HISTORY OF WISCONSIN.5 
 
of regents of normal schools,'" who were to 
be appointed in pursuance of the provisions of 
that act. Under this law, the income placed at 
the disposal of the regents was distributed for 
several years to such colleges, academies and 
high schools as maintained a normal class, and 
in proportion to the number of pupils in the 
class who passed satisfactory examinations, con- 
ducted by an agent of the board. In 1865, the 
Legislature divided the swamp lands and swamp 
land fund into two equal parts, one for drain- 
age purposes, the other to constitute a normal 
school fund. The income of the latter was to 
be applied to establishing, supporting and main- 
taining normal schools, under the direction and 
management of the board of regents of normal 
schools, with a proviso that one-fourth of such 
income should be transferred to the common 
school fund, until the annual income of that 
fund should reach $200,000. During the same 
year, proposals were invited for extending aid 
in the establishment of a normal school, and 
propositions were received from various places. 
In 1866, the board of regents was incorpo- 
rated by the Legislature. In February, Platte- 
ville was conditionally selected as the site of a 
school, and as it had become apparent that a 
productive fund of about $600,000, with a net 
income of over $30,000, was already in hand, 
with a prospect of a steady increase as fast as 
lands were sold, the board, after a careful in- 
vestigation and consideration of the different 
methods, decided upon the policy of establisi- 
ing several schools, and of locatingothem in 
different parts of the State. At a meeting lheld 
on the 2d day of May, in the same year, the 
board designated Whitewater as the site of a 
school for the southeastern section of the State, 
where a building was subsequently erected; and 
on the 16th permanently located'a school at 
Platteville, the academy building having been 
donated for that purpose. The school at Platte- 
ville was opened Oct. 9, 1866. The school at 
Whitewater was opened on the 21st of April, 
1868. 
 
A building was completed during the year 
1870 for a third normal school, at Oshkosh, but 
owing to a lack of funds, it was not opened for 
the admission of pupils during that year. The 
opening and the ceremony of dedicating the bild- 
ing took place Sept. 19, 1871. A fourth normal 
school was opened in September, 1875, at River 
Falls, Pierce county. It is understood to be the 
policy of the board of regents to establish 
eventually, when the means at their disposal 
shall permit, not less than six normal schools, 
but several years must elapse before so many 
can go into operation. The law under which 
these schools are organized provides that "The 
exclusive purpose of each normal school shall 
be the instruction and training of persons, both 
male and female, in the theory and art of teach- 
ing, and in all-the various branches that per- 
tain to a good common school education, and in 
all subjects needful to qualify for teaching in 
the public schools; also to give instruction in 
the fundamental laws of the United States and 
of this State, and in what regards the rights and 
duties of citizens." 
Subsidiary to the State normal schools are 
teachers' institutes, held annually in nearly 
every settled county, and the State teachers' 
association, which has been organized for a 
quarter of a century. Besides the public schools 
of the State, there are a number of denomina- 
tional and other colleges, the principal of which 
are Racine College, Beloit College, Milton Col- 
lege, Ripon College, Carroll College, at Wau- 
kesha; Lawrence University, at Appleton; St. 
John's College, at Prairie du Chien; Galesville 
University; Northwestern University, at Water- 
town; and Pio Nono College, at St. Francis 
Station, south of Milwaukee. There is also 
quite a large number of incorporated academies 
and seminaries, the more prominent ones being 
the Milwaukee Academy and St. Mary's Insti- 
tute, at Milwaukee; Kemper Hall, at Kenosha; 
St. Catharine's Academy, at Racine; Rochester 
Seminary, Lake Geneva Seminary, Fox Lake 
Seminary, Albion Academy, Elroy Seminary, 
 
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