the social unit. . . pg' ln a, practical sense, however. this Phalanx 'Formed what we would terin a cooperative iiarni, a scheme well pi K adapted to the conditions ot pioneer - . , , . . lx lite. A group oil: people living to- t gether? thinking together, and work- a better living, better schools 'for their lj children, better advantages for social f intercourse, -and less privation. than could have been possible for isolated i pioneers coining upon an- unbroken lg frontier such as existed in the vicinity 1' of Ceresco- Silfvnr Crack iw! l l W it i i i-- all i -i U31 me is im is was g Awsfcffcfecifiiis Page 9 J, l ing together could do inuch to obtain l

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crm: 1131 T crf'iS'f1e 1024 CRIMSEATIUQT T T mn 11221. a rival town, and as never before, a eonliict arose between the old and the new towns. Gradually and happily, however, the new town, called Ripon, outdis- taneed Ccreseo, and when the post olnce was moved from Ceresco to Ripon the old connnunity appeared entirely exterininated. Then in 1858, Ueresco merged into and became a part of Ripon, and a charter was obtained lfroni the state for the city of Ripon to exist as a niunicipal corporation. The name, Cereseo, remains, however, to designate that part ot the city which lies in the valley. The Founding and Growth of Ripon College N the year 1851, two years after the construction ot the first building in what is now the city of Ripon, work was begun on the institution out olfwhich Ripon College has since grown. Money was extremely scarce for carrying out this project of providing the new town with the opportunities jlfor higher educa- tion, and only the pioneer spirit of good will which the supporters of the eiifort evinced kept the construction work progressing. Such was the urgent need for funds at one stage, that Captain P. Mapes, leader ol? the enterprise, gave outright his gold watch to advance the work. ln recognition of a financial subscription by William S. Brockway at a time when lack of inoney threatened a long delay in building, the institution was named Brockway College in his honor. Three years later, by act ot the legisla- ture, the nanie was changed to Ripon College. Twelve years elapsed before the first college classes were formed in 1863 under the administration of the Reverend Mr. NVillian1 E. Merriman. During this period the institution was a preparatory school instructing in all the higher English branches and in those classical studies necessary to tit young nien for college. For several years East Building, only partially l completed, was the only build- ' ' ing on the eainpus. The prog- ress of the school was iinped- ed, not only by eontinuec' financial embarrassment, but by difficulties in obtaining board and suitable rooms for ihe students. This need was so great that in 1855 the board of trustees voted to erect as speedily as possible a dormitory building. This building, which was for many years known as Middle Col- lege, is the present Snlifh hal' Ceresco Octagon Schoolhouse . 1 1 L.-ueffe, - + if 'E im -rs 6 if my can M 3+Q,gge+ i Page II