Bullamore Forks (also known as Six Mile School) Somers Township, Kenosha County, Wisconsin

 

(Source:  Images courtesy of Robert Swartz.  Emailed 2020)

Ozanne, Mrs Minnie Grimshaw Teacher in Somers starting 1887

 

(Source:  August 6, 1946 Kenosha News)

Bullamore Forks School Dedication Jan. 22, 1930

 

(Source:  Racine Journal Times January 23, 1930)

1929 Building Specs for New 1929 Bullamore Forks School

Original documents is located at the UW-Wisconsin Parkside Archive Center
Village of Somers, Kenosha County, Wisconsin

Interesting Highlights

Contract Awarded to Theodore Henningsen, Racine, Wisconsin for $15,996.00

Contract signed July 30, 1929 by Henningsen and Somers School District #8 Clerk, Director, Treasurer.  Original documents are located at the UW-Wisconsin Parkside Archive Center.

1.  Building to be constructed with concrete walls in basement, wood floors and roof, and walls of brick and tile.

2. Sand used shall be sharp, clean and free from loam or other deleterious substances.  Cement shall be fresh Portland equal to the best quality.

In case subsoil is such as to make water seepage likely, basement walls shall be properly waterproofed.  

3. Basement floors shall be not less than 4 inches thick, smoothly finished.  Floor shall be pitched so all spaces subject to drainage may have adequate pitch.

4. All chimney flues shall be constructed and well bonded and laid and all joints shall be flushed full of mortar.  Chimney where exposed shall have brick facing.  Allow brick at $25.00 per thousand base for this type of work.

5. Heat flues shall be closed off at ceiling line by corbeling or other means and interior of the heat flues shall be curved so as to facilitate the air movement toward the classroom.

6. Window and door frames where set in masonry or brick shall be set plumb and true.

7.  Sills shall be stone.

8. Gutters are to be placed on roof.  Eaves and moulded gutters are to be of galvanized iron and #24 gauge.

9. Contractor will allow $100 for so-called finished hardware for locks, hinges, sash locks, bar lifts, cloak hookds, etc.

10. All stud partitions and outside wall studding of frame building shall be 2x4 size and shall be set 16 inch on centers and doubled at all corners and angles.

11. All floors to be bridged between wall and center girder where the latter is provided. Cross bridging shall be of double herring-bone bridging one and one-half by three, nailed with two nails at each end.

12. All exterior mill work shall be made from clear, sound, white pine or cypress.  No deviation will be permitted.

13. Rafter are to be notched on the plate and spiked and all thoroughly tied together and made strong and secure.  Cover roof with No. 1 hemlock ship lap. Wooden louvres are to be provided, six inches wide with one inch gap. Inside openings are to be screened with heavy galvanized wire screening of one-quarter inch mesh.

14. Asphalt shingles. $6.00 per square.

15. Single cellar windows shall be hinged and all outside frames to be made of one and one-half six inch materials. Provide pulley stiles sufficient to admit proper size weights.  All inside door frames shall be seven-eighths inch thick.  Windows in walls constructed of wood or walls finished with plaster on the outside are to have wood casings. All sash to be clear white pine.  Stops on all windows except basement sash to be applied with screws and washers.  All pulleys furnished by contractor with cast iron counterweights which balance sash perfectly.  Hang with Sampson sash cord.  

16. Glass to be SSA glass.

17. All flooring to be delivered after plastering is perfectly dry. Must be in perfect condition. Floors are to be planed straight and sand papered to a perfectly smooth surface free from tool marks.  

18. Interior finish to be of yellow pine, smoothly sanded, molded and finished.

19. Blackboards to be cased as per details. Cloakrooms to have three-quarters inch hook strips.

20. Stairs to have selected yellow pine risers seven-eighths inch thick. Treads shall be one and one-eighth inch maple of width. Stringers to be mortised and plowed and whole stair case glued. Handrails are to be of inch and one-quarter birch with end returns.

21. Doors to be one and three-quarter inch thick, paneled and in yellow pine.

22. All blackboards to be 42 inches wide.

23. Plaster all inside walls. 

24. Heating and ventilation specs include heat pipes, smoke pipe, recirculating duct, registers, humidifier, fresh air intake, guaranty, cast iron smoke flue.

25. Electric separate. Jones Electric from Racine, Wisconsin bid electric, excluding fixtures, for $380.00.

Supplementary Specs

1.  Stone work is to be of white Bedford limestone.

2. Toilet rooms partitions are to be 4 feet long, 6 feet high and 12 inches from floors.  Doors to be 1-1/2 inch thick.  Four panel.  5 feet in height.  Toilet room for girls may be placed opposite of boys in southeast corner.  Both same size and same number of fixtures. Water flushing toilets and plumbing to be installed according to State Board of Health.

