PHOTOS

Teachers, and the years that they taught in this this school include:

TEACHER	YEARS TAUGHT	TEACHER	YEARS TAUGHT
Viola Larson	1924 – 1925	James & Julia Schmitz	1935 – 1936
Carolyn Henble	1928 – 1929	Helen Brickley	1936 – 1938
Pearl Evenson	1929 – 1930	Edna Evenson	1938 – 1941
Evelyn Dahl	1930 – 1931	Delores Anderson	1941 – 1942
Lloyd Twining	1931 – 1934	Rachel Salisbury	1942 - 1943

At the time Edna Evenson was teaching, she was earning $85.00 per month and taught for a full 9 months each year.  According to her contract, there would be no school on Saturdays, and she was expected to do the janitor work as well, which was included in her monthly salary.

In October 1939, there was a school board discussion of ‘inlarging’ the schoolhouse.  Plans for the remodeling of the building were sent for – to whom, it is unknown.  In this same month, it was also discussed and a contract was written that School District #9 obtain a loan from the Bank of Spooner for $450.00.  No mention was made as to what this money was to be used for.

In December 1939, the school board again met, this time to discuss sending for plans for a new school building.  It was also decided that the board should send the plans to the lumber companies for estimates on building costs.

On 07 Feb 1940, a meeting was held at Hilstrom’s office in Spooner to discuss the possibility of the W. P. A. project building the new schoolhouse.  The cost of the building according to the plans received from Madison was set at $2800.00, including the furnace.  The WPA would furnish the cement and all labor except chimney building and electric wiring, if there were no craftsmen among the WPA workers.  Work could not be started until after 01 Jul 1940.

A special district meeting was held on 10 Feb 1940 at which time the county superintendent took over the meeting to discuss the possibilities of building a new building or remodeling the old one.  At this time, the possibility of consolidation with districts 14, 5 and 7 was also discussed, after which the meeting was adjourned.  In July 1940 a committee was formed to work with the school board to find out which school could be run the cheapest, which school was legal, etc.  The committee consisted of P. O. Klawitter, chairman, and L. Bright, Joe Kordick and W. A. West.  On 15 Jul 1940 at the school district meeting a vote was cast to see whether 2 or 3 schools would run.  Of 89 votes cast, 41 were for 2 schools, 47 were for 3 schools.  There was one ‘odd’ vote.

In a Report of School Visit by County Superintendent of Schools, dated 22 Oct 1940 this was filed:

Edna Evenson, Teacher – 22 students total – 22 students present

At the 15 Jul 1941 school board meeting it was decided that school would run at Stunce Brook and Twin Lakes schools – there was no mention of Beaver Dam, but in the 27 May 1943 edition of the Spooner Advocate, page 8, Chicog News, we find the following paragraph:

“Our three school close on Friday.  The teachers will return to their homes.  Miss Rachel Salisbury to Chittamo; Mrs. Pearl Barager to Spooner and Mrs. Madge Kildaire to Trego.”

In the 01 Jun 1944 edition of the Spooner Advocate on page 1, this article was run:

Wisconsin now has 1,034 fewer rural school units than it had in 1939.

That is the disclosure of the state department of public instruction as it surveys the results of four years of work in reorganizing the rural school district boundaries of the state.

The rural school consolidation law under which State Supt. John Callahan can abolish or annex school districts upon his own motion has survived vigorous attacks in the courts, in the legislature, and in political campaigns.  Now it appears that the department’s work is nearly completed under the law.  It is continuing, however, to persuade town boards to act voluntarily on school consolidation principles.  It reports that many town boards are doing so.”

It seems that the Chicog town board complied with the decision to consolidate, as I found the following statement in the 10 Jul 1944 board meeting minutes:

“Motion made and seconded the school board see that the playground equipment from the other schools be put up at Twin Lakes School.  Joe Kordich and the 4-H boys to move it and put it up – the board to furnish any additional material.”

So it seemed that Stunce Brook School was no longer in session.  The building and school site were put on the auction block on the same day as the Beaver Dam school building and site, 20 May 1946 at 11:00 a.m., as announced in the 02 May 1946 edition of the Spooner Advocate.

Sources of information include:

See also the Stunce Brook School Census Records (1922 - 1930) !