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School destroyed in 1883 by cyclone

Photo at left: The former Elderwood School is located on County Highway U in the town of Bloomfield. More Mystery Place photos in the GALLERY

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The former Elderwood School, District No. 5, is located on County Highway U in the town of Bloomfield. The first school for this district was built after an 1850 meeting called to raise money for the school.

In 1883, the building was destroyed by a cyclone. The schoolhouse built in 1884 was 32-by-23-by-10 feet high. The remains were sold to make a house just north of the new school.

In 1920, the school district clerk was Richard R. Hoffman and he lived in Genoa Junction, which is now Genoa City. He was an associate town supervisor from 1910 to 1912, according to Beckwith’s History of Walworth County.

In the biographic section, it indicates that he owned 240 acres of land in the township, was a town treasurer for five years and on the county board of supervisors. He specialized in raising draft horses, Hereford cattle and Shropshire sheep.

Florence Vorpagel taught during the 1909-’10 school year. She earned $40 per month in 1909 to teach 14 children. The following year, she earned $45 per month to teach 13 students.

In 1928, a new brick schoolhouse was built. The school got its name from a grove of elder tress in the schoolyard. In the early days, the district was called the Forbes District.

In 1955, Meta Krueger was the clerk, Oscar W. Hafs was the director and Edgar Koukal was the treasurer. In 1959, the district merged with the Genoa City School District.