The first school house in the town of Woodland was somewhere in section 33. The exact location is not known. All in one year, 1855 the first school was held in the home of Mark Daivs, and taught by Jane Gill. Before the term was over a new school house was ready so they finished their term in it. Melissa Brown who was born in the Betel community wrote me that her sister Valerie taught her first school a mile from Valton. An old settler that I talked with remembered a school not far from Leo Thompsons farm buildings. This might have been a school, but it was not in section 33.

The written records of the Valton school still in existence were began in 1867. Both the school clerks books and the treasurer book were started in the same year 1867, This fact maybe one proof that the Valton school children attended the school in sec. 33 till that date. At this time Valton was only 10 years old.

The first term of school recorded in the register (in the possession of Ralph Mortimer) Began Dec. 2, 1867. WM. Lonsdale was the teacher. The term ended March 20, 1868. The next term began May 4, 1868 and closed July 22. Sara Davis was the teacher. There was also a pupil in that school named Sara Davis, age 7. The names listed below were pupils registered in the school term that began Dec. 2, 1867. You will notice that no attempt was made to list the students in alphabetical order. They must have recorded them as they appeared the first day of school or the day thereafter that they happened to come for the first time. The ages might also be interesting. (These books are now in the possession of the Sauk County Historical Society in Baraboo. Jeanne Ann Wallendal donated them in 1999.)

Note : The register had a place for six days a week. After May 23, 1870 the record show that several Saturdays were taught, I.E. school was held on Saturday.

The next term was a summer term that was in session from May 4 to July 22, 1868 and taught by Sarah Davis. The following children registered that had not been on the register for the winter term. Perhaps some of the children were just moving into Valton country. The Holderman children did not start the term but came in the week after the school had started. The first one in this list, Frankie Hall may have been a colored boy. There was a colored family by that name living just south up the valley from Bert Mortimer's farm buildings.

The fall term of 1868 saw the following new names of the register.

The school was either very large in those early days or it was very crowded. In 1867 the winter term had an enrollment of 58. The summer term of 1868 went down to 48, but the next term in the fall there were enrolled 165. One student came only 5 days during the term.

I have in my possession a list of children whose ages range from 5 to 20. It is the school census recorded Aug. 31, 1870. There are 46 Boys and 50 girls. Of course at that time the Valton school district was larger than it is now. Just after Aug. 24 1873, a special meeting was held between supervisors of Woodland and the voters of district no. 6. At this meeting they voted to form district no. 8. By taking from Valton the following sections 30, 31, 32 and part of 29. In this same year at their annual school meeting they had voted not to accept children who would be coming from other districts. (The correct date of this meeting was not 1873, but Aug. 29, 1870.)

The following was copied from the clerk's record book of the annual school meeting which convened Aug. 31,1869.

The legal voters of district no. 6. Met at the school house on this 31st day if Aug. 1869 according to the notice duly given. Voted six months school, three months summer, three months winter. Voted $180.00 for teachers wages. Voted to have a male teacher for the winter term. Voted to have a female teacher for the summer term. Voted 12 cords of wood (two feet length, good hard wood) to be delivered between the first of Dec. and the first of march. Voted to raise $5.88 for wood purposes. W. L.. Clemens and Sarah Davis received 8 and 9 voted for clerk. Clemens was then elected as treasurer. The meeting was adjured till the last Monday of Aug. 1870. It was signed by Vison Slasor, clerk.

In Feb. of 1870 there was a petition circulated to call a special meeting. The purpose was to expel the clerk. The following people signed their names: W. Hutchens, A. B. Stuck, WM. Hollingshead, Simeon Mortimer, WM. H. Bedell, John A Good, E. B.. Town and John Holderman. The house was called to order by Josiah Cox. After some remarks from the petitioners a motion was made to adjourn. But the clerk still held his office. Another special meeting was called May 3, 1870 to vote on hiring a female teacher for the summer term. John George was chairman.

The following notes were taken of the yearly meeting from 1870-1874.

1870--Four months winter school and three month summer. Leave the decision of sex of teacher to school board. Let scholars come from other districts.
1871--Voted $ 75.00 for teachers wages. Had voted $ 150.00 for 1870.
1872--Voted 100.00 for teachers wages. If 20 cords of wood does not arrive by Oct. 1, ten dollars should be forfeited.
1873--Lester Clemens elected director. Voted to have nine months of school. Voted to have three terms. The first to start Oct. 1, the second to begin just after the new year, the third to begin April 1. Voted to hire a teacher for 3 months. Voted $ 300.00 for teachers wages. Voted $ 100.00 for contingent fund. If the teacher is satisfactory, he may teach for 6 months.
1874--(Special Meeting) Discussed hiring an assistant teacher. Appointed a comm. of five to consider problems involved in building a new school. Members of these comm. were: John Mortimer, E. A.. Miller, WM. Craig, Lester Clemens, & N. L.. Harvey. (The new school was not built till 11 years later).

The school has had the following clerks: From 1866-83 Jacob Daivs, Vinson Slasor, Samuel Davisson, B. T.. Thomas, N. C. Harvey, E. D. Horton. Davisson & Horton served twice during that time. The other officers (treasurer & director) were S. P. Davis, Josiah Cox, John Thompson (elected just after he moved to Valton), W. L.. Clemens and WM. Hutchens.

