History of Morris, Wisconsin
“Boarding Houses” were the equivalent of Bunk Houses in the Old West. This was a place to house the single men employees that worked at the sawmill, lumber camps, and other business that the employers owned. Look at the number of men (28 including the cook) and you know there were no separate rooms, but they jammed as many men in as possible and you ate what the cook made.
Boarding houses included “Room and Board” plus any payment that you would received in addition. During “hard times” some people were happy to get a place to stay and something to eat.
Morris Schools
Norway School - District #1
Banner School - District #2
Submitted by Lorna (nee Klinner) Dumke, Widow of Lyle Dumke (1952 graduate of Bowler High School)
Banner School, Town of Morris, District #2 was located 4 miles east of Wittenberg on the Southwest corner of Banner Rd and Highway 29. Present address is N6495 Banner Road.
History: In 1885, the Town of Morris bought one square acre of land for a school. It was formed in 1912. I found this information in the basement of the Shawano Courthouse. I graduated from the 8th grade at Banner School in the spring of 1946. Janet (Nelson) Lang and I were the only 8th Grade students. From there we went to Wittenberg High School. When the Banner School closed, in 1948, the Hartleben and the Wendler students went to Bowler High School.
School Exterior: It had white siding and a front porch and a bell on the top of the building. Ron Ashenbrenner said, at some time, the building was cut in half and made longer.
School Interior: Inside the front entrance, boys put their lunch buckets and clothes on one side and the girls were on the other side. There was a big black stove, blackboards, a water fountain (bubbler), a pull down globe, wall maps, teacher’s desk, and piano. Every student had a desk with an ink well (hole for ink). At Christmas time, we would have a stage and curtains for a big program for parents and neighbors.
Outside Property: A big merry-go-round, outside toilet, a shed and ball diamond. There was a community picnic on the last day of School.
Reminiscing: My dad would start the fire for the teacher. The older students would bring in wood and water for the cooler. Lessons were made on a hexagraph machine. We would have singing lessons the first thing every morning. In the spring, we played ball on Friday afternoons with surrounding schools. We collected milkweed pods for the parachutes during World War II.
When consolidated: The building was moved to Wittenberg and used for band classes. It is still standing (I think) behind an old bus garage, near the new Middle School. The windows are all out.
Who owns property today: Ronald Ashenbrenner bought this property from a Korb family from Clintonville and built a house on the lot in 1963.
Epilog: We boarded most of the teachers, because we lived a very short distance from the school. I liked them all and I became a teacher and taught for almost 40 years.
