Walworth County, Wisconsin - Chapter 15: Religious Organizations Public Schools, 1912

Chapter 15: Religious Organizations Public Schools

Clergymen and pious men with gift of tongue and not unused to leadership in prayer meeting were among the early settlers of Delavan, Lafayette, Spring Prairie and Walworth, and perhaps other towns, and were not long wanting in any town. It has been learned how Colonel Phoenix came by his military title. His religious activity was even then as manifest as his energy in founding a city. He prayed, exhorted and preached at Delavan and Spring Prairie and, not unlikely, at Elkhorn and other points. Mr. Dwinnell was nearly as early and quite as zealous in this field of labor, though he, too, had his load of secular cares as farmer and town officer. Their fellow pioneers, though not all of them professors of religious faith, were not generally unwilling to hear instruction and exhortation; and these preachers of good tidings for a time carried their messages through a nearly roadless country, crossed by many bridgeless streams, with the steadfast resolution and, if needful, high hardihood of the pioneer clergy everywhere and always.

Churches were not an immediate need. Men and women met for religious communion in many small assemblies at the larger cabins, and when school houses appeared these were made doubly useful. In pleasant weather no finer temples than the oaken groves - nowhere distant nor liable to be overcrowded - were needed for the larger gatherings. The short pioneer period, "the first low wash of waves where soon would roll a human sea," was followed by immigration at such increasing rate that co-operative effort was made as available for church building as for more mundane enterprise-. After [843 (be county board authorized the sheriffs t<> lei the court bouse for Sunday use of infant religious societies at a nominal rental rate, which was later but little reduced by imposing onhj the cosl of heating and sweeping. Not the churchless sects at the county seat only, but all within convenient riding or driving di tance of the center stake might avail themselves of this liberal disposition oi the supervisors -if such sects could agree upon a scheme of days and hours for their several services,

Baptisl societies were funned a1 (lie villages of Delavan in iN.><). Spring Prairie in [841, East Troy and Millard in [842, al Walworth in 1844, Past Dela an and Geneva in 1845. From these were formed the Walworth Bap- tist Association in 1846, now the oldest of the county associations, which are constituents of the almost venerable Wisconsin Baptist convention, the first session of which latter body was held at East Troy in July, 1846. A session of the convention was also held at that place in 1856, and at Delavan in 1870, 1883, 1 89 1 and 1909. Increased population in the several towns soon enabled each local society to build itself a church, aud these primitive meeting places were most of them followed by a succession of better buildings, each showing some advance in the means, liberality, and architectural taste of its builders. In order of membership the Baptist churches in 1909 were Delavan, 391; Elk-horn, 189: Walworth, 135; Lake Geneva, 100; Millard, go; East Delavan, 5.5; Darien, 3J ; Spring Prairie, 25. In order of value of church property; Delavan, $35,000; Elkhorn, $21,500; Lake Geneva, $19,000; Walworth, S4.900: Millard, $4,500; East Delavan, $4,200; Darien, $3,100; Spring Prairie, $1,500. This denomination is the only one which has a count v association.

Of the several denominations now having society or parish organizations within the county, the Baptist, Congregationalist, Methodist and Episcopalian were earliest on the ground: and the first of these was and is numerically strongest. But Catholic missionaries had been long first in Wisconsin, and among these the Fathers Lejeune, Brebeuf, LeMercier, Vimont. Lalemant, Raguneau, de Ouens, and Dablon, in their now invaluable "Relations," laid the foundations of Wisconsin history. These and other patiently heroic men also laid the foundations of an archiepiscopal province and its three dioceses. It is not unlikely that Fathers Marquette and Allouez had crossed this county and had lingered 1>\ its lakes long before Bigfoot lorded it at Fontana.

It is certain that the settlements of 1836-7 were not long unnoticed nor neglected by the Episcopal bishop at Milwaukee, and the infant parishes at Delavan, Elkhorn. etc.. soon knew Rt. Rev. Jackson Kemper's face and voice. Parishes were organized where and when practicable, and these have prospered steadily and. in total effect, mightily. There are now large and handsome churches at Delavan, Elkhorn, Lake Geneva and Whitewater, and chapels or missions at other points.

The Congregational church was planted early and has grown with the county. Its now most active societies are at Delavan, East Troy, Elkhorn, Geneva Junction, Lafayette. Lake Geneva and Whitewatei

A few Presbyterian societies were formed, bu1 nearly all were soon absorbed by its ancient rival, the Congregatinnal church. The Presbyterian church at Lake Geneva had a long and generally prosperous life, bul in [883 its members voted for Congregational organization.

