28th-Annual Palio More Than Just a Neighborhood Gathering

SEPTEMBER, 2010
THE WEDGE VOL. 41, NO. 9
Miss Sterrett’s School—A Wedge History of Strong Women and Their Drive to Educate (Part 1)
Editor’s Note: This is the first
installment of an edited history of
Miss Sterrett’s School and Miss
Wood’s Kindergarten-Primary
Training School, formerly located at
2017 Bryant Avenue South, Lowry
Hill East. The remainder of the series
will appear in future issues of the
Wedge.
❐ WEDGE HISTORY
BY KATHLEEN KULLBERG
Children’s education has always been
one of the top local priorities,
beginning with the early founders of
the new communities of St. Anthony
and Minneapolis. In the early dawn of
the village of St. Anthony in 1848,
the small body of residents gladly
accepted the offer of the Ard Godfrey
home as an occasional site for school
lessons until a suitable building could
be erected. As the population rapidly
increased, so did the urgency to
provide schools for its youngsters.
When industry and the
population expanded across the
Mississippi after 1851, it was only
logical that schools should follow suit
—though most were built on the near
north and St. Anthony side of the
river, until more permanent bridges
could be built for accessibility. Mass
transportation was still a major
obstacle, and most children had to
walk to school. Children under five
years stayed at home, because there
was no curriculum for the very
young.
Rapid growth and expansion on the
west side of the river soon followed
the advent of the rapid transit
streetcar network, with families
moving farther out into new
developments such as Kenwood and
Lowry Hill, and to the farms along
the southern edge of Hennepin
County. By 1872, the southern
boundary of the City was Franklin
Avenue—and it was vital to provide
schools for this burgeoning
community.
Still, at this time there was no
provision for educating the very
young—under five years old—until a
small group of public-spirited citizens
organized the Minneapolis
Kindergarten Association in April of
1892. Its main objective was to
promote and make the new European
concept of kindergartens part of the
public school system so that every
child could have the benefit of early
childhood education.
The first meeting of those
concerned citizens, among them Mrs.
Jacob. H. Cook and Mrs. Charles W.
Keyes, was so enthusiastic that,
before adjourning, organizational
plans and the goal of encouraging
public support were developed. At
that first large meeting at Plymouth
Church on April 22, 1892, Judge
Robert D. Russell offered a resolution
in support of establishing public
kindergartens. Dr. Marion D. Shutter
was made permanent chairman of the
new Minneapolis Kindergarten
Association.
The general public forwarded the
idea and donated large contributions,
and the first Association kindergarten
was opened in St. Mark's Episcopal
Church downtown. Mrs. Elsie Payne
Adams of Chicago was hired as the
first superintendent and supervisor in
charge of both the training classes in
the normal school and the
kindergartens. However, a
specialized program for training
teachers only for kindergarten was in
its early infancy.
In 1896, a fortunate turn of
events elected Stella Louise Wood of
Chicago to replace Jean MacArthur,
who had begun a teacher training
school in Gethsemane Church.
Kindergarten teachers never had a
targeted curriculum until the advent
of the training school at this time.
This first school had 15 student
teachers in all: 10 seniors and five
juniors. By the first annual meeting of
the Association, five kindergartens
had been supported (though not
located in public schools). Among
those early citizens was Mrs. Thomas
Lowry, who tirelessly donated her
time to raise money for the program.
The teacher training school
moved several times downtown from
church to church, and even shared
space at the YWCA for physical
PAGE 7
education classes, and with the
Handicraft Guild on Tenth Street for
art classes. Finally, in 1913, most
classes were held at Wells Memorial
Settlement House on Eleventh
Street. By 1905, the name of the
school permanently changed to Miss
Wood’s Kindergarten-Primary
Training School, and focused solely
on graduating competent
kindergarten-through-third-grade
teachers.
Miss Sterrett’s School History
The first kindergarten in connection
with St. Paul’s Episcopal Church was
established in the early days of the
1880s, when the church was located
on Hennepin and 12 th . In 1901, St.
Paul’s was physically cut into three
sections and moved up the hill by
horse drawn vehicles to its new
location at the corner of West
Franklin and Bryant Avenues. There it
stood until demolished in 1965 and
replaced by the current Tower
Apartments.
Because of the economic
conditions of the day, the burgeoning
interest in primary schools, and the
lack of suitable facilities in Lowry
Hill East, St. Paul’s Vestry in 1910
was advised to carry on teaching
some of the children beyond
kindergarten age—and so a primary
school was established under the
direction of Miss Margaret Sterrett, a
former teacher at Peabody Public
School and a member of the parish.
This school met in the main room of
the Parish House located at 2012
Aldrich, but it soon grew to such
proportions that Sterrett decided to
move. ❍ TO BE CONTINUED
Stella Wood
Walker Library Update
From Hennepin County Commissioner,
3rd District, Gail Dorfman
The Request For Proposals was issued last month and
essentially represented the vision and guidelines
established by the Walker Community Advisory
Committee (CAC). 21 architecture firms responded with
proposals. Most were local, but a couple were out-of-state
firms partnering with local ones.
The Hennepin County Designer Selection
Committee is in the process of scheduling in-person
interviews with firms to review proposals. They’ve
narrowed it down to five to ten firms. After the interviews,
they’ll select two or three to recommend to the County
Board. The Board will probably consider the
recommendations in late August or early September. Once
a firm is selected, that firm will begin working with the
Community Advisory Committee as they get into the
details of design. I think there’s an opportunity, if
neighborhoods are interested, to expand participation in
the CAC. The CAC will also be advising the design firm
on ways to engage more members of the public. I’m
interested in enhancing public outreach over the next year
to make sure the library meets the community vision and
includes public space, programming, collection materials,
etc. that meet community needs.
For more information go to www.hclib.org/cac or
contact Commissioner Dorfman at 612.348.7883 or
Gail.Dorfman@co.hennepin.mn.us.❍
At any one of our neighborhood clinics, you’ll find a full
range of primary and specialty care services, ready
when you need them most. From pregnancy care to
physical exams to senior care, your family has a home for
healthcare – right in the neighborhood.
Call 612-873-3300 for same
or next day appointments.
www.hcmc.org/clinics
Neighborhood Clinics
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