added to the west wall. The chimney had tQ be rebuilt and moved and a new
heating-
ventilating system installed. An extra door was cut into the east wall near
the north-
east corner. Electric service was also installed at about the same time.
The old double
desks and seats purchased in 1894 were retained. Outdoor toilets were repaired
and
improved to meet sanitary standards. The school then remained in operation
until
1944 when it again suspended operations. By 1946-47, the district had no
pupils at-
tending a public school since the 58 children of school age were attending
parochial
schools at Clarks Mills and 'Reedsville or attending high school at Valders
and Reeds-
ville.

    The district records, which are as complete and well-kept as any in the
county,
 date back to 1860. Early settlers of 1860 mentioned were H. W. Bersie, John
Tuschel,
 E. N.. Evans, S. A. Newell, Thos. Fenton, Calvin Dorr, Dan Silsbee, C. A.
Eggert, Jos.
 Miller, M. Engerson, Sam Bersie, Peter Gerber, and Win. Chisholm. Later
pioneers
 of about 1870, in addition to the above, were David Soper, Wencld Schmidt,
Wencil
 Miller, John Dietrich, Orrin Hammond, John Croissant, Jos. Felber, Wesley
Mason,
 Win. Greenman, E. Brown, John Gintner, Jos. Schluck, Christ Thompson, Allen
Cham-
 plain, Adam Wallender, John Steiner, and Franz Kellner. The Cato Falls area
was
 settled by Yankees. Cato Falls was once a prosperous village boasting two
taverns
 operated by Jos. Felber and Franz Kellner; a saw and grist mill operated
by S. A.
 Newell; a store operated by Cary, Brown, and later by Kellner; and a blacksmith
shop
 operated by Dan Silsbee. The community boasted of about ten houses in which
lived
 the families of Mason, Bersie, Hein, and Dorr. Ruins of these residences
were in
 evidence until very recently.

    The offices on the school board were always in the hands of the Yankees
until
about 1880. No one person held office for many terms because of the competition
for
them. The following residents served on the board at various times before
1906: S. A.
Newell, Thos. Fenton, John Boynton, Peter Gerber, A. P. Cary, Franz Wilhelm,
Alf.
Alfson, Jos. F. Dietrich, H. W. Bersie, Calvin Dorr, Jos. Silsbee, Halvor
Alfson, Franz
Kellner, Jos. Tuschel, Geo. Schmidt, John Gintner, E. N. Evans, Fred Helfrisch,
Peter
Eigenberger, W. H. Truettner, J. F. Rappel, and Peter Geigel.

    For the first 40 years of this school the term of school was divided
into a summer
and winter session. Mary Croissant in the winter of 1861, January to April,
received
$1.50 per week plus board. The winter terms were for three and four months
with
summer sessions of two and three months. Winter sessions usually began in
November
or December, with the spring or summer term beginning in May or June. The
pay
ranged from $8 per month in 1863 to $50 in 1869 . The average salary during
the 1800's
was about $30 per month of 22 days per teaching month. It was not until about
1874
that the 20 day month was specified in the teachers' contracts. Local teachers
were
employed, but teachers from Maine, Madison, and Marinette were hired at one
time
or other.

    The list of teachers is complete because of the fine records kept. Teachers
who
taught this school in addition to Mary Croissant were: 1862 Emma Hurd, Angeline
Robinson; 1863 Mary Shove, Evelyn Flagg; 1864 Evelyn Flagg, Elizabeth Abbott;
1865
Josie Norris, Sarah Tucker; 1866 C. M. Croissant, Martha Oakley; 1867 C.
S. McGin-
ley, Lizzie Dryer; 1868 Julia Sharp, M. E. McMillan, Nina Dezell; 1869 Frank
Wallace;
1870 Maggie Mitchell, John S. Cleary; 1871 Alice Gould, Evelyn Flagg; 1872
Mary
Murphy; 1873 Josie Murphy, Estella Newell; 1874 Estella Newell, Kate O'Donnell;
1875 W. A. Synon, Delia Lawrence; 1876 Relia Lawrence, Esther Burnett; 1877
Ange-
line Heath, Richard Burke; 1878 Angeline Heath; 1879 Edith Squirrell, Mary
Hougen;
1880 Mary Hougen, Minnie Torrison; 1881 Minnie Torrison, Thos. Hogan; 1882
Marian
Hougen; 1883 Lizzie Hammond; 1884 Nellie Fenlon, Marian Hougen; 1885 Mamie
Sol-
berg; 1886 Maggie Mullins; 1887 Mamie Brennan; 1888-9 Julia O'Marken; 1890
Ida
Olson; 1891 Kitty Thofnton; 1892 Sarah Kennedy; 1893 E. V. Peppard; 1893-7
and
1899-1902 Mamie Laughlin; 1897-8 John Wilhelm; 1903 Katie Laughijn, 1904
Celia
McCarthy; 1905 Jennie Norris; and 1906 Mamie Brennan. The last teacher in
this
school was Madonna Hunsader in 1943-4.

    Cato Falls is now nothing more than a falls in Cato township. The early
indus-
tries have disappeared as have the store and cheese factory of J .F. Rappel.
Two
homes now make up the hamlet. The river provides the community residents
with
recreation and fishing spots. The falls is a scenic spot which' attracts
picnickers


ughout the summer. The district is now settled by prosperous German and Nor-
an-American families who see no possibility that the little rural school
built 87
s ago will ever be used again for school purposes.


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