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Guide to the Fauver Hill Kindergarten Center (Onalaska, Wisconsin) Records, 1915-1999 (bulk 1970s-1999)
MSS 092
Table of Contents
Summary Information
- Abstract
- Originally a Town of Campbell school begun in 1867, the school continued to be called Campbell School until 1919, when the name was changed to Fauver Hill. Fauver Hill School joined the Onalaska School District in 1960, and continued to be used as an elementary school until 1983 when it became the Fauver Hill Kindergarten Center, housing all the kindergartners in the district. The Center closed in 1999. Materials include photographs, scrapbooks, newspaper clippings, and many items compiled in preparation of the memory book, “Fauver Hill, 1867-1999,” published in honor of the closing of the school.
- Collection Title
- Fauver Hill Kindergarten Center (Onalaska, Wisconsin) Records
- Date of Materials [bulk]
- Bulk, 1970-1999
- Date of Materials [inclusive]
- 1915-1999
- Creator
- Fauver Hill Kindergarten Center (Onalaska, Wis.).
- Call Number
- MSS 092
- Amount
- 2.2 cubic feet
- Physical Description
- 3 archives boxes, 1 flat box
- Language of Materials
- English
- Repository
- La Crosse Public Library Archives
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], Fauver Hill Kindergarten Center (Onalaska, Wisconsin) Records, MSS 092, La Crosse Public Library Archives, La Crosse, WI
Historical Note
The first school built in the Town of Campbell in La Crosse County in 1867 stood on the present corner of OS and Highway 16, which was on the William Hartley property. Lucy Johnson was the first teacher, and five students attended the school. The building was later sold, and a new school was built in 1879 on land donated by David Fauver located on present day Highway 16 close to Interstate 90. The school was named Campbell School, and one teacher taught grades one through eight.
In 1919, the name of the school was changed to Fauver Hill School in honor of donor, David Fauver. A new school building was constructed on the same site in 1924. The building contained a classroom, library, storage room and kitchen. The school was modernized in 1936 with the addition of running water and toilet facilities.
In 1957, three classrooms were added to the original structure, four classrooms were added in 1966, and a gymnasium was added in 1974. Depending on enrollment numbers, the school at times housed grades kindergarten through grade six and later, kindergarten through grade four.
In 1960, the school joined the Onalaska School District. By late 1982 and early 1983, a proposal was put forth by the Onalaska School District to change Fauver Hill School from an elementary school to a kindergarten center. An expanded kindergarten curriculum was proposed including nature study, performing arts programs, and additional field trips. Many parents initially opposed the plan because they were concerned about having their young children ride a bus to school rather than attend a neighborhood school. The school board approved the plan, and in the fall of 1983, Fauver Hill School was changed from an elementary school to Fauver Hill Kindergarten Center. Former Fauver Hill elementary students began to attend Northern Hills and Pertzsch Elementary Schools.
As enrollment in the Onalaska School District continued to increase and overcrowding occurred at the district’s elementary schools, taxpayers approved an $11.8 million dollar referendum in November 1997 to build a new elementary school with a kindergarten wing. The Onalaska School Board accepted a bid from Gundersen Lutheran to sell the Fauver Hill School and property for $1.4 million dollars. Gundersen Lutheran later used the building for exercise and health education programs. Fauver Hill Kindergarten Center closed on June 4, 1999. The new school, Eagle Bluff Elementary with its adjoining Onalaska Kindergarten Center, opened August 1999.
Scope and Contents
Materials from the Fauver Hill School Collection include many items used in preparation of the Fauver Hill memory book, “Fauver Hill, 1867-1999,” compiled before the school closed on June 4, 1999. Materials include artwork of the exterior of the school (1990s), history and timelines (1990s), preliminary copies of the memory book (1999), reminiscences collected from former Fauver Hill students and staff members (1999), and a list of teachers that taught at Fauver Hill including the first teacher, Lucy Johnson (1990s).
