Monroe County, Wisconsin - Chapter 42: The Tomaii Indian Industrial School, 1912

Chapter 42: The Tomaii Indian Industrial School

Perhaps one of the most interesting educational institutions in the county is the Indian Industrial Boarding School located at Toniali; this is one of the several schools owned and conducted by the United States Government for the education of Indian children.

AVhen in 1890 the subject Avas agitated of establishing an Int^iian school in the central portion of Wisconsin, a strong competition began between several cities of the state to secure the school; Tomah, Sparta, Eau Claire, La Crosse, Black River Falls and several other cities entered the contest and all sorts of inducements were offered to the government authorities. The city of Tomah offered to i)urchase a farm of 200 acres located tM'O miles north of the city limits for the farm and the buildings; the citizens were successful in securing its location; originally the sum of $25,000 was appropriated for the initial expenses of building the plant ; the original buildings consisted of a large brick building and boiler house containing heating plant and laundry. Since that time six brick and ten frame buildings have been added and the farm has been increased by the Government to 340 acres. This farm is under the management of an expert farmer aid a competent dairy man is also employed, who has at this time under his charge fifty Holstein dairy cattle. ]\Iuch valual)l(' instruction is given to the Indian l)oys l)y the manager of these two industries and at the same time considerable experimental work has been done and is now being done on the farm under the direction of the Agricultural Department of the State University. All of this furnishes instruction of the finest kind for the benefit of the Indian boy pupils, who are thus receiving a practical education in farming and dairying and in other agricultural pursuits. In addition to that boys are taught carpenter work ; there is a complete course in domestic science and art for the girls which is maintained in a well equipped l)uilding provided for that purpose.

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transportation to and from school ; they are kept for a term of three years and literary instruction is given during nine months of the year, the pupils being carried through the eight grades of the common school branches being the state school course for AVisconsin. Pupils are received from any of the middle western states and most of them come from Wisconsin, some coming from IMinnesota and Michigan.

The school is maintained under the semi-military discipline and the boys wear a neat blue uniform trimmed with red, and the girls are dressed in becoming dresses; they are taught the habits of cleanliness and all of the pupils live at the school iu large dormitories which are cared for by the pupils principally. Some of the girls, in fact most of them, show a great talent for needle work and turn out beautiful pieces of embroidery and other fancy work as well as neatly executed plain seMdng. The boys go into athletics quite freely under the instruction of their teachers and for a number of years a football team has held ujj the honor of the little Indians in various, contests with high school and other teams throughout this part of the state ; every summer a baseball team has been supported consisting entirely of pupils of the school and under the instruction of an expert ball player who formerly graduated from the Carlyle School, and is a ball team which is no mean antagonist and plays games with different clubs in this part of the state.

For a number of years a brass band has been a part of the equipment of the school and the young Indian boys take to music very readily; the Tomah Indian School Band has quite a reputation in this part of the state ; the entire band is composed of th(! Indian youths of various ages under the instruction of an Indian leader, a man by the name of "Look Around"; he is an excellent slide trombone player and a very fine musician. Many of th(^ graduates of the school have taken responsible positions and have made homes for themselves and great benefit is derived from this institution ; it is hoped that many good citizens may bo made from the Indian children in the future as has been done in the past.

The present superintendent, L. ]\I. Comptoji, has been in charge of the school for the last fourteen years and his fine executive ability, together with a disposition which seems to be suited to over-mastering difficulties, has built up an institution which is second to none of its kind anywhere in the country; Mr. Compton is considered a vlauable citizen of Monroe county as well, as he is public spirited and has given a good deal in the interests of the community at Tomah. He recently was appointed a gov- ernmeut Indian agent for this section of the state and it is his duty to look after the tribal Indians and to conduct the government annuity payments, a duty which he performs to the satisfaction of the Indian department. A good residence is provided on the farm for the superintendent and also for the farmer, and together with fine outbuildings makes a plant which is not only valuable, but conducted in all lines in the highest of development and is visited by many people from different parts of the country. The attendance at the present time is 250 scholars.