School: Withee H. S. (School History 1883 - 1955)

Transcriber: Robert Lipprandt
bob@wiclarkcountyhistory.org 

Surname: Allen, Amo, Barager, Barber, Bartholomay, Bell, Brown, Carey, Christensen, Conley, Craney, Dickson, Donaldson, Dougherty, Duel, Fitzgerald, Fritsch, Frost, Funk, Greenwalt, Hamel, Hamilton, Hansen, Hansen, Hemminger, Hodnett, Hugill, Hunt, Johnson, Lage, Laneville, Mc Leod, Mowers, Munchow, Nielsen, Nimtz, Osterbrim, Owen, Packer, Philippi, Roberts, Roth, Swan, Thelen, Tufts, Wierich

----Source: Flora Bartholomay/Public Records/Allan Hodnett, Owen-Withee Facebook

By: Flora Bartholomay

1883: Was the year in which the first school was organized. The location was on the extreme north-west corner of Front Street, the first street north of the railroad tracks. These were the days of the board-walk, lamp light, outdoor plumbing, wagons and sleds. The old round, iron stove was the source of heat. Lucinda Amo was the first teacher. Little is known about how long she taught here or who followed her until the late 1890’s.

1890: The present brick structure on Division Street was built, the land having been donated by Mr. W. S. Tufts. The original structure contained four rooms. During the early and middle 1890’s, enrollment began to increase by leaps and bounds due to the rapid advancement of the agricultural development. It was at this time that Withee became a State Graded School. One of the first principals of the State Graded School was Mr. T. H. Barber, now deceased. He was a graduate of the Oshkosh Normal School. The teaching staff has increased in the middle ‘90’s to three or four.

1902: Mr. Lucius Allen came to Withee as principal. Noting from a collection of his photographs, he organized a basketball team which included some of the student of the school, and also a girl’s team. Mr. Allen was a man very devoted to his profession, and the school progressed under his leadership, only to lose his services in 1906.

1906: 1906 brought a very energetic young man, Mr. William C. Greenwalt, to the position of principal. It was during his administration that the 9th grade was started. Mr. Greenwalt now resides in Wauwatosa and is, to this day an active an energetic man. In his recent communication regarding the early history of the Withee school, he states as follows:

“In September 1906, we began to work for the establishment of a High School. There were only two or three ninth grade students, and I was the entire High School faculty. The subjects taught were Algebra, English, History and Physical Geography. These were the required subjects for a high school. There were no laboratories or equipment of any kind, just subject matter from text books. There were three teachers in the graces. In September 1906, the board, at my request, hired another teacher so we could start the 9th grade work. The Withee High School really had its beginning at a dinner meeting at the home of Mr. and Mrs. T. H. Barber, who had invited Mr. Walter Hunt, State School inspector, and me, for dinner. Mr. Hunt advised us about High School laws and just how to proceed.”

Mr. Greenwalt mailed a copy of the 1906 commencement program showing the first 8th and 9th Grade graduates in the history of the school, some of whom were the first 12th grade graduates in 1908. There had been several previous 8th grade graduations, but the following people were the first students who entered the 9th and 10th grades upon the establishment of a High School in the village of Withee: May Barber, Irving Barager, Florence Brown, Earl Brown, John Conley, Mary Fitzgerald, Thyra Hansen, William Hansen, Pearl Laneville, Myrtle Mowers, Esther Nielsen, Ralph Owen, Maisie Hemminger and Ida Funk. The teachers at this time were: W. C. Greenwalt, Principal; Anna Mc Leod, 1st Assistant; Kathryn Philippi, 2ns Assistant; Mayo Roth, Third Assistant. School Board members were: E. Neilsen, Director; John Christensen, Treasurer and B. Packer, Clerk.

1907: Mr. Greenwalt decided in 1907 he wanted to get into City School work. After leaving Withee, he was principal of a school in Ashland and La Crosse and spent most of his years in Milwaukee Junior High Schools as a consultant and advisor, after having received his Master’s Degree from the University of Wisconsin.

It was in 1907 that the 10th and 11th grades were added. From all records available, it appears that 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th grade graduates shown on record in the year 1908, were the 1906 eighth grade graduates. This would indicate that a school year in that period was equal to what we, in 1964, consider as one semester.

The course of study in 1907 for 10th graders was: Ancient History, English, Composition, Geography (1st 1/2), Bookkeeping (2nd 1/2), Physiology (1st 1/2) and Botany (2nd 1/2).

1907-1908: Mr. A. E. Hamilton was the Principal of the school. This last note was taken directly from the records of Mr. Hamilton: “How different are the texts and scientific experimental equipment available today. These early instructors are to be commended on their dedicated efforts to do the best they could with the materials available.”

1908-1909: Anna Bell was hired as an assistant to Mr. Hamilton.

1909-1910: Miss M. Craney was hired as an assistant to Mr. Hamilton. Mr. Hamilton left the vicinity of Withee and was last heard of when residing in Superior, Wis.

1910-1911: Mr. I. J. Osterbrim was principal with Jessie Swan as his assistant. Mr. Osterbrim’s term was one year.

