Tag Archives: Schools

History

Paul Bunyan Days

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Log Rolling contest at Willard, 1970. Couresy of D.B. Martin

In the late 1940s, Paul Bunyan Days  was a logging competition held not only at Lassen College, but other community colleges that had forestry programs.  Tom Gilfoy who graduated from Lassen in 1951, said it was Ralph Throop who was instrumental in starting Paul Bunyan Days at Lassen. At that time it was held behind the high school, since the college was located on the same property. Tom stated they made an impromptu dam on the Susan River for log pond events that included log rolling. Other contests involved burling, pole climbing and two-man bucking saw.,  In 1950, Rex Coalson was the overall winner, followed by Ted Pankey in 1951.

Some time in the late 1960s, no doubt due in part with Lassen College separated from Lassen High School, Paul Bunyan Days was moved to Willard Creek. It was rather fitting since in 1938, it was the forestry students who developed the Willard Hill ski area, later converted into a sled hill.  Mike Moyers who later taught at Lassen stated that around 1981 or 1982 was when the last Paul Bunyan Days was held. In 1984, the forestry program at the college was terminated due to lack of students.

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History

Stanford University & Lassen County

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Map courtesy of Stanford University

One would not think that Stanford University and Lassen County would be associated in any way, but that was not case. Leland Stanford had many interests. In 1881 he purchased Rancho Bosquejo at Vina, Tehama County. It should be duly noted, that this was Peter Lassen’s original Spanish Land Grant.

On May 26, 1899, Stanford’s widow, Jane, purchased 2,114 acres west of Eagle Lake from Champlin and Boggs for $8,000. This allowed for additional summer pasture for the Vina property. Ten days after the purchase, Jane transferred the title to Stanford University. In February 1924, the University sold its Lassen County Summer Range to J.J. Flemining at $10 an acre.

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Highland School, Lassen County

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The Highland School was a short-lived district, that was referred by the name where the school was located—-Termo. It is interesting to note that Don Garate’s book Termo to Madeline does not even refer to the school by its official name.

Information on the school is rather scant. When the petition was submitted on November 6, 1914 it contained the following signatures—Martha Cox, Elvira Smith, Mrs. C.C. Brack, Margaretta Drees,Wm. Boydston, Mrs. J.A.Shoaf, Mrs. W.H.Brown, and E.B. Coffin. Collectively, they had sixteen children. Which they met the criteria of at least having ten children. They also resided anywhere between six and thirteen miles from the nearest school. Thus, they met the second criteria of being more than two miles from the nearest school house.

The school district was approved on January 5, 1915. Its existence was brief, and in 1925 the Highland School was annexed to Ravendale. The following year, the school’s fixtures were transferred to the Madeline School only to be destroyed by a fire in 1927.

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Your Tuesday Tidbit—Coppervale

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Coppervale, courtesy of Lassen College

In the early 1930s, professional ski jumping events were all the rage. Westwood’s Paul Bunyan Ski Club built a ski jump on Fredonyer and held several contests. In November 1937, Bert Bain operator of the popular road house The Meadows built an amateur ski jump across the highway from his establishment. In time it evolved into today’s Coppervale Ski Area operated by Lassen Community College.

Tim

History

Lake School, Lassen County

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Lake School
Lake School, 1886

One of the original six school districts established in 1864, that was located in the northwest segment of Honey Lake, near what would become Buntingville. In 1877, the District constructed a two-story schoolhouse with the assistance of the Independent Order of Good Templars. The second story was used as a hall for that organization. In 1934 the second story was removed as part of a WPA project. Francis Wilbur, a local carpenter was hired to do the work at a cost of $1,740.

In 1953, a ballot referendum was held to consolidate the Janesville, Lake, and Missouri Bend schools. The Lake District voters opposed it. In 1971, the school closed and annexed to Janesville. In 1975, the Janesville District declared the Lake School as surplus property and it was deeded to George and Jane Bailey. The schoolhouse has since been converted into a private residence.

Lake School as a private residence, February 7, 2016.

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The Student Newspaper

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The Grizzly Growler was the long standing student newspaper.

Another relic of the past is the student newspaper. Anyhow, on with our story. In the mid-1930s the Lassen Union High School student body experienced some interesting happenings. The first was a student newspaper dubbed the Hi-Times. This was followed by a school emblem—-the Grizzly bear.

In the fall of 1935, Miss Morgan, the school’s journalist instructor announced a campaign to change the school newspaper name. One issue was there were a number of Northern California student newspapers that had a similar name to Lassen’s. In an effort to promote the school’s new emblem, the word Grizzly was required in the new name contest. On October 4, 1935 the renamed student newspaper Grizzly Growler made its debut. It was Eleanor Hansen, Class of 1939, that was the prize winning entry.

Fast forward by several decades, when I attended Lassen High the school newspaper was just the Grizzly, somewhere along the line the Growler was dropped. From what little research I have done, it appears sometime in the 1990s the student paper ceased to exist.

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Amedee School Dedication

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Amedee School, 1916. D.M. Durst Collection

It was a long time coming but on Saturday, September 23, 1916 the Amedee School house held a dedication with ninety-one people attending. The school district had been established in 1893, but it never had a school building to call its own.

On April 7, 1916 a $1,500 school bond election was held. It passed by a large margin with a voter turnout of 100 percent—16 yes and four no votes. The bungalow style building was built by J. C. Thornburg and was located a block north of the Hotel Amedee.

The life span of the school was short. In a few short years the region would experience a major de-population. In 1922, the school was closed and operations moved to Wendel. In 1936, Maybelle Johnson purchased the building, moved it eight miles to the east and converted it into a private residence. It stands today in a dilapidated state.

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Lincoln School – Then & Now

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Lincoln School
Lincoln School, 1924

In 1922, Lincoln School was built for $35,000 on the south side of Main Street at the intersection of Hall Street. The school was completed and put into use in February 1923. It closed at the end of the 1966-67 school year being replaced by Diamond View on Richmond Road. In the early 1970s Lassen College used the facility until its new campus was built on Highway 139. It then found new life as the headquarters of the Lassen National Forest. For a number of years, it sat vacate and was heavily vandalized. It is slowly coming back to life again being converted into apartments

September 21, 2019

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History

Lassen Union High School, 1936

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Lassen Union High School, 1942

Schools are a perfect example of changes taking place all the time. On February 3, 1936, Lassen Union High School implemented a new schedule. Before the school trustees adopted the new program considerable input came from the faculty and the students.

School began at 8:45 a.m. The new schedule provide a thirty minute period prior to the noon hour. This enabled students on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday an opportunity to work on their hobbies, learn new skills, take advantage of the typing room, study hall or to confer with teachers. Thursday and Fridays were devoted for students to participate in meetings of various school organizations. It was the general consensus this allowed the valley students to engage in more school activities than in past because because they were denied such, due to them departing on the bus schedule. 

It should be noted the lunch period was from noon to 12:45 p.m. The school day concluded at 3:38 p.m.

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