One hundred years of progress in the Brainerd Public Elementary schools have been 100 years of growth and development from the two one-room school houses of handhewn logs to the present seven modern, seven to 20 classroom, brick buildings.
No dates are given for the establishment of the first two schools which were located -- one at the west end of Front Street and taught by Charles Lancaster, and the other near the railroad bridge and taught by Miss Hall. However, records show they were in use before 1872. That year, Miss Julia Fitzgerald for a few months conducted a private school with an enrollment of 22 boys and 23 girls, averaging an attendance of 30. The studies were: alphabet, reading, penmanship, spelling, arithmetic, grammar, geography and history.
Late in 1872, Brainerd was authorized, by an act of the Legislature to form an independent school district. A city election followed, and the first school board was chosen, made up of the following members: M. C. Russell, publisher of the Brainerd Tribune; Chauncey B. Sleeper, E. B. Lynde, Lyman F. White, Leonard B. Perry and Warren H. Leland. Perry was elected superintendent of schools, protem. Miss Nettie Ladd and Miss Fitzgerald were hired to teach from Jan. 1 to April 1, 1873, at salaries of "no more than $55 per month."
The first effort to erect a public school building in Brainerd met with failure when voters decided on March 18, 1873, not to issue bonds for $3,500 for two school buildings. The measure failed by a 214 to 213 vote. After legislation was passed to that effect, a mass meeting was called to vote on a tax not exceeding eight mills on the dollar to acquire land and build schools at a cost of $2,500. (The average wage in 1873 was $37.39 per month.)
The Sixth Street school opened for a three-month term in January of 1874. Miss Simons and Miss Ladd were the teachers. With additions built later, this school was finally able to accommodate 250 pupils.
In the early 1880's, the school buildings consisted of a six room, frame building at Oak and Sixth Streets, and a two-room structure on North Seventh. A two-room school in east Brainerd was acquired when the Legislature made east Brainerd part of the Brainerd district.
January 31, 1885, was an epoch day in Brainerd's educacational history. According to Principal J. A. Wilson, teachers and pupils of the Sixth Street school formed in procession headed by the city band and members of the school board and with flags flying, marched to the new school and took possession. The building was advertised as the most complete and best furnished in northern Minnesota.
Teachers in some of the schools at that time were Sue B. Mulrine, Anna Murphy, sister of Mrs. Henry Linneman: A. M. McKenzie, A. B. Gould, Florence (Mrs. W. A. Fleming) Foster, Gertrude Cooley, Laura Hanke, Maggie Sommers, A. Lorraine Yonkers, Emma F. Curry, Elvira H. Clark, Clara Forter, Minnie Merritt Irma Camp, Mrs. D. Roberts and Mrs. J. H. Davenport.
In the city schools in November of 1887, a total enrollment of 700 pupils was recorded, and because of overcrowding, it was decided to re-open the old Sixth Street school for a primary class. As a public school, it continued in use until 1896. The teaching staff was headed by Miss Rosalie Fasching, Miss Laura Settle and Miss Laura Walker.
After the completion of the High school, Brainerd continued building schools as the need arose. In 1894, four modern, brick schools were constructed; the Harrison, Lincoln, Whittier and Lowell. By 1903, it was necessary to build an addition to the Lowell school.
Brainerd was growing, stretching out to the northeast and west. With the growth came a need for schools. Two frame buildings were constructed, the Riverside in west Brainerd in 1919 (with an addition built in 1922) and the Garfield in north-east Brainerd in 1921.
By 1938-39, the grade schools built in 1894 were considered inadequate. They were torn down and rebuilt in 1939-40. These are the Lincoln, Whittier, Harrison and Lowell Schools as they are today.
The Riverside and Garfield, both frame structures, were becoming out-dated, unsafe fire wise and too small to accommodate the number of children in their vicinities, and as the south end of Brainerd was showing tremendous growth, it became necessary to have three new schools built, the Riverside, Garfield and the Edison. These were one-story buildings with all of the latest innovations.
The seven public elementary schools in the City of Brainerd have an enrollment of 2,558. The number is large due to the consolidation of the rural school districts with District No. 181, the Brainerd District. In these seven schools, there are 98 classroom teachers, three music teachers, five physical education teachers, three librarians and two speech correctionists. Eleven custodians and six part-time cooks keep the buildings functioning properly and the students supplied with hot lunches.
Through the consolidation, which took 10 years to complete. Brainerd School District No. 181 acquired elementary school buildings in Baxter, in Garrison, in Nisswa and in Pine Center bringing the number of elementary schools to 11 and the enrollment of elementary students in the district to 3,564 as of Jan. 1, 1971.
Reproduced from the Centennial Edition of the Brainerd Daily Dispatch (1871-1971).
