RAVALLI_COUNTY_SCHOOLS
RAVALLI COUNTY SCHOOLS
Click on school name to see the high school graduating classes for
each of the schools. Not all classes have been added, but more
will be added as time allows. At the bottom of the page is
information about school & class reunions.
For lists of graduates for each high school and other school
news,CLICK on the name of each
school
In the early days, settlers in the Bitter Root
valley were not allowed to establish educational facilities for
their children, so many home schools were established.
The first schools were primitive compared with
the schools of today. The first were "parlor" schools where a
mother, who was better educated than most, educated her own children
and neighbor children. The education was limited to the fundamental
three R's and school was in session only during the winter months
when the farm chores were light. Even though many of the early
settlers could not read or write, they were convinced that education
was important and necessary for their children. St. Mary's Mission
school was started in 1841 by Father DeSmett. At St. Mary's school,
the Jesuits taught the Indians Christianity and agriculture. It
isn't known whether they taught reading and writing.
In 1864, when the first Montana Territorial
Assembly met at Bannack, the office of Superintendent of Public
Instruction, County Superintendent of Schools, and District Clerk
were created. The Assembly also provided for the organization of
counties into school districts and the election of school trustees.
The first territorial superintendent was Thomas J. Dimsdale.
In 1867, the first public school in Missoula
County opened at Corvallis and Corvallis offically became School
District #1. This school first school was kept by a man named Woods.
The first schoolhouse in Corvallis was located near the Slack farm,
about 3/4 mile north of the present day Corvallis. It was a 1-room
school building made of logs. William Slack, who was only 3 years
old, attended the school to make the required 12 students needed for
a school. The teacher was Bent Reeder.
Montana became a state under the Enabling Act of
1889, which required new states to provide for the establishment and
maintenance of public schools. As an incentive, the federal
government set aside two sections of land per township in new states
for elementary education.
Schools were allowed to levy a limited amount of
money each year to operate and maintain the schools and could not
bond themselves beyond the current year. When a new school house was
needed, the money had to be raised locally by subscription. Many
schools were built on land donated by local farmers and
ranchers.
School district numbers were assigned when
Ravalli County was part of Missoula County, then the numbers were
changed when Ravalli County was created in 1893. Through Ravalli
County's history, there have been about 40 school districts, but
have been consolidated into the present seven.
They All Want The High School
Hamilton, Stevensville, Corvallis, and Victor After It
Election To Be Called Soon
Plurality Vote Will Settle It - Appropriation for County Fair - More Saloon Licenses Granted
Petitions each signed by the required 100
freeholders have been filed by Hamilton and Corvallis asking that a
free county high school be established at these prospective points. It
is understood that similar petitions are being circulated at Victor and
Stevensville, so that it is very probably that at least four candidates
will be in the field. An election will no doubt be called in the near
future. The election will be held in the several school districts and
conducted under the school election laws. No registration is required
and a plurality vote is deemed sufficient to determine the location.
County high schools are maintained by a property tax that cannot exceed
three mills, although this may be increased to 10 mills to pay interest
and principal on bonds, that my be levied to erect a high school
building. The school is governed by a board of six trustees, appointed
by the county superintendent.
Strong petitions, that have been circulated
throughout the county have been presented requesting that the board
appropriate $1,000 for agricultural premiums for a county fair and
favorable action is anticipated.
County Treasurer Carter today issued saloon licenses
to A.L. Mowatt and Joe Deal of Victor and to Charles Bourne of
Corvallis, each paying $165 unto county officers. The board is
considering the advisability of granting licenses to applicants in
Darby and Florence, which are under jurisdiction of the board, having
less than 100 population.
The Western News, March 7, 1906
In 1906, there was an election to establish a
county high school in Hamilton. For more on this story, go to
HAMILTON SCHOOLS.
Eighth Grade Examinations
Not a little misunderstanding has arisin in connection
with the exact provisions of the resolution of the state board of
education relative to teachers and eighth grade examinations.
