1921 Duluth & St Louis County MN, Van Brunt.pdf - Garon.us

DULUTH AND ST. LOUIS COUNTY 535
poses. The school levy for Independent School District No. 39 (Eveleth)
in 1919 was $444,981.57, and some school districts have an even
higher levy, the bulk of which is payable by the mining companies ;
yet
it seems that the latter have always been ready to co-operate in the
establishment of an even better educational system than can be found
in other communities of even higher social status. To the public
schools of the range go children of very many nationalities (thirtynine
being represented in the enrollment of one school district), yet
they are afforded as fine schools as can be found almost anywhere
in America. And the standard of education is ecjually high, the school
districts having the financial means wherewith to attract into service
the best public school educators of the country. Consec^uently, the
children of the range communities, mostly children of hardworking,
honest, but in many cases illiterate, parents, will be able eventually to
pass out into the world, or into higher schools, well-grounded in
"academics, and possibly in vocational knowledge.
The first school established in Eveleth has been referred to earlier
in this chapter. The little school erected in 1895 was evidently only
for the smaller children. Those of higher grade used to go over to
Virginia to school. And the Eveleth schools up to the year 1903 were
under the direction of the Virginia District (No. 22 School District),
Mr. John H. Hearding, of Eveleth, however, being one of the principal
members of that school board. From 1903, Eveleth has been the
administrative center of Independent School District No. 39, and,
fortunately, the school history from that time to 1915 was compiled
for, and published in, the Eveleth High School Annual for 1915. That
review is the basis for the following.
It appears that in 1903, "Virginia had the greater part of population,
but the southern end of the district (Eveleth) objected to have
part in paying for the new building in Virginia." There was "some
excitement." but eventually Eveleth separated, assuming $13,500 of
current debt, and 69 per cent of bonded debt. Independent School
District No. 39 was then organized, having responsibilitv for public
education in the whole of Fayal Township and in six sections of
Missabe Mountain Township, a resolution passed March 22, 1903, by
the county commissioners describing the new district as "all of township
'^7 n. of range 17 w., and sections 28, 29, 30, 31, Z2 and Z2), of township
58 n. of range 17 w."
"The first election brought into office J. H. Hearding, director,
G. H. Dormer, treasurer, and W. J. Smith, clerk. They found themselves
to be in debt, to the extent of $35,000 to old district," and in
possession of what is now known as the Spruce School, the "first
real school building erected in Eveleth." It has been added to and
repaired, and is still giving good service. They also had at the outset
one other school building, the Fayal, a frame building, "built by
Mr. D. T. Denton in a picturesque country clubhouse style." The
new board found a deplorably overcrowded condition existent in the
tw^o schools, and immediately applied themselves to the task of
remedying that condition. Martin Finucan was given contract to
erect two small school houses. These became known as the Adams
and Fayal kindergartens, and were erected at a cost of nearly $4,000.
They were only intended to serve a temporary need, but have been
in almost constant use ever since, the enrollment increasing more
rapidlv than the school accommodation.
The first brick school house built became known as the high
school. Construction began in the fall of 1904. and in the spring