VILLAGE SCHOOLS

The first school was a private school in the village of Hayward -- during the fall of 1882 and the winter of 1883.  The teacher was Annie E. Schaffer of Chippewa Falls, who, in 1902, was serving her fourth term as county superintendent of schools of Chippewa county.  This school was first attended by Emma and Myron Hayward.  Later in the fall the McCormicks came to Hayward and William L. joined the little group.  Speaking of this Miss Schaffer says:  "We had a cozy little room upstairs in the Hayward residence which was fitted up with three desks and a blackboard.  Willie was 6, Myron 9, and Emma 13.  So I had three distinct grades and enough classes of one pupil each to keep me busy from 9 to 4.  The school (?) was altogether a private affair."

The first building used for school purposes was erected for a billiard hall by Bunker and Young.  This building stood near the old logging camp and the company's boarding house -- about half way from where the Northern Grain Company's elevator stood to the North Western Lumber Company's big saw mill.  The spot where it stood was covered by lumber piles by 1902.  It was torn down in July 1884.  During its brief history it had served as a billiard hall, a printing office, a polling place, a school house, a church and for Sunday School purposes.

With the exception of the Belille school which was in session at the time Sawyer County was organized, the first school held in Sawyer county after its organization was in this building.  Ella J. Russell was the teacher and school was opened on September 23, 1883.  A few days later the Jordan school was opened.  The village school was under the authority of the town of Hayward, but the county affairs had not as yet been fully adjusted and the town of Big Bend, Chippewa county, erected the Jordan school house and paid the first teacher, Clyde M. Campbell, for teaching five months.

During the short time that the town of Hayward was under the District system nineteen school orders were drawn.  Fifteen of these were in district No. 1, and four in district No. 3.  Three of those were for teachers' wages -- Nos. 2 and 15 of district No. 1 were in favor of Ella J. Russell for teaching in the village and order No. 3 of district No. 3, was in favor of Ada M. Gillette for teaching in the Bishop school.  The expenses of running the schools in districts Nos. 2 and 4 were paid by the school authorities of the towns of Big Bend and Flambeau, respectively, of Chippewa county.