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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 />

was organized and a good hewn log building was built about one and<br />

one-half miles from my homestead. Church, Sunday school and all<br />

community entertainments were held in this school building. The annual<br />

Easter dinner was <strong>the</strong> outstanding event, with frequent basket<br />

socials for <strong>the</strong> young" people.<br />

MRS. MATILDA H. EAT01\~<br />

Clark County •<br />

On Sauvies Island, <strong>the</strong> people hired <strong>the</strong>ir own teacher. Uncle Martin<br />

had what is called a lumber house and we used this for our school<br />

house at first. But <strong>the</strong>re were so manv . <strong>of</strong> us <strong>the</strong>v had to build a new<br />

"<br />

school after we came. This was called <strong>the</strong> Gillihan school. All <strong>the</strong><br />

pupils save one bore <strong>the</strong> name <strong>of</strong> Gillihan and <strong>the</strong>re must have been<br />

about eighteen to twenty pupils. The story is told that when <strong>the</strong> new<br />

teacher first asked <strong>the</strong> names <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> pupils she went down <strong>the</strong> line <strong>of</strong><br />

Gillihans and finally reached <strong>the</strong> lone exception, but he answered,<br />

"Charley Morgan Gillihan." Miss Irene Smith was <strong>the</strong> only teacher<br />

I had <strong>the</strong>re. We played such games as Fox on ·Wood, and baseball.<br />

Like all little girls, we saved all <strong>the</strong> broken china for our playhouses.<br />

EARLY PIONEER PIERCE COUNTY SCHOOLS<br />

By Mrs. Marcella R. Henly, Steilacoom<br />

The pioneer children <strong>of</strong> 60 years ago had to walk four or five miles<br />

to and from school. Our home was located in school district number<br />

two and <strong>the</strong> house was built at that time about a quarter <strong>of</strong> a mile<br />

south <strong>of</strong> what is now Manitou Park and <strong>the</strong> first school house was<br />

situated where <strong>the</strong> Park Lodge school stands today. Fully four miles<br />

fo1' <strong>the</strong> children to go and <strong>the</strong>y were very young and <strong>the</strong> neighbors<br />

were few and far between. It was mostly all prairie <strong>the</strong>n and <strong>the</strong> chilchen<br />

were afraid <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> wandering bands <strong>of</strong> Indians and <strong>the</strong> wild cattle<br />

which lived on <strong>the</strong> prairie in large groups unmolested as yet <strong>by</strong><br />

<strong>the</strong> white men.<br />

Later on, Mr. Daugherty, our nearest neighbor, allowed <strong>the</strong> school<br />

board to erect a building on his donation claim, just east <strong>of</strong> where <strong>the</strong><br />

Jewish cemetery is now located on <strong>the</strong> Steilacoom highway, and <strong>the</strong>n<br />

we were only about one mile from <strong>the</strong> school, <strong>by</strong> crossing <strong>the</strong> Daugherty<br />

swamp, which was fairly passable in <strong>the</strong> summer months. Chang-<br />

195

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