Dear Mrs. Mey,
I contacted Florence Pfundt Bowman about the history of Holly and she told me the following:
The first school was built in1893 on Mr. William Rust’s property. The second one was built on 1905 on a piece of Fred Wyatt’s property. The third in 1922 on property donated by by Alber Pfundt, which is still used by the Holly Community Club and for Sunday School.
The school house was a small one-room, yellow building. There was a pump organ in the school. There were three girls who were given lessons and each week one would have a turn to play.
Miss Webster, one of the teachers, taught the girls how to knit, paint pictures and also gave violin and piano lessons. During her time she had them put on several plays. One was given to Nellita to which admission was charged. It was “All of a Sudden Peggy”. They found various ways of making money to purchase a piano which is still in use. Another musical, “Florinda”, was put on.
All of the water used had to be carried in a bucket and we all drank from the same dipper. The teachers were responsible to have the school house warm and to do the cleaning.
The next move in ’22 was a happy — from a small room to a large two-room building with water in it and furnace. Miss Whaley and Miss Gantke taught high school subjects till about ’27 when Glen Buchanan, now residing in Seabeck, drove his car taking the eligible students to the high school, Port Washington Union Bay High School. The bus was then driven by a Holly student for years. A lot of credit can be given to the young boys who drove every day — the twenty-five miles to school, in mud at time up to the running boards. Roads were not what they are now.
It’s quite a way from the first little school house till ’45.
By Mrs. H. Madson