History of Vernon County, Wisconsin. Together with sketches of its towns and villages, educational, civil, military and political history; portraits of prominent persons, and biographies of representative citizens.

              396
HISTORY OF VERN0N;C0UNTY.
The f"programme and curriculum of these palmy days were the time worn reading and arithmetic in the forenoon; geography, reading and spelling in the afternoon. Language les¬ sons or grammar were seldom or never taught. Penmanship was a scarcity. The benches and desks were rude; the ceiling low; the floor rough and rickety. No outbuildings were visible and on the whole the aspect looked uninviting. Yet here and there some good, solid work was accomplished, owing, perhaps, rather to the de¬ termination and patience of the pupil than to the ability of the teacher and the aid of books, and out from even these poor schools have gone earnest hearted youths and maidens equipped and harnessed fairly for the struggle of life. So true is it that talent will'finally manifest itself in spite of lack of aid from extensive sources.
Vernon county had several superintendents of schools in these days known as township su¬ perintendents.
By and by instead of xhe log cabin might be seen, along the public roads, here and there, the neat frame building; sometimes roomy and well lighted, with seats and desks in keeping, and occasionally a good blackboard and a map or two on the walls. Some system, too, was at¬ tempted in the examination of teachers, and also in the discipline of the school room. Schol¬ arship became a necessary factor in the teach¬ er's fitness. The schools were more frequently visited; better order prevailed; the tests of suc¬ cessful work sought out both by superintend¬ ents and district boards, and the attention of the public now closely turned to the conditions of the schools.
The township system of superintendents closed and that of county supervisors begun.
One of the first, if not the first county super¬ intendent was Mr. Hartwell Allen, who held the office for some years. Mr. N. Wright, of Bloomingdale, carried on the work for two years, and Mr. O. B. Wyman, then of Hillsbor¬ ough, continued it for six years longer.   These
gentlemen did earnest and successful work and helped to bring up the character of Vernon county schools to their present condition. At the close of Mr. Wyman's term of office Mr. William Haughton, a former principal of Viro¬ qua High School and pastor of the Congrega¬ tional Church at same place, was elected and again elected to the office in the last county election.
From a small beginning the schools now num¬ ber 160. Many of the buildings are commodi¬ ous and comfortable, respectably furnished and well ventilated. Quite a number are. very pleasantly located", and some of the towns have entered so heartily into educational matters that they have spared no cost and no pains in buildings and surroundings.
NUMBER  OF  SCHOOLS  IN  THE COUNTY.
In good condition 5 3 3 5 9 8 4 6 6
6 7 3 1 5 8 6 5 3 5 5
Total 21 towns,      160 In good condition, 107
SCHOOL HOUSES.
A few of these buildings are of brick and stone. The balance of those in good condition, quite a credit to the county.
Thirteen new school houses were built dur¬ ing the year. One in Christiana, costing $745 in the pleasant and thriving village of Westby,
Bergen        number
Christiana         ''
Clinton
Coon
Forest
Franklin           ''
Genoa               "
Greenwood       ''
Hamburg          **
Harmony          "
Hillsborough    "
Jefferson          *'
Kickapoo         *'
Liberty             '*
Stark
Sterling
Union                '*
Viroqua            "
Webster            "
Wheatland
Whitestown     '*
7
6
7
6
10
10
6
7
7
6
^
10
7
4
7
10
6
14
7
6
8