District No. 25 – Middleton School – Washington County Historical Society

Middleton School in 1954

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District No. 25, Middleton
DISTRICT FORMED	1852
YEARS SCHOOLS BUILT	1860
GENERAL LOCATION	Southwestern corner of Washington County, slightly southeast of Colby Lake.
MODERN ADDRESS	11256 Bailey Rd. in Woodbury.
DISTRICT BOUNDARIES	Colby Lake marks the northwestern corner; included the eastern half of Woodbury and the western tier of sections of Afton.
DISPOSITION	now a residence
NOTES	1858 or 1859: Schoolhouse built on a Mr. Brose’s farm, but only used one year. 1860: New schoolhouse built, 40 by 22 ft. 1870: addition built to school. There were two terms. The winter term was from October or November through March or April. The Summer term was from May through July. The first school was private, and held in William Middleton’s house with Ms. Colby as teacher. The first public school was in John McHattie’s old log house and for 2 years taught by a Ms. Hunter. Electricity wasn’t installed until 1938. In 1898, there were 20 pupils from 1st to 8th grade. By 1939, there were 23 students. 17 students attended the school in 1952. Encouraged to consolidate with other area schools into District 102 (Newport – St. Paul Park) in 1952 to improve the quality of education. The school building was enlarged in 1870 and then stood 40 feet long by 22 feet wide. Joined the South Washington County School District in the 1950s, but was the last district to do so.
MEMORIES:	“The first morning when I showed up in this cloud of uninformed expectancy, one of my 5th grade boys whose family farm sat on the brow of the hill rode a prancing pony up the 4 concrete steps into the school. I must have looked startled, for the boy turned the creature about and departed as quickly as he had entered. This was only the first event of many disillusioning me as to the nature of the rural children I was to be shut away with every day for the next year.”-Edwin G. Robb

Known Teachers:

(winter term, summer term)
1860-1: John Watson
1861-2: Miss Tanner
1876-7: Henry Briggs, Emma McHattie
1877-8: B.W. Rengra, Ellen McHattie
1878-9: C.R. Middleton, Cora Tyler
1879-80: C.R. Middleton, Annie McHattie
1880-1: J.W. Gordon, Sarah Bingaman
1881-2: Charles Moutoux and John Howard, Lizzie Withrow
1882-3: Emma McHattie (both)
1883-4: L. Gilman, Clara Swanson
1884-5: Jennie Witherspoon (both)
1885-6: Ida Season (both)
1886-7: Hattie Withrow, Annie McHattie
1887-8: Annie McHattie (both)
1888-9: Annie McHattie (both)
1889-90: Annie McHattie (both)
1890-1: Margaret McHattie (both)
1898-9: Winifred Snee
1899-1900: Eliza Stotesbury
1901-2: Eliza Stotesbury
1902-3: Eliza Stotesbury
1907-8: Clara Kernkamp
1908-9: Clara Kernkamp
1909-10: Hannah Greer
1936-7: Doris Spreeman
1937-8: Doris Spreeman
1938-9: Doris Spreeman
1939-40: Doris Spreeman
1943-4: Harriet Palm Lee
1948-9: Edwin Robb

Other teachers (before 1898): Mr. Rogers, Mr. Rice, Miss Vanslyke, Miss Seely, W. W. Hall, Miss Rufner, Miss Moss, T.P. James, Emily Crippen, Annie McHattie, Adda Ayres, Mary Borene.
(after 1898): Elsie Peterson, Miss Bostoe, Miss Fleming, Mrs. Jensen, Mrs. Briggs, Mrs. Black, Lavina Bush, Clara Kernkamp, Mamie Feeley, Deela Johnson, Grace White.