Little Log School from "Tales of Mower County" by Jean H. and John Kay Adams, 1949
Three years after Jacob McQuillan nailed his coffee mill to the tree in the northeast corner of the county, Miss Maria Vaughan was teaching school in a log house in Austin.
even after the Austin school was opened, followed closely by one in Le Roy, many children lived too far away and had to learn how to read and write from their mothers.
J. M. Wykoff donated the land for the early Le Roy school house and it was built out of logs. The first teacher was Miss Melissa Allen.
One early school was described by Robert Weber who grew up near Dexter. He said the school building he went to was a log hut with a sod roof. There were boards on the roof, but sometimes the sod over them hung down through the cracks. There was no floor, and in the winter there were patches of ice inside where the heat from the cast iron stove did not reach. There were two small windows in the log walls. Very little light came into the room. On dark rainy days homemade candles sometimes were used for light. There were no matches and the candles were lighted with twists of paper.
The children sat on half-round log benches and learned their lessons by sharing their books. In the wintertime they all huddled around the stove which kept their hands and faces warm but not their backs. A pile of logs always was kept handy.
When someone wanted a drink of water the teacher sent a little boy or girl out to bring a bucket from a nearby well. In warm weather it was fun to go to the well for the water, but in the winter ice might form before the water boy got back with the bucket. Class would stop until everyone had taken a drink out of the bucket with a dipper.
Some of the children walked miles to get to the school. Often they saw deer, partridge or wild geese. Schoolboys could earn spending money in those days too. Partridges were worth only 5 cent, but if a boy could catch a goose he might get 15 cents a pound for the down. The soft feathers were wanted for pillow stuffing.
In 1865 the first school house was erected in Austin n the present site of the Carnegie library building. It was a one-story brick building and cost $2,750. Four years later the second school building was built. It was of brick, three stories high, and the papers called in "magnificent in proportion and construction." The first high school was organized by Superintendent E. Biglow. The building burned on April 28, 1890, but fortunately the fire started in the morning before the children arrived.
As the population grew, the county's public educational system expanded until today there are many excellent grade schools and high schools. Austin has the largest high school in the state. The building, which was dedicated on September 24, 1940, cot $1,750.000. It also houses the Austin Junior college.
The Austin Junior college is not the first college in Austin. At one time the Southern Minnesota Normal college and Austin School of Commerce had as many as 1,200 students in one year. It was founded by Charles R. Boostrom in 1897, and was organized chiefly to provide educational opportunities for adults who were forced to quit school at an early age. The college operated until 1925.
There are several parochial schools in Mower county. German Lutheran schools, first to the eighty grades are taught in Austin (St. John's) and in Waltham (Trinity Lutheran).
There are two Catholic school systems in Austin and parochial grade schools in Adams, Johnsburg and Rose Creek.
In 1872 a parochial school was opened by the Dominican Sisters in St. Augustine parish. It was closed in 1893. Under the direction of the Right Reverend Monsignor Devlin, Columbus schools was opened in September, 1909, by the Sisters of the Third Order Regular of St. Francis of the Congregation of Our Lady of Lourdes from Rochester. All grades and high school are taught. In 1926 a new building for the high school was completed and opened. The faculty includes 13 Sisters and one lay teacher in St. Augustine high school.
On September 6, 1938, the Queen of Angels opened its beautiful new parish school to the first class of 213 pupils. Seven Sisters of St. Francis from Rochester were selected to teach. An addition was added to the school and it was dedicated February 9, 1947.
even after the Austin school was opened, followed closely by one in Le Roy, many children lived too far away and had to learn how to read and write from their mothers.
J. M. Wykoff donated the land for the early Le Roy school house and it was built out of logs. The first teacher was Miss Melissa Allen.
One early school was described by Robert Weber who grew up near Dexter. He said the school building he went to was a log hut with a sod roof. There were boards on the roof, but sometimes the sod over them hung down through the cracks. There was no floor, and in the winter there were patches of ice inside where the heat from the cast iron stove did not reach. There were two small windows in the log walls. Very little light came into the room. On dark rainy days homemade candles sometimes were used for light. There were no matches and the candles were lighted with twists of paper.
The children sat on half-round log benches and learned their lessons by sharing their books. In the wintertime they all huddled around the stove which kept their hands and faces warm but not their backs. A pile of logs always was kept handy.
When someone wanted a drink of water the teacher sent a little boy or girl out to bring a bucket from a nearby well. In warm weather it was fun to go to the well for the water, but in the winter ice might form before the water boy got back with the bucket. Class would stop until everyone had taken a drink out of the bucket with a dipper.
Some of the children walked miles to get to the school. Often they saw deer, partridge or wild geese. Schoolboys could earn spending money in those days too. Partridges were worth only 5 cent, but if a boy could catch a goose he might get 15 cents a pound for the down. The soft feathers were wanted for pillow stuffing.
In 1865 the first school house was erected in Austin n the present site of the Carnegie library building. It was a one-story brick building and cost $2,750. Four years later the second school building was built. It was of brick, three stories high, and the papers called in "magnificent in proportion and construction." The first high school was organized by Superintendent E. Biglow. The building burned on April 28, 1890, but fortunately the fire started in the morning before the children arrived.
As the population grew, the county's public educational system expanded until today there are many excellent grade schools and high schools. Austin has the largest high school in the state. The building, which was dedicated on September 24, 1940, cot $1,750.000. It also houses the Austin Junior college.
The Austin Junior college is not the first college in Austin. At one time the Southern Minnesota Normal college and Austin School of Commerce had as many as 1,200 students in one year. It was founded by Charles R. Boostrom in 1897, and was organized chiefly to provide educational opportunities for adults who were forced to quit school at an early age. The college operated until 1925.
There are several parochial schools in Mower county. German Lutheran schools, first to the eighty grades are taught in Austin (St. John's) and in Waltham (Trinity Lutheran).
There are two Catholic school systems in Austin and parochial grade schools in Adams, Johnsburg and Rose Creek.
In 1872 a parochial school was opened by the Dominican Sisters in St. Augustine parish. It was closed in 1893. Under the direction of the Right Reverend Monsignor Devlin, Columbus schools was opened in September, 1909, by the Sisters of the Third Order Regular of St. Francis of the Congregation of Our Lady of Lourdes from Rochester. All grades and high school are taught. In 1926 a new building for the high school was completed and opened. The faculty includes 13 Sisters and one lay teacher in St. Augustine high school.
On September 6, 1938, the Queen of Angels opened its beautiful new parish school to the first class of 213 pupils. Seven Sisters of St. Francis from Rochester were selected to teach. An addition was added to the school and it was dedicated February 9, 1947.