The teachers during the years 1867-73 were as follows: W. C.. Mullenix, WM. Lonsdale, Sarah Davis, Sarah Bunker, George Brown, Julia Jordan, Imogene Potter, Julia Maher, Ella Cook, Jabez Brown. Jabez Brown taught the school in the summer time 1873. When I mentioned this fact to his daughter Melissa, she was not aware of this. Anyway she was only 12 when her father was at Valton. Late in 1873 WM. Markee came to Valton to teach. He stayed three terms. He was followed by Hannah Mann in 1875. There was no report in the records from then till 1881 when Lydia Thompson and A. Benoit taught. Lydia was my mothers teacher.

Building a new two story school house: It has already been brought out that a new school house was discussed in school meetings as early as 1874, but it was not till ten years later that definite plans were carries out to have one built. Money for the new school was raised as follows: $600.00 from the state trust fund. Raised $400.00 by taxation. They paid $ 50.00 to Lester Clemens for an additional lot to be added to the school ground. They voted to seat the upper room with tables and chairs. The lower room was to have patent seats. A former ruling not to accept students form other districts was changed. Now they were willing to let students attend the upper form if they would pay $ 1.00 tuition a month.

The old building was moved away and all rubbish was to be removed before Sept. 1, 1885. The job went to the highest bidder, Bill and Henry Gibbons. The old school house was later used as a barn just east of the spot where Berberrich Garage now stands. It was used to shelter horses that were driven to town by people who came to dances in the Gibbons Hall.

The contract for the building of the new school was let out to George Miller and Mr. Thornton. This building served the community until 1928 when the present brick building was built. Lona Mortimer tore down the two story building and took much of it to Baraboo.

Early Qualifications of teachers : Teachers were encouraged to try for a higher grade license which would give them more privileges. Form 1869-1882 only one teacher at Valton, Will Bundy was given a first grade license to teach. This license enabled him to teach two years without getting it renewed. He passed on more than the regular subjects. Here is a list of the subjects that teachers were required to pass on: Orthography, Orthoepy, Reading, Penmanship, Mental Arithmetic, Written Arithmetic, English Grammar, Geography, US History, Theory of Teaching. According to the records I examined the teachers usually wrote on all of these subjects each time they tried to get a license. The grades on the records do not furnish anything to be bragged about but there were some compensations. Some of the early teachers were Christians and were a good examples morally and spiritually. Some read the Bible each day at school and opened the day with a prayer. The people must have put their approval on the work of the teachers they hired. About 1875 rules and regulations were votes at the annual meeting as follows: There shall be no profane, swearing, or indecent, vulgar talks allowed either in the school house or on the playground during any time of school by any of the pupils. No pupil shall be allowed to use tobacco in any form.

Teachers Salary : At the first they felt that a man was worth more than a woman and was better for the summer terms than winter. In 1868 the man was paid $ 40.00 a month, while the woman teacher was to get $ 24.00 a month. In 1975 the margin wasn't much when the man was paid $ 33.00 and the women $ 30.00. At the annual meeting of the school in 1875 they set aside $ 200.00 for the teachers wages. In each of three years following they voted only $ 125.00 for the teacher. This means that they must have been able to find a teacher for less wages or were getting their money from some other source.

The teachers drew their wages in large or small amounts now days the teachers are paid once or twice a month and drew the same amount each time. Then there was such irregularity in the amounts that they drew out. WM. Lonsdale, the teacher in 1868, drew out only $ 7.00 at a time. The next time he received $ 158.00 which was perhaps all that he had coming for the term. In the contract they were allowed to received all or part of their salary before the end of the term.

In the eight years from Sept. 1867 to Aug. 1875, Valton paid her teachers a total of $ 1924.00 in wages this would average $ 240.00 a year or $ 30.00 a month. Below is a yearly record of the total paid the teacher during the years mentioned above.

This variation for $181.00 to $380.00 per year was influenced by two factors. The higher salaries for men and the longer term or shorter terms of school. At each school meeting they voted on the length of the school term and how many terms they would have. They had from nine months to six or seven every year. They had two and three terms each year of three of four months each. There was a summer term in those early years.

The salaries did not change much till some time after 1900. In 1896-97 the salary paid a man teachers was $38.00 to $40.00 a month. WM. Simonds and Ed Miller were teachers in the upper from. Carrie Woolever received only $28.00 a month, her first contract was good for only two months due to the type license she had. To get a better license the teacher had to pass on more of the subjects required for teachers. Carrie taught at Valton in 1897-98.

Below is the list of those who were paid for jobs done at and for school. Some of those would be parents of the school children.

M. McCoon	Simeon Mortimer	Sam Fraier
WM. Hollingshead	A. L. Miller	B.F. Thomas
Elijah Hollingshead	WM. Bedell	M. T. Green
Carrie Craig	Josiah Small	Alex Lavalley
WM. Craig	David Miller	John Fink
Mrs. John Murdock	H. W. Tabor	Wilson Davis

W. Chesmore----------Drilled well in 1888. Received $55.00.

Today Valton is enjoying a modern brick school building well equipped with the best in teaching materials and taught by those who have had several more years of preparation than used to be required. Yet some great names have come from the students who went requirements were much lower and the equipment was poor and scarce. Another chapter will speak of those who have gone from Valton to make a name for themselves and put Valton in the map by sharing their fame.

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