Former student holds fast to long-ago memories
By Julie Rossman
Correspondent
With a new McDonald’s restaurant coming to Union Grove this summer, the village of Union Grove – as well as many former students around the area – must say good-bye to a piece of history.
Historic Storms Hall, 835 15th Ave., (Highway 11), will be demolished in the coming months to make way for the restaurant, which hopes to open by July 24, in time for the Racine County Fair.
The building dates back to 1922, when it opened to serve as a dormitory for the school building to the west.
According to documents from the Wisconsin Historical Society, the school’s name changed through the years. Finally, in 1955, it became the Racine-Kenosha County Teachers College.
Its purpose always remained the same – to train students to become teachers. The college also served as an elementary school for children in grades one through eight, where college students observed the classes, followed by practice teaching, all under the supervision of a regular teacher.
In 1967, Union Grove’s was the largest of the eight “normal schools” in the state, with nine faculty and 140 students. A “normal school” is defined as a school to train high school graduates to be teachers, and establish teaching standards, or norms – hence its name.
Memories of an elementary student
Enola Hay remembers her early schooling at the Union Grove normal school very well. The 80-year-old started school there as an elementary student in 1939.
She grew up and still resides just south of Union Grove in the town of Paris. She recently enjoyed reminiscing about her time there both as a student and as a mom –– all her children attended school there as well.
Enola says the school didn’t always have a good reputation because students were doing a lot of the teaching, but she disagrees with that idea. “I thought I had a good education there,” she said.
When kids needed extra help with schoolwork, the student teachers were always on hand to help out. She also recalls how the regular teachers had a lot on their plates.
“The teachers watched us and also evaluated the student teachers – but they also had a lot of help from them,” she said.
The school ran a pretty tight ship, she recalled. Students would exit for recess to the back of the building, off of what is now 16th Street. “If we ever ran down the terrace, or grass, and not the steps – oh, we were in big trouble!” she said.
As a student, Enola also enjoyed performing in operettas, or musicals, like “Jack and the Beanstalk” and “Tom Sawyer.” The school building just to the west of Storms Hall, which is now the Union Grove Municipal Building, had a large gymnasium – the only one in town, she recalled.
The popular room hosted everything from operettas on its large stage to indoor recess, to proms and other dances.
“It was nice to have,” Enola said.
Years later, she enjoyed going back to the elementary school as a volunteer when her four girls were students. Two of them graduated and the other two started elementary school there, but had to transfer to Union Grove Grade School when the teachers college closed in 1971.
Enola said her girls were upset to have to go to a bigger school. “They liked it there – it was like a small, private school,” she said.
Memories of a college student
Kay (Hoffman) Anderson, Union Grove, was a college student who attended the normal school from 1950 to 1952 and graduated in the class of 1952. She stayed in the dormitory, Storms Hall, during the week and went home to Genoa City every weekend.
“None of the students stayed at Storms Hall on weekends,” Kay recalled. “Everyone left for home at 4 p.m. Friday afternoons.”
And everyone was sure to be back on Sunday evening by 11 p.m.
“We arrived back on Sunday nights by 11 or we were locked out and had to ring the bell for Miss Pierce to come and open the door – not a good thing,” Kay said.
Wednesday night was date night and 11 p.m. was curfew, she recalled. “Again, it was a good idea to be in before then!” Kay said.
She also recalled mealtimes in the large dining room at Storms Hall, sitting eight to a table and taking turns serving the meal.
“We enjoyed many wonderful meals prepared by Mrs. Karrup, the cook, and the students assisted her as part of their work assignment,” she said.
Kay’s favorite breakfast was morning-fresh bakery from Olesens Bakery, delivered “hot from the oven” once a week.
Upon graduation, Kay first taught at a one-room school in Kenosha – Oak Knoll. She spent most of her 30-plus years of teaching at the old Union Grove Grade School on 14th Avenue.
How times have changed
So what did a student pay for room and board at Storms Hall? Enola has held on to a general catalog from 1927-28, which states that “attendance is free to residents of Racine and Kenosha Counties.”
Otherwise, the catalog lists tuition as $1 per week.
“Board and Room,” as the catalog reads, was $4.50 for a five-day week; $4 for Monday morning to Friday afternoon; and $6 for a seven-day week.
For books and stationary, it reads: “One dollar per quarter-year, payable first day of quarter, furnishes student with all the text books, reference books, Palmer Penmanship exercise paper, pens, ink, etc.”
A new era
Now, with a look at the past, Union Grove looks to a future with a new McDonald’s.
Enola says she loves that McDonald’s is coming to Union Grove, but just can’t picture a McDonald’s at the Storms Hall location. “I don’t want to!” she added.
Though the historic building will soon be gone, nothing can erase the fond memories of Enola, Kay and countless other alumni of the Racine-Kenosha County Teachers College.
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