The Shullsburg school district is working on raising money to restore the old school bell. The project began back when District Administrator, Loras Kruser was planning on retiring. He had made a wish list of things to do before retirement and having the bell fixed was one of them.
The bell had been in the boiler room of the school for many years. It was located on the top of the school during the early 1900’s.
Plans were then created to refurbish and display the old bell. The total cost of displaying and repurposing the bell is $31,000. After receiving seed money donated by Jack and Susan McCoy, plans were underway to have a design completed highlighting the bell and the historic limestone that makes up the exterior structure of the old sections of the school building.
The school board is still looking to meet their goal. School Board president Dan Morrissey has issued a class challenge for all the Shullsburg Alumni to raise the last $10,000 needed to resurrect this significant part of history. Alumni can write checks and send the money to the school with the year they graduated written in the memo as to challenge other graduating classes to see who can raise the most money.
It has become important to the school board and the initial donors that this project gets finished. The school and town are very rich in history and this bell is no different.