3.  Fire escape to be constructed.

4. Name plate on eat side of building is to have two lines of inscription V cut into stone not less than 3/4 inch deep.

5.  Furnish water supply system consisting of deep well pump having capacity of 225 gallons per hour and provided with 200 gallons tank.

1929 New Bullamore Forks School Foundation Drawings

New 1929 Bullamore School District #8 Foundation Plans

New 1929 New Bullamore School District #8 Foundation Plans

1929 Build New Bullamore Forks School (Distr #8) Loan

Request for Clerk of School District #8 to Call a Special District Meeting
John Umland, Clerk (served for 20 years)
February 4, 1929

Kohlman, Gus

The Gus Kohlman House
Located on Lichter Road, Town of Somers, Kenosha County, Wisconsin
South Side of Road, West of 30th, Still Standing Today
(Photo Courtesy of Joe Fonk)

Gus Kohlman
(Photo Courtesy of Joe Fonk)

1920 US Federal Census
Name: Gustav Kohlman
Age: 53
Birth Year: About 1867
Birthplace:  Sweden
Home in 1920: Somers, Kenosha County
Street:  Lichter Road
House Number: Farm
Race: White
Gender: Male
Immigration Year: 1888
Marital Status: Married
Spouse's Name: Wilhelmia Kohlman (also known as Minnie), also age 53
Father's Birthplace:  Sweden
Mother's Birthplace: Sweden
Able to Speak English: Yes
Occupation: Farmer
Naturalization Status: Yes


1910 US Federal Census
Gustav and Minnie Kohlman lived in Kenosha Ward 4.  They lived as a "lodger" with Emma Dahl.
Family Members:
Gustav Kohlman, age 43
Minnie Kohlman, age 43
Richard Kohlman, age 21
Ester Kohlman, age 17
Alice Kohlman, age 16


More Information About Ester (also spelled Esther) Kohlman
1912 Kenosha City Directory.
Ester lived at 712 Pearl and her occupation was listed as teacher


Esther Kohlman Teacher Contracts

September 3, 1910
School District #8 - Bullamore Forks Graded School, Town of Somers, Wisconsin

Esther Kohlman teacher contract dated September 3, 1910
School District #8, Bullamore Forks Graded School, Town of Somers, Wisconsin
(Image Courtesy of Joe Fonk)

September 9, 1912
School District #2 - Hillcrest Graded School, Town of Somers, Wisconsin

Esther Kohlman teacher contract dated September 9, 1912
School District #2, Hillcrest Graded School, Town of Somers, Wisconsin
*Note:"and it is further understood and agreed that the board will see that fire is built Sunday afternoon".
(Image Courtesy of Joe Fonk)

Bullamore Forks School

School District No. 8 - Bullamore Forks
"The early history of this school is not available, but in a review we find that the first building was constructed by James Petrie about 1850 and the substantial building served the district some eighty years when it was sold and moved a short distance away and remodeled into a dwelling house.
In 1929 a new two-room modern red brick building was erected on the original site and accommodates some 90 pupils.
John Umland served the district as its clerk for twenty years.
Among the earlier students were the seven Flett brothers.  James taught school many years.  David studied law and later was appointed Judge of the first Municipal Court, Racine.  George was, for many years, a minister in the Presbyterian Church.  Charles followed teaching for some years, later studying medicine, locating in Milbank, South Dakota.  Among other students were the Winslow's, the Hermann's, the Bullamore's, the Eick's, the Murray's, and the Ozanne's."
(Source: My Memoirs, by Minnie A.G. Ozanne.  Copyright 1948--Minnie A.G. Ozanne.  All Rights Reserved.)

Kids at Bullamore Forks School, about 1924.

The boy in the back on the extreme right is Oren S. Bullamore, born 1912.

If anyone can identify any other children in this photo, please click here to email Jackie.

(Source: Original Photo Courtesy of Robert Swartz.)

Bullamore Forks School, Town of Somers
Bullamore Forks neighborhood was a "v" on Highway 158
Teacher on the right is Ione Smith Kreamer (sister of Merlyn Smith)
Photo taken September 15, 1939
(Photo courtesy of Jim smith)

Kids at Bullamore Forks School, about 1920.
Lucille (Bullamore) Swartz is the 3rd from the right, in a big hat.
Allan Bullamore is front, ceneter.
(Source:  Original Photo Courtesy of Robert Swartz.)