Page:History of Goodhue County, Minnesota.djvu/331

CHAPTER XVII. COUNTY SCHOOLS. First School Taught — First District Organized — Anecdotes of the Early Days — Statistics — Summer Schools — Library Asso- ciation — High Schools — Church Schools — City Superinten- dents — County Superintendents — Sunday School Work — Hamline University — Red Wing Seminary — Villa Marie — Lutheran Ladies' Seminary — Orphans' Home — State Train- ing School — Business Colleges — By Prof. Julius Boraas. The first settlers of Goodhue county had a strong faith in the value of an education. Those who came from the New England states brought with them the noble ideals of early New England traditions, according to which the first things a community thought of as a community was its school and its church. The immigrants who came directly from Europe came from countries in which education was valued highly and schools well developed. It was natural, therefore, that as soon as a settlement was made anywhere in the county some provision would be made for a school. Even before any public schools could be organized private schools were taught, the first one of which any record is known being held in one of the old Indian mission houses in Red Wing during the year of 1853 and taught by Mrs. H. L. Bevans. The first school district organized was District No. 1 at Red "Wing, in 1854. Then followed in the order of townships the organization of districts in Wacouta, Burnside, Welch, Stanton, Cannon Falls, Vasa, Featherstone, Hay Creek, Florence, Central Point, Belvidere, Goodhue, Belle Creek, Leon, AA r arsaw, Holden, Wanamingo, Minneola, Zumbrota, Cherry Grove, Pine Island, Roscoe, and Kenyon. It was natural that the conditions of the schools during the first years of pioneer life should be rather primitive. Schools were sometimes kept in private buildings. One is mentioned as being kept in a "lean to," a sort of summer kitchen; another was kept in the attic of a small log cabin where the rafters were so low that the superintendent had to beware of bumping his head when visiting the school. One school was kept in a large 271