Schools of Webster City

by Martin E. Nass

 

Old North Building 1882-1922 .................................. Lincoln Building 1912-1996

The first school in Webster City, at that time called Newcastle, was held in a log cabin on Division Street, just two houses east of the Baptist Church, which is now the church parking lot. This school was built by Nathaniel Browning in 1854. The timbers were cut from the banks of the Boone River and hauled by oxen to the construction site. This building also served as a town meeting hall for a time. The Hamilton Freeman of July 23, 1857, which is only the third issue of the paper, mentions our first school: "We learn that a meeting will be held at our village school house, Thursday evening, to adopt measures for protection against the horse thieves who are now committing extensive depredations in this vicinity."

Nathan Hathway was the first teacher in this school. He also served in the band of settlers that marched to Spirit Lake at the time of the Indian massacre. In 1861, he enlisted in the Union Army and died at Gettysburg. His place in the school was taken by Miss Sue Hillock. She was also the only teacher for a time, until the growing school population required a second teacher. Miss Ella Elder attended a teacher's institute held in Webster City in 1862 and was granted a license to teach. She taught the lower grades; Miss Hillock taught the upper grades.

Soon this one room school was too small, so in June, 1859, W. S. Worthington was given a contract to erect a two-story brick building measuring 32 X 54 feet. Another portion on the front was three stories tall and measured 16 X 16 feet. The first floor was made into two rooms, one for the lower grades and one for the upper grammar school grades. The upper floor was used for town meetings, lectures, and social activities. This building was called the Union School and was built on the site of the present Washington Central building. The school books were announced for sale at the Estes Drug Store at the corner of Seneca and Bank Streets.

Mr. W. J. Covil was the first advanced teacher and Mr. D. D. Miracle was the second advanced teacher starting in 1862 when the first two grades of high school were added. Mr. Covil became superintendent but was replaced by Mr. Miracle in 1864 when Covil became ill. Mr. Miracle suggested that a fund be developed to secure a bell to hang in a bell tower. It was said that this bell came from the grounded steamboat that was sent up the Des Moines River to allow its owners to acquire land similar to the grants given to the railroad. This boat was the Charles Rogers. This bell hung in the tower of Union School, then at the Academy, next in the Old North Building, then moved to the Barracks School (which was some army barracks erected where Elm Park is now located), and finally to a specially constructed bell tower that sat between Washintgon Central and the Courthouse. After the high school moved to Lynx Avenue, the bell was placed in a tripod tower until it cracked. Then it was junked, and a new bell replaced it. By that time no one realized the historical significance of the old school bell.

In 1873, Ed Burgess became the principal of the school. He later passed the bar and practiced law. Then he became a trustee of the Kendall Young Library and served until his death as the first librarian.

Another school, a frame structure, was constructed on the east side of the river, just across the Bank Street bridge on Columbia Street. It was called the East Ward School, but was generally known as "Calamity School," named for the hill which residents called Calamity Hill due to the large number of accidents on the icy slope in the winter. This school consisted only of the first three grades and was taught for a time by Ella Burleson.

By 1875 a Dartmouth College graduate, Professor F. O. Baldwin, opened "The Academy," a private school in a two-story frame building measuring 25 X 40 which was located on the north side of Bank Street about two lots east of Fuller Hall. Bookkeeping, German, and Latin were featured in this school. The block south of The Academy was all swamp. A wooden bridge allowed pedestrians to get over the swamp. When Baldwin decided to quit the school business, the board decided to combine the Academy with the high school.

The first commencement took place in 1881 with four graduates, all girls. They were Nora Thompson, Anna Parker, Clara Willson, and Teresa Willson. The two Willson girls were the daughters of Sumler Willson. In 1882 the Union School was torn down and replaced with North Building. While North Building was under construction, classes were held in church basements, The Academy, Union Hall (which was located on Seneca near Bank Street.) The first floor of Union Hall housed the creamery. When the big churns cranked up the whole building shook. The upper floor was divided by partitions with the east half for the ninth and tenth grades, the west half for the eleventh and twelfth grades.

By 1890, the schools were becoming overcrowded again. The basement of the Methodist Church and some vacant stores were pressed into service as school rooms. This continued until D. M. Kelly became superintendent in 1909. He pressed for a new building for the high school which was built in 1912. Mr. Alexander Groves gave to the new school, the Lincoln building, a statue of Lincoln in memory of his son, Harry. The statue was placed on the third floor in the auditorium for several years on a green marble base. When the statue was moved outside to the northwest corner of Lincoln building it was placed on a different base. The old marble base was then given by Mrs. Alexander to the the D. A. R. for placement on the Kendall Young Library grounds to commemorate the Dragoon Trail. The Lincoln statue stands outside today on the east walk to the present high school building.

Washington Central Building

Old North was torn down and replaced by Central Building in 1922. The grade school north on Prospect was named North School and South Building, housing the grade school completed the arrangement of the three. In recent time, Central was renamed Washington Central, but the stone above the door still reads "Central." This building is slated for demolition when the new Middle School is constructed beginning in 1996. The Middle School is slated to have a construction cost of about 7.5 million dollars.

In the 1960's the concept of the neighborhood schools was begun. This caused the construction of many schools for the elementary grades. These included Lawn Hill on the west, Sunset Heights, Pleasant View, Riverview, Elm Park and Hilltop. Today Lawn Hill houses the administration, Riverview serves as a day care center, Hilltop is used by the Head Start program. North Grade School was torn down when the Frigidaire plant was expanded, and South building was torn down. The fate of the old Lincoln Building is being discussed. It could be sold or torn down after the Middle School has been completed.