Therefore, The Western News reproduces it verbatim, as follows:
"Resolved, That the several county boards of
education examiners be authorized to hold eighth grade examinations
in their respective counties as provided in house bill 118, Tenth
legislative assembly for the purpose of granting eighth grade pupils
who show themselves proficient cetificates to enter accredited high
schools, such examinations to be optional with local authorities
until January 1908. Afther said date all pupils desiring to enter
accredited high schools regularly from the eighth grade shall hold
certificates granted by the county board of educational examiners.
The questions for these examinations shall be prepared by the state
superintendent of public instruction and the examinations shall be
held under the rules and regulations prescribed by him. The minimum
standing for passing shall be 65 percent with an average in all."
The Western News, April 24, 1907, page 1
Pupils Who Passed In Physiology
The pupils who secured a passing mark in physiology at the examination last week are:
District No. 3, Hamilton: Willis Roberts, William Rooney, Ester Nelson,
Edith Melton, Ruth Kleinoeder, Pearl Wright, MabelMcConnell, Marie
Pettis, John Tyler, Edna Edwards, Earl Christensen, Hamilton Robertson,
Eva King, Stasia Holstrom, Henry Bishop, Earl Howard, Claude LaFrance,
Anna May Higgins, Mildred Holstrom, Arthur Peterson, George Phillips,
Charles Crutchfield, Herman Stalford, and Chris Hoffman
District No. 2, Stevensville: Florence Harrington, George May, Helena
Beyer, Claude Johnson, Lois Showell, Buford Buck, Anna Shea, Lucy
Dawson, Marcus Drew, Eva Dowling, Tom Miser, Verna Cowell, Maxford
Yandt, Gladys Lyons, Dade Carter, Buna Turner, Ras Woods, and Leroy
Stratton
District No. 1, Corvallis: Margaret Bohler, Avery Heron, Dean Chaffin,
Guy Hall, John McLeod, Mary Odell, Milburn Hawker, and Irene Smith
District No. 2, Grantsdale: Ollie Forrest, Harold Taylor, Ethel Carlson, Mary Hollibaugh, and Richard Carlson
District No. 11, Fairplay: George Rummell, Edna Lyle, Lola Wing, Hazel
Severns, Clara Shulta, John Lockwood, Edith Malone, and Edwin Neilson
District No. 14, Cama: Irving Gilmore and Ester Warner
District No. 16, Connor: Lottie Helvick, Carroll Thompson, Orval Ward, and Susie Greenup
District No. 17, Three Mile: Ardelia Jenkins and Blanche Standley
District No. 19, Pleasant View: Jay Briggs and Russell Hickey
District No. 20, Como: George Elderkin and Marjorie Hanault
District No. 21, West Fork: Calvin McDaniels and Barron Fuller
District No, 29, Roll School: Clara Johnson and Jesse Waylett
District No. 32, Sleeping Child: Lottie Leavitt
District No. 10, Fairview: James Sestak
The Western News, January 26, 1912
Students Who Passed Examination
But 81 out of 159 who took the eighth grade test were successful
Out of 159 pupils who last week took the eighth
grade examination required by the state but 81 were successful. These
are not eligible to enter the high school, while those who failed must
take the eighth grade work over.
