First High School

Date in History: 1866 – 1888 South High Street in Fort Atkinson has been the site of public schools for almost 150 years. In 1859, a cream brick two-story schoolhouse was built on the corner of South High Street and South Fourth Street. The lower level was a...

Second High School

Date in History: 1888 to 1926 Fort Atkinson’s second public high school opened in December of 1888 after a fire completely consumed the first one in April of that same year. Built on the same site on South High Street as the first one, this more elegant building had a...

First School in Fort Atkinson

Date in History: 1839 The very first school in Fort Atkinson met in 1839 in a primitive cabin that belonged to the young pioneer William Barrie. The teacher was fourteen-year-old Jane Crane who lived with her older sister Sally Crane Jones, and Sally’s husband Milo...

Rural Schools

Date in History: 1840s to 1950s The life of a rural school teacher was quite different than that of their city counterpart. Due to limited housing and transportation, teachers often lived with their students’ families. Their days began early with a walk to work and...

Rock Lake Sea Serpent

Through the years, many folk stories have centered on Rock Lake in Lake Mills. Some concern pyramids at the bottom of the lake and others sound similar to the story of the famous Loch Ness monster. In 1882, after being quiet for 15 years, the Rock Lake serpent...
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