I78 Walworth County, Wisconsin

The Methodists, never far or long behind the founders of new communities, sowed on fertile ground and now stand beneath a broadly sheltering tree. They have absorbed the allied sects, which a while flourished in Walworth as everywhere else in America. Wesleyans struggled a few years for separate existence, and then yielded to the inevitable. The churches of this denomination show the usual increase of wealth among its members, with incidental growth in architectural taste.

English-speaking Catholics have been for more thai, three centuries acquainted with poverty as to their parishes, and too often with worse than poverty as to themselves ; and none have shown forth better than they the sweet usefulness of adversity. For several years Catholics of English and other tongues were so few and so dispersed that the county seemed over-long but a field for painful mission labor. Theirs is the good that comes from waiting without resting, for time has been kind to them. They have emerged from the wilderness and one looking upon their churches at Delavan. East Troy, Elkhorn, Lake Geneva. Lyons and Whitewater might feel moved to adapt the Davidian verse : "Pray ye for the things that are for the peace of Jerusalem :,and abundance for them that love thee."

The Lutheran church is firmly fixed and its societies are well distributed through the county, at Darien, East Troy, Ekhorn (two), Lake Geneva (two), Lyons, Richmond, Sharon, Sugar Creek. Whitewater (two).

The ideas or opinions of CJniversalism have been and are yet, perhaps, as widely held in this county as elsewhere, but its denominational activity has thus far shown fewer results than that of some numerically smaller religious divisions. Its adherents have sometimes made temporary alliance with L'nitarianism and other forms of liberal theology. Its few churches are not always open, nor does its printed teaching circulate among its readers as of old.

Spiritualism, or "spiritism," as scoffers have named it, traveled as 'fast as the mails of the time From it- birthplace at the home of the Fox girls, not Ear from the depository of Joseph Smith's golden plates. Walworth was thus but few days behind Cattaraugus in receiving tidings from the unseen world of the unstable bul far from unfruitful air. Intelligent and worthy men and women were not wanting among converts, and "mediums" of various gifts of perception and power of interpretation were at once developed, l'.elievers met at household "seances" and met in general conventions, newspapers and 1 ks were lead and studied, and at Whitewater a temple was built. Its doctrines and practices are nol yel obsolete, though it has here less of the aspect organized sect

At Joseph Smith's death a rag of his mantle was wafted to Spring Prairie and lodged upon James Jesse Strang's shoulders, thus to endue him with gifts of prophecy and leadership. The city and temple of Voree rose, obedient to revelation, in 1845 and, obedient to counter revelation, was abandoned in 1847 to rats and weasels, and the temple rafters were suffered to fall down on a cow. A few persons may have returned from Beaver Island in 1856, but not to restore "the fair city of Voree." A few followers of the younger Joseph Smith came from the desolation of Nauvoo, in 1845, to the vicinity of East Delavan, where they built a church of Latter-day Saints and lived without offense to their neighbors. The society still exists, somewhat dwindled in number and with less regular service at their church.

Mrs. Eddy's doctrines have pervaded rather than divided the churches of the old Protestant orthodoxies. Her followers are not easily to be estimated as to their number, but their influence is manifest. They are diffused throughout the county and appear to be still increasing at some fair rate. Their progress is more like the silently powerful natural forces than like the swiftly rushing whirlw ind or the upheaving and rending earthquake.

The liberal policy of the federal government had set apart section sixteen of each township of the national domain as an aid to new states in the establishment of common schools ; but, in earlier years of the county a square mile of public land, at its best, was not a rich endowment. Some notion may be formed of its value to the school fund from a report in 1848 of a committee of the county board as to the condition of school, seminary and university lands within the county. Of section 25 (a seminary section) of Sugar Creek it was noted that the timber had been cut away unlawfully and that the value of the land was thus reduced by one-half. But this may have been the only instance of such spoliation of the rights of children.

