curred for in 1909 a new stove was purchased from Wernecke and Schmitz Hardware
for $97.75 and a new chimney built the same year. In 1916 another new stove
was
purchased from the same firm, but yearly bills were paid for stove repairs
until 1922.
The walls and ceiling of the schoolroom were covered with tin in 1928 by
John Hale
of Reedsville for $253, and a tin roof was put on the school in 1933.
    At present, the frame school, about 24 x 38 feet, has a large classroom
with cross-
lighting, a storage room, and a combined entry-cloakroom. The classroom has
the old
fashioned teacher's platform in the front %f the room. The building does
not have a
basement, so the usual fuel shed and outdoor toilets are the other buildings
on the
grounds. Single seats and desks replaced the double desks in 1930. ýElectric
lights
and services were installed in 1934. The school lacked most of the modern
teaching
equipment and physical conditions. The school up to the time of suspension
was still
heated by a stove without provisions for schoolroom ventilation. The first
set of
reference books, The 16tandard Reference, was purchased in 1922, while the
World
Books were first adopted in 1927, and the Comptons in 1938. There is no well
on the
grounds so every year some child was paid about $5 yearly to carry water
from a
neighboring well.
    There are no enrollment figures for this school before 1870, but by that
year 67
pupils were attending. The number increased yearly until 1890 when 84 children
were
enrolled. Thereafter the enrollment dropped steadily until by the school
year 1945-46
the attendance was only 6, although the number of children of school age
was above
&0 for the district. The establishment of parochial schools at Clarks
Mills and at
Whitelaw as well as other rural factors affected this school.
    Early settlers of this district acocrding to early assessment ralls were
W. T. Dun-
ham, Win. Hempton, D. Walsworth, Michael Murphy, John Halloran, Andrew Bren-
nan, James Brannigan, E. 1. Davis, James Finch, D. Tolefson, James Burns,
and the
Harris's. Later settlers after 1870 were W., J. Killen, the McCloister brothers,
Her-
man Schultz, August Schmelter, P. J. Scanlan, Dan Robinson, King Wieman,
Mich.
Pankratz, Bernard Brennan, Jos. Lemberger, John Reddin, and Theo. Miller.
The
Harris brothers had a sawmill, W. J. Killen a store and cheese box factory,
Mc-Clois-
ters a livery stable, Herman Schultz a cheese factory, Aug. Schmelter a blacksmith
shop, and P. J. Scanlon a butcher shop.
    School officers after 1872 were kept in office for long terms. Seymour
Robinson
was clerk of the district from 1872 to 1874. Other school officers and their
term of of-
fice were: Clerks Chas. Vanderlip 1874-77; Win. Hempton 1877-1881 and 1887-96;
John Murphy 1881-87; and J. W. Reddin 1896-1906. The treasurers were D. F.
Robin-
son 1878-83; Bernard Brennan 1883-97; and Theo. Miller 1897-1906. The directors
listed were M. Pankratz 1889-95; Peter Murphy 1895-1904; and John Kirch 1904-.
By 1876 the salary of the clerk was $10 yearly, but the treasurer was paid
a fee on
the money collected until 1886 when his salary was set at $10. It was not
until 1889
that the director received a salary of $10 yearly. The first record of a
board member
receiving pay for attending a board convention was recorded for 1906. Only
the
treasurer attended then, but by 1911, all three members received payment
for attend-
ing the school board convention.
    No record of the first teachers is available, but because of the fine
treasurer's
record book it is possible to list all of the teachers from 1872 up to 1906.
During the
early 1870's, summer and winter sessions were common. Men teachers were seeming-
ly preferred according to the following: Evelyn A. Flagg and Hiram White
1872; Me-
lora Shove and W. H. Hutchinson 1873; W. H. Hutchinson and Evelyn A. Flagg
1874-75;
P. E. Nagle 1876; Win. Leith 1877; Etta Solberg 1878; C. J. Hutchinson 1879-80;
Della
Shove 1881-2; James Burke 1883; James Carrigan 1885-6; Jos. Seidl 1887; Felix
Walsh
1888; Mary Brennan 1889-92; Lizzie Meany 1893-4; Mary Pelishek 1895; Hannah
Brennan 1896-8; Winifred Meany 1899; P. H. Guhin 1900-2; Louis Trossen 1903-4;
Stella Stranda 1905; and Marg. Doolan 1906. Those after 1906 are listed in
the School
Annuals.
    School records show that plans were made as early as 1921 for a new school
build-
ing. Beginning that year $300 yearly was raised to be set aside for a building
fund.
That sum was later increased to $500 yearly, so that by 1933 the sum of $5,371
was in
the fund. This sum was never used for a new school.
    Of historical interest to the community is the little white Presbyterian
Church
on the lot adjoining the school site. The lot was donated by Nelson Harris
for a
church which was built in the early 1860's. The church records have been
lost so
much of its history is unknown, but it is known that the Hemptons, Palmers,
Davis's,
Morgans, Harris's and Coopers were early members. The cemetery adjoining
the
church is the final resting place of early settlers. Today the church and
cemetery
stand neglected and unused.
    Cato district No. 1 is today a prosperous farming community which includes
the
village of Cato. The old industries of this hamlet are gone, but new business
places


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