Commentary written by local historian George Hall in 1969.
"In one end of the building where
Hart (pioneer businessman Edwin Hart) kept his store, school was taught
by a man named Quires who employed the old-fashioned method of instilling
knowledge into he mind by sometines applying the switch to the legs. The
school had an enrollment of about fifteen. Desks were board nailed to each
side of the wall at a proper angle and the seats consisted of two stationaty
benches in front of the rough board de4sks. The pupils sat facing the walls.
Before that, James A. Glynn taught children in his home."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Oconto County Reporter
October 23, 1880
An Old Landmark Gone
Part of a 1871 birdseye
view drawing of the city of Oconto showing the building used as the first
city school in Edwin Hart's store.
1. Building directly above the number
is the original Hart store built in 1851, where classes were held.
2. A Hart passenger/freight steam
ship is at dock. The "laker" has a full head of steam as indicated by the
smoke from the stack, and has just arrived or is about to depart. to the
right of the number is a sailing scooner used to ship cut lumber and other
supply freight on the Great Lakes to booming markets in, among others,
Chicago, Milwaukee, and Detroit.
3. Section Street Bridge over
the Oconto River and "cut" dug to facilitate the use of the river both
for logging and watercraft.
4. Logs jam the "cut" at Holt
Mills near the Superior Street Bridge.
5.The original town plat. |
Many citizens will remember, when, years ago,
they attended the old school - the first one Oconto ever had. It
stood - or did a few days ago - near Section Street bridge. There
are men in Oconto today, no doubt, who do not forget the wallopings
they got in that old school house on the banks of the Oconto years ago.
Great changes have come over the scene since then. Boys and girls
have grown to men and women; some have left the scenes of their childhood
for other climes; some of them sleep the sleep that knows no waking; while
those who have “grown up with the town” oft think of the good old times
they spent in and about Oconto’s pioneer school house. But it is
no more; it was pulled down a few days ago, and the place that knew it
once will know it no more forever. The building was erected by Edwin
Hart in the year 1851, twenty nine years ago. In it was opened up
the first store ever in this place, exempting one belonging to a mill company
that was doing school, room was in the back part of the building.
In it, also, the first Sabbath school met, and in the days of long ago
it was looked upon as the prominent building of the “town.” But its
usefulness is o’er and it has had to make way for the continued improvements
that are being made in our growing and prosperous city.
|