with Tom Meyer/Francine Rudesill

TOWN OF MARTELL, WI – Along the roadway south on Highway 63, stands one of the last remaining pieces of the early days of Martell – The Martell Schoolhouse. According to P.M. Wiff, in the book authored “The History of Martell Township,” the school was built in 1905 as the number of students at the Cloverdale School grew too large, and the distances to walk too far. The cost of the lot itself was just $200, the price to build amounted to just $1,107.87. In 1914, the steps and front porch were added, and while the building started out as red, in 1923 the schoolhouse was repainted to white.

Francine Rudesill attended the schoolhouse for a few years before it closed in 1962.

To read this and other premium articles in their entirety, pickup the September 5, 2024 issue of the Sun-Argus or Woodville Leader newspaper. Click to subscribe for convenient delivery by mail, or call (715) 778-4990. Single issues are also available at area newsstands and our office in Spring Valley, WI.