Hutchinson Leader - Lost Hutchinson: Pendergast Academy - Comments

Thanks, Butch. Have you ever

Matt McMillan — Thu, 22 Feb 2007 13:06:03 -0600

Thanks, Butch. Have you ever seen any drawings or depictions of the first school house?

Following is info about

butchpen — Thu, 22 Feb 2007 07:14:28 -0600

Following is info about schools in Hutch before Pendergast Academy. It is from my 2005 paper, "The Early History of Hutchinson, Minnesota, 1855-1860". The numbers in parentheses are for references, which I will be glad to provide. Butch Pendergast

Mrs. William Todd was the first teacher in Hutchinson. She taught a class of eleven students in her home in the fall of 1856 (601, 1223.05, 1329.70, 1329.79, 1458.05, 1477).

An official public school district- McLeod County no 2- was started in Hutchinson in 1857. WW Pendergast was the teacher. The classroom was in the log tavern/hotel. There were seventeen students. Many were adults; some older than the teacher. (601, 631, 1329.70, 1458.05, 1477)

The school was later moved to WW’s log home. The house burned down in March, 1858. He then built a two-story frame house, apparently at the same location as the earlier log house, north of the river. (631, 1438.06, 1477)

During the 1858-59 school year, Pendergast taught in a vacant store building (700, 1477).

The next year was bleak for education in Hutchinson. “There was not school the next winter, 1859-60, due to no money, no suitable location, and lack of students” (700, 1477).

The school scene brightened in the Spring and summer of 1860. Voters of the school district raised money to build a stand-alone school building, Pendergast Academy.. “William W. Pendergast built the first school house, 24 by 40 feet in area and two stories high. It stood on the hill, north of the main street bridge. It had a belfry and a fine-toned bell. The school conducted here was practically an academy and Prof. Pendergast was its principal for the first two years”. It was burned down in the Sioux Uprising of 1862 (601, 631, 700, 1223.05, 1329.67, 1477).

The Pendergast Academy above

Matt McMillan — Tue, 06 Feb 2007 10:11:17 -0600

The Pendergast Academy above is part of a 20-week series of Lost Hutchinson buildings. Watch the Tuesday print edition for more information about the Pendergast Academy. If any readers have other photos, renderings or information about the Academy building, please post them here or send them to: Hutchinson Leader, 36 Washington Ave. W., Hutchinson, MN 55350.

A collection of information published in the Lost Hutchinson series as well as reader submitted photos and remembrances will be published in a magazine later this year.

If you missed the Lost Hutchinson series last week, click on the link above for Ames Mill.

Lost Hutchinson: Pendergast Academy

webmaster — Tue, 06 Feb 2007 09:28:56 -0600