Lake Chippewa Flowage Vacation

The Bishop School was named after James Bishop the earliest settler in this neighborhood who came from Minneapolis during the spring of 1872. He had lived in Maine previous to moving to Minneapolis.

The newspapers frequently refer to it as the Ackley school – W.S. Ackley being clerk. of the sub-district for two years about that time as well as being one of the earliest settlers of the neighborhood.

The school house was erected on lot 5 Sec. 11-39-6 for the benefit of the families of W.S. Ackley who lived on the S. E. 1/4 Sec. 23, Thomas Manwaring who lived on the N. E. corner Sec. 3, and James Bishop who lived on the N. E. 1/4 Sec. 23 of the same township.

It was built about February, 1885, under the general direction of Theodore Bunker who was then president of the school board – C. C. Brown doing most of the carpenter work. Later the school house was moved on the S. E. 1/4 Sec. 14 and in 1898 it was moved to its present location (1902) near the Bishop bridge lot 6 Sec. 23-39-5.

The accompanying map of Sawyer county is incorrect in two respects so far as this part of the county is concerned.

The Bishop school house is located about forty rods too far north of the public highway leading east from the Bishop bridge is located one-half mile too far north.

The first school was held in the residence of James Bishop for three months during the winter of 1882 and was taught by Mary A. Wall of Chippewa Falls. This was while the territory it was under the jurisdiction of Chippewa county. After the organization of the town of Hayward, Ada M. Gillette taught several terms in the Ackley residence.