Fremont, Feb. 28, 1925 – That a considerable number of the Freshman class of the local high school have chosen Pioneer Life as the subject of their orations this year is an indication that an interest has been enkindled that cannot help but have a pleasing result.

Education to these young people will mean much more if they realize the sacrifices that have attended the development and growth of the community from primitive conditions to the complex development of today.

While the subject matter of these themes is pioneer life in general, the discussion brings to mind the history of the school system itself. It is a long way from the first school taught in a log cabin with six white and three Indian children as pupils to the present time when 530 pupils are enrolled, of many nationalities but with none of the original inhabitants, the red men.

In 1854, the United State government ceded lands around what is now Fremont to the Indians in exchange for their lands farther south. This same year Daniel Joslin blazed a trail from Newaygo and built a log cabin at Elm Corners, a mile east of the city. The next year the pioneer families of Wilkes Stuart and Daniel Weaver arrived early in the spring. Weaver built a log cabin where the W.F. Reber residence now stands, which was the first house in what is now the city. Later in the year and in following years many other settlers arrived. They spread out in all directions, but Weaver’s was the only house within the present city limits for some time. This pioneer cabin served as residence, inn, postoffice and schoolhouse. The first school was taught in the old log cabin in 1857 my Mary Hubbell. Six white children and three Indian children made up the school.

Quarters Cramped.

By the next year, so many settlers had arrived that it became necessary to build a school. The settlement at Elm Corners was the most populous of the settlements. It wanted the school built there, but the settlement at Weaverville would not agree to it. So two districts were started. At the "corners" a shingle shanty back of James Mallory’s house was used for a time until a new building could be built on the corner diagonally across. The new building, complete cost only $75. Helen Cunningham, afterwards Mrs. Benjamin Ish, was the first teacher and Thad Waters the second. In the meantime at the Weaverville settlement, Daniel Weaver, Shepherd Tibbitts, Willard Howell and others, with the help of the Indians, put up a little plank schoolhouse on the hill where the city park is now located. Mary McDonald was the first teacher in the new building. She was followed by Thad Waters and he by Romanda Carpenter. During Thad Water’s regime, there were fifteen Indian children in the school and a few more whites. Some of the Indian children were We-um, Wa-ba-ka-ka-ka, Pean Pas-caw-naw-baw-naw, Be-sah-ney, and Tum-I-gum.

Where the north side of Fremont no is, there was a slashing and the Indian children hid their dinners in it, and at noon Be-sah-ney spread her shawl on the ground, the food was placed on it and all partook. One day Weaver’s old sow found the dinners and the children came back to the school house with long faces and empty stomachs. They were asked what the trouble was and one child answered, "Old sow eatum dinner". The white scholars were called in and each contributed something. After this they did not entrust their lunches to the slashing but brought them into the school house.

Used as Home

The little plank school house was abandoned in 1865 and was used as a home. during this time, it because the birthplace of Fred Fry, whose parents were early inhabitants. Fred is still a resident of the city. Afterwards the building was moved into the next block and used as a barn. It was not torn down until five years ago.

In 1865 the two district became reconciled and a frame school was built midway between the two settlements. It stood directly across from the "old cemetery" on the farm now owned by D. Powers and Son. Some of the teachers in this building were Cyrus Alton, Ambrose Bell, and Jeptha Lamb. Quite a number of the pioneer children attended, among whom were Glinton Upton, John and George Rutherford, Ellen and Lew Addison, Ella Root, Emma Weaver, Mary Stuart, Florence David, Lida Rhodes, Tommy Rhodes, Mary, Sarah and Arminda Dorwin, Martha Thompson, Shapatese Pawcannawbawnaw, Kadaquot Cary, and Mary and Abnewa Coby. Of the pupils names, only three remain. Tommy Rhodes lives at Grant. Clinton Upton and Florence David, now Mrs. F.M. Spooner, still make Fremont their home.

In a few years this school house became inadequate to care for the large number of children that came with the rapid settlement of the country, and it was decided to build a four-room brick school which was completed in 1876 and which forms the first unit of the present school building. But before it was ready for occupancy, the crowded condition of "the little white school" made it necessary to rent quarters for a part of the pupils. Where the Methodist church now stand was a small building known as the Tabernacle, and this was rented for a time for the primary pupils. Near the present Charles Pearson store was an old wooden store building, and this was used temporarily, as also was the old Grange Hall, which then stood back of the present grange hall. This old hall is now a part of a blacksmith shop.

