TOLD by the PIONEERS - Washington Secretary of State
TOLD by the PIONEERS - Washington Secretary of State
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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