The students from the various school districts of
the county who passed the eighth grade examination are as follows:
Hamilton: Viola Granke, Howard Marr, Willie Roberts, William Rooney,
Esther Nelson, Edith Melton, Mable McConnell, Amelia Wolpert, John
Tyler, Earle Christensen, Hamilton Robertson, Stasia Holstrom, Claude
LeFrance, Mildred Holstrom, George Phillips, Charles Crutchfield,
Herman Stalford, Christ Hoffman, Lois Law, Gertrude Powers, Richard
Sullivan, and Hazel Loveland
Corvallis: John McLeod, Paul Everly, and Hazel Whitesitt
Stevensville: Florence Harrington, George May, Helen Beyer, Claude
Johnson, Lois Showell, Anna Shea, Lucy Dawson, Eva Dowling, Marcus
Drew, Thomas Miser, Vernie Cowell, Maxford Yandt, Gladys Lyons, Dade
Carter, Buna Turner, Ras Woods, Ruth Drew
Victor (consolidated) - Gladys Keirns, Dewey Poindexter, James Woffard,
Pearl Collins, Lillian Goddard, Gladys Wason, Bland Treece, Edgar
Puyear, Howard McVey, Mildren Wasson
Grantsdale - Otto Forrest, Harold Taylor, Ethel Carlson, Mary Hollibaugh, Richard Carlson
Holden, District 8 - John Wimitt
Fairplay, District 11 - Fay Burrell, Ruth Moore, Arthur Hauf, Edna Luall, John Lockwood
Eight Mile, District 12 - Belle Walkup, Melvin Price
Florence, District 15 - Dwight Carver, Inez Shaffer, Roy Tillman, Morgana Tilman, Hannah Bentham, Helen Klair, Hildred Gleason
Conner, District 16 - Carrol Thompson
Canyon Creek, District 18 - Harry Creek, Helen Little
Robertson, District 22 - Frances Rees
Roll, District 29 - Stanley Waylett, Clara Johnson, Edith Brown
Sleeping Child, District 32 - Rose Oertli, Lottie Leavitt
The Western News, June 11, 1912
Eighth Grade Graduates are Announced
County Superintendent Katherine Drayton today gave
out the list of pupils who passed the eighth grade examinations and who
are eligible to enter high school this fall. It was necessary to
give two examinations as the lower valley schools closed nearly a month
after the upper valley shoools and the names of the first lot of
graduates was held until the list could be completed. The graduates are:
Ambrose - Dorothy Fares, Helen Strebel
Sula - Paul Wetzsteon
Rye Creek - Dwight Ward, Louise Thorning
Upperburn Fork - Logan Sherris
Hanilton Heights - William Schaedl
LoneRock - Mabel Rehberg
Charlos - George Hayes, Gail Holbrook
Como - Joe Henault, Cecil Algie, Clarence Platt, Edith Lawrence, Grace Lowman
Lower Burnt Fork - Elmer Bosse, George Taylor, Jane Rees, George Schaertl
Birch Creek - Anna Jackman
Saw Tooth - Mary Decker, Winifred Greenup
Canyon Creek - David Carpenter, Mildred Gerer, Rudolph Gerer
Grantsdale - John Sheehan, George McLean, Mary Miller, Fannie Gliebe
Darby - Catherine Miller, Clarence Kerlee, Rudolph Rismann, Margery Laird, Una Briggs
Victor - Orville Buker, Edward Blair, Verna Schrantz, Herbert Owings, Alberta Kaa, Celia Perry, AnnaRoark, Martha Waylett
Florence - Lester Shivel, Helen Heresford, Clarence Wemple
Stevensville - Olive Roark, Sherman Burgoyne, Agnes Marks, Silva
Briner, Alice Fausett, Marjorie Forkner, Maude McNett, Guy Dawson,
Elsie Ashworth, Anna Ellis, Merle Smith, Ruth Faust, Myron Davis,
Norman Drew
Hamilton - Charles James, Dick Southwick, Harold Stanton, Teddy
Edwards, Margery Jones, George Stewart, Melvin Lord, Lenore McCulloch,
Sara McDaniel, Bell Putnam, Irene Haigh, Agnes Getty, James Coulter,
John Craddock, Edwin Ash, Irene Hagaman, Hazel Peterson, Archie
Strange, Eleanor Roberts.