1911-1912: Enrollment of both the grades and high school had increased considerably, which led to the construction of a large addition to the building, on the northwest corner.

Mr. T. H. Lage was principal with Kathryn Thelen as his assistant. Mr. Lage’s term was one year.

1912-1913/1913-1914: Mr. M. M. Duel was principal with A. Dougherty as his assistant.

Citizens of Withee who attended at this time seem to recall that 1913 was the year in which there was a change back to a three year high school. Many 12th grade students had t attend Owen their final year in order to receive diplomas.

1914: I would like to insert at this point in the story, that our present office of the State Superintendent of Schools has mailed a copy of the Certificate of Establishment of a Free High School, stating as follows:

“This certifies that Jt. School District No. 2 of the Town of Hixon, and Village of Withee, county of Clark and State of Wisconsin, has complied with all the provisions of Sections 490 and 491,Statutes of 1898, in consequence whereof a Free High School is herby established in said Jt. School District No 2.”

Given under my hand and seal of office this 27th day of July, 1914.
Signed by C. P. Cary, State Superintendent

1914-1915: Mr. Duel was assisted by Mr. A. S. Nimtz.

Mr. Duel then left Withee in 1915 and it is not known just how many years he remained in the educational field, but he later became State of Wisconsin Insurance Commissioner.

1915-1916: Mr. Nimtz then succeeded Mr. Duel as Principal.

It is believed this was the year in which the high school again became a 4 year one.

1918-1919: Mr. Nimtz was principal during the period of WW 1, and during the school term, the entire school was closed for 44 ½ days due to the epidemic of influenza. Many, many citizens were dangerously ill and several were overtaken by death.

1919-1920: Miss Thyra Frost, who was a local resident and had graduated from the Withee High School and entered the teaching profession, followed Mr. Nimtz as principal. She was the one and only woman principal after the turn of the century. Miss Frost is now Mr. Edwin Hansen and resided in Muskegon, Michigan.

1920-1929: Carl L. Johnson (reared in Owen) was principal.

In a letter written by Mr. Johnson before the proposed merger of Owen and Withee High Schools:

“Let me state that the present undertaking of a joint high school was proposed many years ago. Mr. John Wierich (deceased) proposed this back in 1915. He, at that time suggested a building midway between Owen and Withee, but there were no takers. A prophet is very often not known in his own area.”

1922-1923: First band instructor was Mr. John Dickson. He commuted from place to place, two days at Medford, one at Owen, one at Abbotsford and one at Withee.

1925: The Withee basketball team was known as the Withee Shamrocks. The games were held in the Woodman Hall (now remodeled as the Seventh Day Adventist Church) on Second Street.

1927: Mr. M. G. Hamel came to Withee as band instructor.

1929: Mr. Johnson left Withee and spent the following year obtaining his master’s Degree at the University of Minnesota.

1929-1932: Mr. Arthur Munchow was principal of the system.

1932: Mr. George Donaldson was Principal. He had been in Owen previously.

1935: Mr. Donaldson officially organized the Withee Shamrocks. They were listed in a conference, but they did not participate. His term ended in 1936 and left Withee for a better position.

1937: Mr. Curtis Hugill became the new principal after having taught in the grades. 1937 is first class to graduate in the school gymnasium.

1940: Football team was named “Champions” for the first time. Some farming was taught in high school.

1941 Grade school lockers were added.

1943-1944: Heating system was improved.

1945: Mr. Hugill’s term ended. He was succeeded by Mr. Myron Fritsch.

1946-1950: Hot lunches were introduced 2 days a week, without aids. Boy’s physical education introduced. First full time music director hired. Drivers training course (dual control car) offered to seniors. Girl’s physical education instruction. Improvements to the building, basement remodeled and a recreation room added.

1950-1951: Parking area improved and blacktopped. New equipment purchased including gas stove, record player and opaque projector.

1951-1952: Application for integrated school sent.

1954: Renewed serious talks began about consolidation/merger of the Owen and Withee school systems.

1954-1955: Progress was made in remodeling school, lowered ceilings, new fluorescent lights and home economics rooms. Windows in gym remodeled and replaced with glass block and ventilators.

1955: Many opposed the action of consolidation. But as a result of committee meeting and citizens’ influence, an order was issued by the Clark County School Committee calling for the merger of the Owen and Withee Districts. This action of the Committee followed the public hearing held May 12th on the proposal. Following this, taxpayers of the six precincts held a special election on June 24, 1955. The Village of Withee voted the issue down, many in Longwood opposed it, but the combined “Yea” of the City of Owen, Towns of Longwood, Green Grove, Hoard and Hixon favored the merger.

1955: The term of Mr. Myron Fritsch as Principal of Withee schools ended with the consolidation of the Withee and Owen Schools in 1955. He then continued as Principal of the Junior High School in Withee until 1963, when Mr. Elwyn Roberts resigned as Superintendent of the Owen-Withee Schools, and Mr. Fritsch took over as Superintendent.

 

 


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