Oconto County WIGenWeb Project
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HISTORIC OCONTO COUNTY SCHOOLS
 Chase Central School
In Chase at County "S" & "C"
 Oconto County, Wisconsin

This Chase Central School replaced the original log cabin home in South Chase where Erma Matusik first held classes.
    photo courtesy of:
Oconto County Genealogical Society


Photos contributed by:
Jill Gondek
Taken 2010

Article contributed by: Larry Grady

(transcribed from the news article below)

CHASE CENTRAL SCHOOL

The Chase Central school is located about seven miles northeast of Pulaski on the corner of county trunk roads and district number six in the town of Chase.

Before this school came into existence school was held at South Chase in a log cabin owned by Erma Matusek. Planks were laid on blocks for seats and desks. School was held for about eight months and the teacher was paid anywhere from seventeen to twenty-five dollars a month. The teacher boarded at one of the homes and paid less than ten dollars a month room and board.  This information given to me by one of the pupils of that time.

According to available records of the Chase Central school, 1921 and 1922, there were nine months in the school year. Similar to all rural schools, the children walked to and from school facing the cold, bitter, winter weather. During this weather both boys and girls wore "lumberjack rubbers", which was was a shoe with a rubber bottom and leather too. Home knit stockings kept their feet warm against the sting of frost. Only during a snow storm would the parents pick them up on a sleigh and horse. Spring and early fall offered more enjoyment to these walks to and from school. It gave the children a chance to swap stories, race, or linger along the roadside. Once at school they played simple games that had been handed down from family to family. These games consisted of "Ring-A-Round-The-Rosey", "London Bridges", tag. races, etc.. unless someone brought a bat and ball to school.

The school itself was a one room school as it stands today, only without our modern improvements. The front part of our school did not extend as far out as it does now. There was one door in the front which led to a partition used as a cloak room for the boys and girls. Windows were to be found on both sides of the room.   Heat was obtained through a box stove in the center of the room, with a large black pipe extending the length of the room. In the front was a platform on which stood the teacher's desk. The floor was made of oak and looked as "black  as coal". The desks were of the slat type with double rows as the enrollment was very large, usually around sixty pupils. Books were very scarce and the pupils would buy their own, later to resell them to someone else. The library consisted of a few crude shelves containing about thirty books, and one large dictionary. Reading was held from first to fifth reader and no reader went beyond that grade level.   The language class consisted of  lessons from a wall chart having  the  A. B. C's, etc. Other subjects were penmanship, arithmetic and spelling•zines or newspapers (missing) at that time, (missing) globe with a long (missing)to the ceiling, (missing) could be found, the floors were bare (missing) for when curtains (missing) they chased  (missing) woven type today. No  (missing) bought  (missing) paper  (missing) used slates which proved to be very noisy when banged against the tops of the desks. A hand bell was used to call the children in after recess. All drank from one dipper located in a water pail made of pressed paper. The children carried their lunches in two, three or four quart lard pails. For many years there was no source of light in school. Finally one day the teacher put a play on and bought several kerosene lamps from the profit.

In 1919 - 1920 the teacher was Verna Thompson who taught for seventy-nine dollars and twenty cents a month. At this time Gust Hein served as clerk, Ed. Plautz as director, and Fred Kuxman as treasurer.

From September 12. 1921. until May 12. 1922. the following people were enrolled in school: Norman Chilla. Elmer Schrank, Earl Dethardt, Norris Pott, Alfred Regal, Otto Kuxmann, Bennie Rosenberg, Emma Regal, Harold Ploutz, Hilda Regal, Elmo Pott, Albert Pott. Delia Konizak, Florence Blaser, Paul Hein. Ethel Ploutz, Adeline Schwartz. Lucy Komzak. Norman Schwartz, Florence Schrank, Edwin Schrank, Mildred Kuxman, Evelyn Ploutz, Mayme Rosenberg, Dorothy Regal, Frances Stanek, Rose Stanek, Lillian Stanek, Edwin Komzak, Albert Kuxmann, Myrtle Ficher. Dorothy Schrank. Joseph Wroblewski, Stephen Wroblewski, Peter Rzepka, Helen Rzepka, Waller Rzepka. Francis Rzepka, Felicia Janicki. Lucy Janicki,, Ralph Janicki, Irene Binkowski, Melvin Binkowski, Harry Komzak, Leonard Schaden, Norbert Rosenberg, Rose Komzak, Lorraine Blaser, Peter Micha, Anna Micha, Anna Binkowski, Stanley Rzepka, Robert Kuxman, Leo Hilbert, Lorris Rosenberg, Raymond Schaden, Chester Binkowski, Edmund Heckel, Herman Heckel, Henry Heckel, Otto Heckel and Christina Heckel. Total sixty-two, teacher, Katherine Konieczny.

Until the year 1925. there was eight months in the school year, after that nine months of school came into effect.

In 1934-35, plans were made to put in a new floor in the school, and to extend the building by putting in regular halls or cloak rooms for both boys and girls. In 1946 the school bought an oil burner which is in the school at the present time. In 1949, new modern type desks were bought. This year and last, a movie projector, new wall maps, a hecktograph, and the floor was sanded and varnished adding to the list of improvements. Over forty dollars of library books have been added plus a wide assortment of magazines giving the school children a better chance to learn.

Most of the children live within walking distance of the school still most parents bring them to school by car. Two families are on the "transportation list" because of the distance. They are the Stanley Wojcik family and Spottek family.

The present school board members are: E. F. Heinerman. treasurer; Albert Pott, clerk: Adolph Sievert, director. The present teacher, Miss Janice Wielgus. was first hired in 1952. The enrollment for the year 1953-1954 is twenty-five.


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