The Western News, June 20, 1918
Ravalli County Schools may Favor Later Starting time This Winter
Hamilton, August 29 - A general sentiment for opening the schools as
usual at 9 o�clock, with the coming of winter is indicated in reports
of Ravalli county districts County Superintendent Mabel Liudsladt said
Wednesday. Darby and Florence, the latest to be heard from, plan such a
time standard, she said,
At Darby, A.B. Cole begins his 21st year as
instructor,a nd most of the time has been superintendent. The teachers
are Lorena Greenfield, Neva Schoenhals, Ada Miller, elizabeth Johnson,
Agnes Hannon, elementary; Jessie Murphey, Ruth J. Clonninger, Melvin L.
Schneider and Bessie B. Marble, high school. A Sixth grade teacher an
instructor for the music and home economics work remain to be hired.
Mrs. Xca Doughery, teacher of sixth and music for several years, has
resigned to take a post at Dixon.
Florence-Carlton again has Arthur J. Olsen as
superintendent and the teachers are Evelyn McVey, Leon Nelson, Lillian
Cebull and Elda McLaughlin with the post of commercial teacher still to
be filler.
George Blakeslee is again at the head of Corvallis
schools and teachers are Emma Quast, Beatrice Berland, Marjorie Arnold
Bowen, Howard March, Marvin Tilden, Willie Brisbin, Ruth Horn, LeRea
Cobb, Clarine Moore, Katherine Weber, and Margaret Thompson, with a
coach position yet to fill, due to a late resignation.
Victor has had more positions to fill accordingly
than any school in the county and so far there are but two of last
year�s teachers returning, Ethel Graham and Rose Conwell. William R
Evans is superintendent and other teachers are E.K. Wright, Jean
Campbell, Grace Rykels, Mayme Clark and Helen Prochnow. The latter was
substitute teacher last year.
Montana Standard, August 30, 1942
FLORENCE CARLTON SCHOOLS in Florence, Montana
STEVENSVILLE SCHOOL
The first Stevensville school was established at
St. Mary's Mission by the Jesuits who followed the pattern of their
order and held classes for the Indians. Then, John Owen hired a
tutor, P. MacDonald, to teach the Indian and half-breed children at
Fort Owen from December 1858 until April 1859.
The home of Henry Buck was the first school in
the town of Stevensville. At first, it was a just a school for his
children, but then became Stevensville's official grammar school.
Records show that 26 pupils attended the school in 1872 and three of
the early teachers were Mrs. Sara Lent, Rosa Knapp (later Mrs. Amos
Buck), and Mrs. Nellie Haynes Buck.
In 1890, 152 students attended the Stevensville
school during the 7-month term. They had a total of 10 library books
and the one teacher who was paid $75 a month during the winter
months and $65 a month during the spring. The next year, the school
had 116 students and two teachers. A man who received $65 a month
and a woman who received $50 a month. The school term was 10 months.
The town population and the number of students continued to
increase. By1905 there were 324 students, one man and three women
teachers, 880 library books, and two school buildings.
Teachers for hired for the 1909-1910 school year: Highschool: Prof.
C.C. Williamson and Mrs. Ruth Smith
Public school: Prof. J.F. Sharp, principal; Miss
Ida L. Crossman, 6th and 7th grades; Caroline Wells, 4th and 5th
grades; Josie Robb, 3rd and half of 2nd grades; Miss Debora Wagy,
1st and half of second grades.
VICTOR SCHOOLS
Victor's first school teacher, Eva Liter, quit
teaching after her husband, Nehemiah, died in 1881. In the spring of
1881, Joel J. Bond, accompanied by his wife Elizabeth and their
children, came to Victor to farm and teach school. He initiated a
6-month school term beginning May 1, 1881 for the 64 children who
would attend school in the Sweat House School District. Within a
year, the number of students had increased to 89 (50 boys and 39
girls). The end of the 6-month term qualified Victor for territorial
school funds provided by an 1877 law.
The Montana Territory's first compulsory
education law caused the number of students to increase which
prompted Joel Bond to initate the building of a new school on the
land doanted by Frank Woody for school purposes. The school house
was built by donations and volunteer labor and a barn was built
nearby to stable the students' saddle horses.
