Page:History of Goodhue County, Minnesota.djvu/313

 HISTORY OF GOODHUE COUNT! 253 .Mrs. .Mutisoii came nexl as teacher, followed by Mrs. C. C. Webster, wife of one of the earliesl settlers, and she was followed by Ella Wilder, daughter of Ezra Wilder, another pioneer. Later she married Rev. Mr. Sedgwick, then pastor of the Baptist ( lunch, who afterward became a physician. .Mrs. Ellery Person, wife of Samuel Person, a brother of Messrs. Ralzy and George Person, who were among the early settlers^ was the next teacher. Then in succession came Sarah Stowed. .Mrs. Preston, Florence Brown, cousin to the hero of Harper's Perry and martyr of free- dom for the slave, whose soul is still marching on. Then, still in the Kellett hall came the male teachers, Mr. Griffin and Mr Aldrich, the latter of wh took up his residence in Zumbrota E. V. Conat taughl in the summer of 1864 at $22 per month J. P>. Griffin in the winter of the same year at .$27.50 per month: Florence Brown, winter of '65, at $22 per month. Before this the general rate of salary for the female teachers was $5 per week. In the school year of 1862-68 and for many years there- alter the board of trustees were: .). A. Thacher, director; I. C. Stearns, clerk, and H. Blanchard. treasurer. There were six months of school in two terms of twelve weeks each in 1862-63. and seven months in 1863-64. The appointment of school money from the county in 18H2-(i3 was but $117.70. In the spring of 1863 a movement was started by a petition signed by T. F. Kellett. George Samuel Person and E. L. Kings- bury for the building of a school house. Favorable action was taken and a levy agreed to of 5 mills on all taxable property, to begin the necessary funds. In 1864-65, 2 mills more were voted for schools and 7 mills for school house fund. In 1865-66, 8 mills was voted toward the fund. In March, 1867, it was voted to have three terms of school of twelve weeks each. In March, 1866, definite steps were taken to build a two-story school house, 24 feet high, width 30 feet, length 50 feet. Two lots were first bought and later two more adjoining, in block 40, the cost of the building not to exceed $3,000. The district received from the county treasurer in 1865, $537. The money to build the school house was loaned to the district by private individuals, chief among them being I. C. Stearns, H. H. Palmer, J. A. Thacher, Ezra Wilder and the Ladies' Sewing Society, with a few gentle- men loaning minor sums. E. L. Kingsbury was the contractor and builder, and received for the job $2,000. In March, 1868, the district voted to have three terms of school per year of thirteen weeks each. This year the county treasurer paid to the district $717. In March. 1870, on motion of Ezra Wilder, it was voted to build- another school house and the board was authorized to select a site and proceed with the work.