Other materials include a building report (1966), miscellaneous materials (1971-circa 1990s), newspaper clippings (1945; 1970s-1998), and a general scrapbook containing many newspaper clippings (1970-1979). Three kindergarten scrapbooks are included, two of which are made up primarily of photographs (1975-1976 and 1976-1977). The other kindergarten scrapbook includes newspaper articles, which document the start of the Onalaska Kindergarten Center, and also includes some photographs (1983-1986).
Many photographs are included in the collection. Students are rarely identified in any of the photographs, but teachers and staff members are identified in the “teachers and classes” and “teachers and staff” folders. Most photographs are undated. Photographs are included of the building and grounds (1915; 1970s), cafeteria (1970s), and classroom scenes (1970s-1980s). Other classroom scenes are color slides (1970s-1980s). Additional photographs include special events, outdoor scenes (1970s-1980s), teachers and classes (1970s-1990s), teachers and staff (1970s-1990s), and volunteers (1970s-1980s).
Administrative Information
Publication Information
La Crosse Public Library Archives 2005
800 Main St.La Crosse, Wisconsin, 54601
(608) 789-7136
archives@lacrosselibrary.org
Access to Materials
Materials in this collection are available for patron use.
Acquisitions Information
(Accession no. 2003.078) Donated by Marian W. Mieden
Processing Information
Processed by Christine Stolz, 2005
Related Materials
Related Materials
- (Clipping file)
- Onalaska--Schools
- (Picture file)
- Onalaska--Schools
- (372.218 F276)
- Fauver Hill Kindergarten Center yearbooks
- (372.9775 F276)
- Fauver Hill, 1867-1999
Controlled Access Headings
Corporate Name(s)
- Campbell School (Campbell, Wis.).
- Fauver Hill Kindergarten Center (Onalaska, Wis.).
- Fauver Hill School (Onalaska, Wis.).
Subject(s)
- Elementary schools--Wisconsin--Onalaska
Collection Inventory
| Box | Folder | |||
|
Artwork, 1990s |
1 | 1 | ||
|
Building report, 1966 |
1 | 2 | ||
|
History and timelines, 1990s |
1 | 3 | ||
|
Memory book |
||||
| Box | Folder | |||
|
Preliminary copies, 1999 |
1 | 4 | ||
|
Reminiscences, 1999 |
1 | 5-7 | ||
| Box | Folder | |||
|
Miscellaneous, 1971-1990s |
1 | 8 | ||
|
Newspaper clippings, 1945, 1970s-1998 |
1 | 9 | ||
|
Photographs |
||||
| Box | Folder | |||
|
Buildings and grounds, 1915, 1970s |
1 | 10 | ||
|
Cafeteria, 1970s |
1 | 11 | ||
|
Classroom scenes, 1970s-1980s Images in folder 4 on slides |
2 | 1-4 | ||
|
Events |
||||
| Box | Folder | |||
|
Aesthetic Arts Day, 1970s |
2 | 5 | ||
|
Bicentennial, 1975-1976 |
2 | 6 | ||
|
Bicentennial Wagon Train, 1976 |
2 | 7 | ||
|
Carnival, 1980 |
2 | 8 | ||
|
Christmas, 1970s |
2 | 9 | ||
|
Field trips, 1970s-1980s |
3 | 1 | ||
|
Guest presenters, 1970s-1998 |
3 | 2 | ||
|
Halloween, 1970s |
3 | 3 | ||
|
Miscellaneous, 1970s-1980s |
3 | 4 | ||
|
Thanksgiving, 1970s |
3 | 5 | ||
|
United Nations Day, circa 1979 |
3 | 6 | ||
| Box | Folder | |||
|
Outdoor scenes, 1970s-1980s |
3 | 7 | ||
|
Teachers and classes, 1970s-1990s |
3 | 8 | ||
|
Teachers and staff, 1970s-1990s |
3 | 9 | ||
|
Volunteers, 1970s-1980s |
3 | 10 | ||
|
Scrapbooks |
||||
| Box | ||||
|
General, 1970-1979 |
4 | |||
|
Kindergarten, 1975-1986 |
4 | |||
| Box | Folder | |||
|
Teachers, 1990s |
3 | 11 | ||