The names of the earliest school board on record are for 1871 when Ernest
Mol-
denhauer, Joachim Schnell, and Gilbert'Guldbrandson served. Others who served
from 1872 to 1906 were C. F. Hacker 1872-73, Harry Gilbertson 1874-1880,
Henry
Mathias 1864-1900. Ernest Moldenhauer, Jos. Thalhammer, Otto Rusch, and Gilbert
Gullickson were other board members listed. Wm. Moldenhauer was a member
of the
board in the later 1900's for 23 years. Win. Mathias served as director for
28 years.
    Math. Murphy was the earliest known teacher, teaching this school in
1868. Others
in the order of their succession up to 1906, except for missing records,
were Edmund
Smalley, Jennie Hodges, Win. A. Wilson, J. W. Finch, Agnes Burnet, Bridget
Morris,
Marion Hougen, Emma Hougen, C. J. Groth, Owen Murphy, Ole Juel, Geo. Gehbe,
E. S. Crowe ,Martin Marken, Ed. M. Koch, and Mabel Gilbertson. Owen Murphy
later
became governor of Arizona, Ole Juel became a clergyman and author in the
East,
Wm. Wilson became a caretaker of the Abraham Lincoln home in Springfield,
and
E. S. Crowe became the editor of the Manitowoc Pilot.
    Prior to 1906 the school received its mail from nearby postoffices at
Oslo, Eaton,
and Rube. The latter place is still designated by that name on county maps
but is
now sometimes called Thalhammer's Corner. It is a crossroads hamlet with
a cheese
factory, telephone exchange, and a tavern. This district has one of the longest
strips
of high woods in .the county along its western boundary.

                          LIBERTY JT. 4 -BADGER
                                   Rita Groh


    Liberty joint district No. 4
was named the Badger school
after the nickname of our state
and not because there were
many badgers in this area. The
more common name for the
school is the Pigeon Lake school
because it is situated a little
more than a mile north of that
lake.
  This school district was set
up as early as 1856 for taxation
purposes at least. The Eaton
assessment roll of 1857 shows
that at that time this district
contained all of sections 19, 20,
21, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, and 33 of


the present Liberty township.
From 1857 to 1860 the township of Buchanan (now Liberty) was in existence
and so
Eaton No. 4 became Buchanan district No. 4. After 1860, Buchanan became Liberty
township and then this school district became Liberty No. 4. Since its organization
much of its area has been detached to become parts of Eaton Jt. 1 and Liberty
No. 6.
In 1909, a small piece 'of land in section 4, town of Meeme was attached
to this dis-
trict and thus it became Liberty joint 4, joint with Meeme. At present this
district is
made up of sections 27, 28, 29, 32, and 33, and parts of sections 21 and
22, all in Liberty,
plus a piece of land in section 4, Meeme.
    The schoolhouse is located on the corner of county trunk highway C and
the
Pigeon Lake road. For many years this school site was leased to the district
by Mike
Dunbar and his wife. In 1891, the district bought the school site from the
Dunbars
for $24. The size of the schoolyard is 10 x 8 rods or one-half- acre.
    The first log schoolhouse was located one-half mile west of the present
school on
Highway C. No trace of the original site or building remains. Just when this
build-
ing was built, its size, and cost are facts unknown as the district records
of those early
days are destroyed. It is known that the first school had no floor and that
the desks
and seats were made of planks. It is said that some of the pupils' desks
were so high
that they often toppled over. Whenever this happened, the children were punished
by being made to sit under the teacher's desk or by sitting in the chimney
hole. The
latter punishment was often rather difficult for some boys because they were
so big.
Just when the first school was abandoned is unknown.
    The second log building covered with sioling and painted red was built
on the
present site. This must have been some years before 1870, since it is said
that J. C.
Mallaz was one of the first teachers in the school. There is no record of
such a teacher
after the above date in the county superintendent of schools records. The
size of thip
building and interesting facts about its construction are unknown. There
were double


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