In 1882, the Missoula County Commissioners
separated the southern part of the Sweat House District to form the
Fair View School District. The people in this new district built
their own log school house a mile west of Tucker Crossing.
During the next several years, more school
districts were formed: the Pleasant View District in 1888, the
Curlew School District in 1891, and the Roll School District. By
1890, there were 85 children attending the Victor school, 27 at Fair
View, and 48 at Pleasant View.
Joel J. Bond taught school for many years and
served as Ravalli County's first Superintendent of Schools from 1893
to 1895. His daughter, Anna Bond Herbert, was elected as his
replacement in 1895. (see Joel Bond biography)
Early teachers at the Victor School include Miss
Nannie Dowd in 1884; Mr. Tuxbury in 1886; Miss Mary Williams in
1888; "Professor" Fouch in1890; Sue Anderson and Miss Maggie McCarty
in 1891; and P.J. Anderson in 1892.
CORVALLIS SCHOOLS
The first school in the
Corvallis area was located near the old Slack farm, which was about
one-half mile northwest of the current town of Corvallis. Bent
Reeder was the teacher. The second school was located in the town of
Corvallis, near the present Corvallis High School. During the early
1900's, there were a number of small schools in the Corvallis area.
Through the efforts of Winfield Scott Bailey, the Corvallis
School consolidated with the Willow Creek, Mountain View and
Woodside school in 1914. Later, the Hamilton Heights, Birch Creek,
and Dominic Schools joined the Corvallis school. This consolidation
gave the community an accredited high school that was housed in a
new brick school building in 1915. The previous school building,
located where the present primary school building is located on the
East side highway, was destroyed by fire in 1914. The new high
school building was erected at the north end of Main Street in
Corvallis.
W.S. Bailey was a 1904 graduate of Plattville Teachers College
in Plattville, Wisconsin, and became the first superintendent of
Corvallis schools in 1912.
The Corvallis High School building was destroyed
by fire on a cold January 14, 1930 day. There was a 9-day vacation
for the students. School resumed on Monday, January 29 with the high
school and grades 5 through 8 meeting in temporary facilities. The
98 high school students and their 4 teachers met in the Masonic
building. The 25 eighth graders and their teacher, Sam Cappious,
were established in the Community Hall, the seventh grade of 35
pupils and their teacher, Miss Fern Lee, assembled at the Methodist
Church annex. The fifth and sixth graders joined the four lower
grades at the primary school building.
When school resumed, school supply stores did a
rushing business with many students needing to replace their
personal supplied destroyed in the fire. Basketball practice was
held in the Odd Fellows' Hall, but the ceiling was not high enough
to permit regulation-height baskets. Because of that, Corvallis
played all of their games away from home.
Because W.S. wanted good teachers working at the
school, he convinced several young teachers from the Platteville
Teachers College, including his sister Loretta Bailey (later married
Ernest Scott), to come to Corvallis to teach.
DARBY SCHOOLS
The Darby School District #9 is made up of Darby Elementary, Darby Junior High, and Darby High School.
HAMILTON SCHOOLS
The first teacher in Hamilton was Anna O'Hara.
She taught in a 1-room school located on the Main Street in
Hamilton, where Roberts Books store was located in later years.
SCHOOL & CLASS REUNION INFORMATION
CORVALLIS
The first annual all-classes reunion was held at the
Corvallis High School July 19, 2003. There were about 300 in
attendance. Reunions were held each year with the last and final reunion on June 25, 2016 at the Corvallis High
school. The all-school reunions have been discontinued due to
decreasing attendance and the exhaustion of the reunion
committee. Any future reunions will be the responsibility of
individual classes.
We are putting together a book or books of the
history of Corvallis schools, students and their families. Copies of
obituaries are needed for those students who died out-of state and
those whose obituary was not published in the local newspapers, Ravalli
Republic, Missoulian or Bitter Root Star. If you have information about
individuals who attended Corvallis schools that you would like to
contribute, e-mail Me.