Adopt New Plan

By 1882 there was again a lack of room for all the pupils and those in the primary grades were sent to the "little School" which was over the old fire hall on the corner of Dayton and Division streets, across from Graff’s garage. The first two years in the brick school the country school plan was followed. In September 1878, the grade system was adopted. James Warnock was the first superintendent and the teachers were Carrie Queal, Jane Warnock and Elizabeth Fortune. The class of 1979 was the first graduated, and it consisted of five girls and three boys. Clara Skinner, on of these graduates, moved to Grand Rapids and for more than thirty years was a teacher and principal in the public school so that city. Fred Wade moved to Saugatuck, Allegan County, and in 1923 represented his county in the state legislature. Carl Kimball is the only one of the class remaining here.

Since Mr. Warnock’s superintendency of two years, twelve other superintendents have held sway, as follows: Harlan J. Dudley, one year, R.L. McChesney, one year; F.E. Burkhead, three years, C. W. Bean, three years; R.C. Sellman, two years, Francis Sillson, five years; William E. Gould, three years, F.H. Sooy, two years; E.L. Griffith, one year, W.H. Wentworth, three years, A.R. Shigley, eleven years; Earl H. Babcock, eight years, S.S. Nisbet, two years. Some of these superintendent have risen to high places in the teaching or in other professions. Harlan Dudley entered the lumber business here, with he followed for years, them moved to Grand Rapids ;where he still has a lumber business in this line. William E. Gould is now a chemist and metallurgist in Muskegon. F.H. Sooy is house principal of the Southwester High School in Detroit while W. H. Wentworth is instructor in mathematics at the Northwestern High School in the same city. A.R. Shigley is at present superintendent of the Allegan city schools and Earl H. Babcock holds a similar position at Grand Haven. Francis E. Stillson met a tragic end. After several years as County School Commissioner, he followed various lines of business and finally committed suicide in Jackson, this state.

Build Second Unit

By 1888 it was apparent that, in spite of the rented rooms outside the school building, something must be done to increase the school facilities, and the second unit of four rooms was built and the two lower rooms occupied in 1889-90. One of the upper rooms was occupied by the janitor and as a store room. These rooms were later used for school purposes, but by 1908 the need for room was so urgent that in June of that year the district voted to bond for $15,000, which was increased the next year by $5,000 to build an annex. The building was completed in February, 1910.

When chemistry was added to the course of study, a small frame building was constructed on the school grounds for a chemical laboratory. After a few years this was abandoned, sold, move away and became a residence.

A small brick building that had been used as a toilet was rebuilt and occupied by the county normal training school. It was torn down when the last unit of the school was built. The normal school was abandoned in 1920 for lack of room.

With the coming of W.H. Wentworth as superintendent, many changes took place in the course of study to make the school conform to and keep pace with the best schools of the country. The curriculum has been expanded many times and made more elastic. Music and drawing because regular parts of the school work in 1908. In the same year, $50 was voted by the Board for athletics. In 1911, $10 was voted to prepare a library room. Semi-annual promotions were inaugurated in 1914. The commercial course was added in 1916. During part of these years, the school was so crowded that the smaller children were taught in rooms in the I.O.O.F. hall. Lair the Grange hall was used for the same purpose.

$1,550 in Salaries

When the first class graduated in 1879, there were a principal and three other teachers and their combined salaries for the year amounted to $1,550. In 1923-24 there was a superintendent and 21 teachers whose combined salaries amounted to $30,636.46. payment for janitor service the first year mention was $97.50 in the last year mentioned it was $1,925.25. In the first year fuel cost $133.27 and the last year its cost was $1,574.55. Tuition from pupils outside the district the first year was $25, in the last year, $7,582.40.

The figures for attendance are also interesting, but the first record available is for the 1902-03. In that year the average number belonging to the whose school was 290 and to the high school 40. In 1923-24 the number for the whole school was 530 and for the high school230. In the meantime, a parochial school had been established in the city with an attendance of about 70 pupils who formerly attended the public school.

Sixteen years ago the school received $2,583.50 from the Primary school fund while last year the amount was $7,187.50. The voted tax six years ago was $5,490.14 while last year it was $26,000.