Before the full organization of towns the schools received some attention of the county commissioners. One of then firsl duties was to set off school districts, referring boundaries to range, township and section lines. Private enterprise had taken the first practical steps, For American matrons and maidens could not and would not Miller the young children to lose more than one school year in the transit from a land of schools to the late home of the Pottawattomies. So, as volunteer teachers, they brought together their pupils by twos and threes and sometimes sixes at some consenting neighbor's house and at once laid bases for the better order of things about to follow ; while

Judge Gale observed that however men differed on most things of township concern, they were at one as to the instant need of schools. The commissioners, in 1839, appointed town school inspectors: For Darien, Nicholas S. Comstock, Loren K. Jones, Amos Older, Lyman H. Seaver, Jacob Lee ; for Delavan, Charles S. Bailey, Milo Kelsey, Alvin B. Parsons, Henry Phoenix, Salmon Thomas; for Elkhorn (old town). Tared B. Cornish, George Esterly, Volney A. McCracken, Zerah Mead, Jeduthun Spooner ; for Geneva, Charles M. Baker, Andrew Ferguson, Charles M. Goodsell, Samuel Hall, Russell H. Malic irv: for Spring Prairie. William Arms, Richard Chenery, Solomon A. Dwinnell, Ansel A. Hemenway, Jesse C. Mills: for Walworth. William Bell, Phipps W. Lake, James A. Maxwell, William Rumsey, H. Smith Young. Better men than these, taken all together, could hardly be named for such service in 191 r.

A meeting of school commissioners (or inspectors) and other citizens, was held at Elkhorn, December 1. 184J, at which George Gale, Moses Bartlett, Edward Elderkin, Solomon A. Dwinnell and Orra Martin were appointed to draft suitable resolutions and were directed to report at an adjourned meeting, which was to reassemble December 24th. Their work was duly submitted and adopted :

"Resolved, That nine-tenths of American youth lay the foundation of their education in common schools, and their after success depends on the prosperity of these institutions.

"That the following text-books are recommended: Reading, Leavitt's Easy Lessons; Porter's Rbetorical Reader; Goodrich's First to Fourth Reader; spelling, Webster's Elementary Spelling; geography, Peter Parley's and Olney's; grammar, Smith's, Kirkham's; arithmetic, Adams's, new edition; composition, Parker's Exercises.

Ii was further resolved to call a convention of the friends of education hi iln counties of Jefferson, MKlwaukee, Racine. Rock and Walworth, to meet at Easl Troy, Februarj 1. r'843, "tn consider the best methods of advancing the interests of common school education in the territory." Gaylord

Graves presided at this convention, and Judge Gale, the secretary, says that the proceedings were spirited, and that among resolutions adopted was one recommending establishment "of a normal school for the education of teachers." The convention adjourned to Elkhorn, third Wednesday in May following; but it never met again. It might seem that a few warmly interested men of somewhat telescopic vision were permitted to think and talk for their less imaginative but vary practical neighbors, but not to act for them in such wise as to raise the tax rate. August 7, 1841, the return to the county commissioners of delinquent tax was, for schools $150.45, for roads $193.63.

Until 1805 each town chose its school superintendent. This system was found inefficient, variable in method and operation, and behind the spirit of the age. The count}- superintendency promised better things, but its advantages did not at once follow its creation ; though enlightened men, in touch with the State Teachers' Association and other widening and substance-giving influences, were chosen to lead order from chaos. Public opinion or sentiment on the subject of education is not formed by teachers alone. It has always been favorable, as an abstract proposition, to a system of state schools; but the advancing ideas of superintendents and teachers do not always work instant conviction in the minds of taxpayers, - at least, as to special new measures proposed. These may seem in the nature of doubtful experiments, liable to carry with them new or higher taxation, and therefore requiring looking before leaping. The nearness of one of the normal schools has been, on the whole, of incidental advantage in moving forward the public mind to larger liberality of thought and action. A large percentage of the pupilage at the Whitewater institution has been resident within the county, and many of those graduated have taught at least a year in home districts before finding other usefulness abroad. Thus, their parents and friends have been brought more or less into knowledge and not seldom into sympathy with the views of leaders in the movement toward school improvement. Able officers of the State University, the normal schools, the state superintendency. and the State Teachers' Association have been heard as lecturers and have had their legitimate influence. The taxpayer of this century, now better in formed and larger minded, is often found upholding a school system unknown to his boyhood and which he had for a time distrusted and opposed.

The fully organized high schools of four little cities and as many incorporated villages have contributed to this evolution of better public sentiment. The more forward or more fortunate youths of the district schools, passing to and through the neighboring high school, have fairly measured their own benefit received from this upward step and have seen more clearly to what practical ends the higher education may tend. The county high schools are steady feeders of the stream of young life toward the university, the colleges and the technical schools ; and names of young Walworthians are found in every class list. So, in the slow march of years, the dream of the earlier educator is in course of fulfillment, and the system of public instruction has become nearly one and indivisible. The direct and now plainly seen result is to make the children of many races in Wisconsin homogeneous and truly American.