St. Agnes Hospital

Just donated today, this postcard is the earliest photo I have yet seen of St. Agnes Hospital.  It has wooden fencing, not metal.

1921 First Communion class, St. Patrick

Found this picture in a scrapbook.

First row includes unknowns, but also Genevieve Snow, Margaret LeVallee, Anna Lee Yockey, Cleola Jarvis.

Second row includes Helen Welling, Marge Twohig, Cecelia Deitte, Florence Mendleski, and Mrs. Aug. Schmitz.

Third row includes Richard Grassey, Lawrence Gormican, Charles Zynda, John Malone, Sylvester Stepnoski, Tom Silgen.

Fourth row includes Rev. T,. J Cosgrove, and Hazen McEssy.

Turn Verein in Fond du Lac

The Turn Verein was once a very large German organization, all over the country. Fond du Lac had its own membership, with a Turner Hall located on Portland St.  Founded in Fond du Lac in 1855, the organization published a booklet for their 50th Anniversary in 1905.

The organization promoted physical health and held sports competitions.

What follows are photos from the anniversary booklet, as well as other information.  Much of the booklet is written in both English and German, but the history of the organization is strictly in German, and I am looking for someone who could translate this section.

Turner Hall, Fond du Lac    on Portland St. N. of Division

Title Page of 50th Anniversary Booklet

In July 1896, a Turnfest (state competition) was held in Fond du Lac, and the Fond du Lac Group took first place.  A photo of the team can be seen hanging on the walls of the Thornton Research Library.

What follows is a history of the Fond du Lac Turn Verein, but it needs translation!  Help!

Eden? school

This school photograph was found in the scrapbook of  Anna Harlin Fleischman, who grew up near Eden, WI.   It's about 1914-15, but not sure of time.

Does anyone recognize any of these students.  Please comment or email if you can confirm that this school was near Eden.

First High School Classes

Before the first High School was constructed, the first high school classes starting in 1859 were held in rented rooms and buildings at various locations in the city.  The exact locations of these classrooms has always been vague. 

In later years, a member of the third graduation class (1862) wrote down his excellent rememberances of attending high school in these buildings, along with other details of the time.

Here is a partial excerpt of his writing.  A full extract will be published in the Fond du Lac County Historical Society's Newsletter.

Written by Carver Griffith, class of 1862:

"The subject of this sketch first attended school at the age of five in a small school house, with one room, on West Arndt St. north of the old St. Paul’s Episcopal Church;  our teacher in the summer time was Miss Susan Place, a very kind and considerate teacher, who gave us the younger pupils, on the last day of school, nice little cards upon which was inscribed “Reward of Merit;” to the older and especially good ones, she presented clusters of wax fruit made by herself.  In the winter, there were more scholars:  Mr. Van Vleck was our teacher.  There being not sufficient seating capacity, two long slabs were provided for the smaller ones, with leg supports, too long by the way, driven into them diagonally.  Our feet did not touch the floor, and we were very glad when recess came and we could go out and see teacher skate and cut figures on the ice.  He had fine “turnover” skates, with little brass acorns on the end of the curl, whereas the small boys had only “stub-toes.”  Teaching to spell by choosing sides and spelling down, was much in vogue in those days, and was considered very good practice.

This is the 1867 Birdseye map of Fond du Lac, showing intersection of Main and Merrill.

When the High School was organized in 1859 a vacant store building on the N. E. corner of Main and Merrill St. was procured.  Prof. E. C. Johnson was Principal.  Miss M. S. Merrille Assistant.  All scholars from the Cotton St. School and Marr St. School who could pass the requisite examinations were admitted.  There was a good delegation from each of those intermediate schools, and the High School, if we only had had a suitable building would have been on the high road to success. 

Prof. Johnson was a good teacher as my report for the year of 1859 will show.

In 1860 we were obligated to move, and Marshall Block on Second Street was the best obtainable; and Prof. Johnson was succeeded by Prof. S. H. Peabody.  Early in the latter’s administration occurred the Celebrated “Red Pepper Plot.”  Some boy at noon time placed some red pepper on the stove, and Professor called as witnesses nearly all the school in order to ascertain the ring-leader, which he did and dismissed him from school.

This is 1867 Birdseye map of Fond du Lac, intersection of Main and Second Sts. showing the Warner Block and the Marshall Block.  The Marshall Block first floor was a feed store. selling Grain, Flour, Feed and land plaster (lime).

The High School required more room, so another move was necessary; this time to the upper rooms in Warner’s Block on Main Street corner of 2^nd.  Here was held, in 1860, the first graduation exercise.  George Willard (who afterward became a Catholic Priest) and Kate Frame received their diplomas.

In 1861 Garland L. Gillett, Kelsey M. Adams and Emma Jane Ward graduated.  Chas. H. Morgan would have graduated, had he not enlisted in the Civil War.  After he was discharged he moved to Missouri:  studied law, and went to Congress.  Had he lived until last year, the same tardy justice should have been granted him as was given my worthy comrade Maurice McKenna.

In 1862 the graduates were Kate Hamilton, Ellen Delaney, Anna Longstaff and Carver N. Griffith.  Clinton Ewen could have graduated, but on account of his age (he was fifteen I think) his parents wished him to remain in school another year.

The graduation exercises July 3, 1862 were held in Spencer Hall, East Division Street, the same building afterwards converted into the Methodist Church.  Of the four graduates, all now living, Kate Hamilton married Col. C. K. Pier, who was the first man to enlist in the Civil War from Fond du Lac County.  She has three daughters, all lawyers and married, four grandchildren, two boys and two girls.

Ellen Delaney is now Mrs. Ellen Delaney Arndt.  She lives in DePere, Wis.  She has one son, a newspaper man in New York City.

Anna Longstaff, now Anna Longstaff Oliver, lives in Grand Rapids, Mich. with her son Fred L.

Carver N. Griffith married Kate Hale of Waukesha County.  They have two daughters; one will graduate soon from the Chicago University in 1922.  The other is attending the University of North Dakota, at Grand Forks.

Woodhull

I don't have many pictures of some outlying communities in the county, so when I do receive one, it's a treasure! I just received this in the mail today!

Store and Cheese Factory, Woodhull WI

Brandon buildings

I received four photographs recently, all taken by George West in the 1880's to 1890's?, and taken in the Brandon area. 

George West lived in Brandon in the 1850's -1873?, worked for the railroad, published the Brandon Times, and then moved on to Escanaba with the C& NWRR

I recognized one photo right away as the original schoolhouse, but the other homes I do not know of.  If anyone has a clue, please let me know.   The original photos are in Escanaba MI, a city where George is considered one of the founders.

house with wooden sidewalk

unknown house

unknown house

 This is Union Prairie School, which was on the NW corner of Hwy T and Hwy O, section 25, town of Metomen.  Some of the old school records are at the Brandon Public Library.  In 1960 the school was sold at auction and moved one farm to the south.