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TOLD by the PIONEERS - Washington Secretary of State

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Told <strong>by</strong> <strong>the</strong> Pioneers<br />

"The first school building was a log house in <strong>the</strong> Nor<strong>the</strong>ast corner<br />

<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> :Marcus McMillan homestead (now owned <strong>by</strong> Charles Rawlings.)<br />

It was a long, straight building with <strong>the</strong> door in one end a large cobblestone<br />

fireplace ill <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r. (This description was given <strong>by</strong> Flora<br />

A. Parsons, oldest daughter <strong>of</strong> H. G. Parsons. She attended school<br />

<strong>the</strong>re.) The chimney was made <strong>of</strong> sticks and clay. There was a row<br />

<strong>of</strong> small windows on each side. The seats were benches along <strong>the</strong><br />

sides <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> wall, and <strong>the</strong>re were six or seven clumsy home-made desks<br />

with a shelf for books. One low bench had a back and could be moved<br />

around. It was used <strong>by</strong> <strong>the</strong> smallest children. There was no well on<br />

•<br />

<strong>the</strong> grounds, so each child carried his own individual water bottle,<br />

which was placed on a bench in one corner <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> room. When we<br />

wanted a drink all we had to do was walk over <strong>the</strong>re and find our<br />

own bottle. There 'was a ball ground in front and teeters on <strong>the</strong> fence<br />

back <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> house."<br />

This description was given me <strong>by</strong> my sister, Flora Parsons, who attended<br />

school <strong>the</strong>re. She has very happy recollections <strong>of</strong> her school<br />

days in <strong>the</strong> little log cabin with only about a dozen pupils. Her first<br />

teacher was Stephen Ruddell, son <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> man who gave <strong>the</strong> plot for<br />

<strong>the</strong> Pi.oneer cemetery.<br />

•<br />

About 1869 <strong>the</strong> log cabin was abandoned and a board building was<br />

erected on <strong>the</strong> sou<strong>the</strong>ast corner <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> William S. Parsons field. The<br />

first teacher <strong>the</strong>re was Maggie 0 'Neil <strong>of</strong> Yelm.<br />

In 1875, as most <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> pupils were in <strong>the</strong> south end <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> district,<br />

it was decided to move <strong>the</strong> school house to a more central location.<br />

Therefore <strong>the</strong>y leased two acres <strong>of</strong> land from Nathan Eaton, situated<br />

"-<br />

in <strong>the</strong> northwest corner <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> field south <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> old fort site and <strong>the</strong><br />

Yelm road. The building was blocked up on rollers and hauled to <strong>the</strong><br />

new location. It was somewhat wrecked but was repaired and used<br />

until <strong>the</strong> present building was erected: Some <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> happiest days <strong>of</strong><br />

my life were spent in that old school building. The days were never<br />

so stormy but what we were glad to walk a mile and a half to school<br />

ra<strong>the</strong>r than miss a day. The old log forts were our play houses. Two<br />

<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>m were still standing at that time .<br />

CHARLES H. LITTELL<br />

Spokane County<br />

There were no schools in <strong>the</strong> district when we arrivecl. The first<br />

schoDl was held in a log cabin which a settler had deserted. This was<br />

a temporary school and taught <strong>by</strong> Addie Bowers. Later <strong>the</strong> district<br />

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