Butte County CA Archives History - Books .....Schools In Ophir Township 1882 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ca/cafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com January 28, 2006, 8:01 pm Book Title: History Of Butte County SCHOOLS IN OPHIR TOWNSHIP. There were five districts in 1860—Oroville, Lynchburg, Weller, Central House and Fredonia. The Lynchburg school was taught there by Miss S. Knox in 1860-61, and in 1862, by Miss Fannie Fair-child, since when there has been no school at that place. In 1860, Weller school was taught by T. D. Eggleston: in 1861, by G. W. Boody, and in 1862, by Mr. Eggleston, and that closed the record of the school. Fredonia school lasted but one year, with Mr. Warner as teacher. Lone Tree district was formed May 23, 1861; thus, with Oroville and Central House, making three districts in 1863. Wyman's Ravine district was created March 2, 1866, and Union district May 3, 1869. Honcut district was formed May 2, 1876, and school soon after was opened at Moore station. Whitewashed Trees district was organized June 15, 1881. OROVILLE DISTRICT.—During the summer of 1863, a school-house was built, and stoodt onl the lot, now vacant, in the rear of the residence of P. R. Welch. In the early part of the year 1865, E. A. Kusel, B. F. Jones and James Young being the trustees, the matter of erecting a commodious school-house, to take the place of the old one, which is described as "being in a most forlorn and dilapidated condition," began to be agitated. The proposition assumed a business aspect when the Oroville Guard, a military company, came forward and volunteered a subscription of $500, thus giving a fair start. Before any steps were taken, James Young removed to San Francisco, and George H. Crossette was appointed trustee in his stead. E. A. Kusel, the clerk of the board of trustees, obtained, through state superintendent John Swett, from Bugbee & Sons, of San Francisco, architects, a plan and specifications, which were adopted. The contract was let to Brannan & Whimple, builders, of Marysville, for 83,000, payable in two installments, all the material, except doors and windows, to be supplied by the trustees. There is a history, the details of which we do not deem it expedient in this record to enter upon, of contention and strife in the board of trustees, and between the clerk of the board and the contractors on the building. In process of time, the building was completed, and, on the sixth of March, 1867, was officially accepted by the trustees. A tax of two per cent, was voted by the district to complete the payments on the building. New and elegant furniture was purchased. With John C. Gray as principal, assisted by two other teachers, the school flourished as never before. The building was handsome, commodious and conveniently arranged. It had two stories, two school-rooms below and one large one above, with two small ante-rooms for library and apparatus. The entire cost was $10,234.49. In the spring of 1875 a special tax was voted by the district, for the purpose of building an addition, which amounted to $2,904.30. County Judge W. S. Safford paid in $600, money received by him for sales of town lots of the Oroville town-site. From the school funds on hand were appropriated $590.74, and these together gave a building-fund of $4,095.04. Two large, airy, and well furnished school-rooms, added to the rear of the former building, made the Oroville school-house what it now is— the most comfortable and well-arranged building in the county. The present teachers are: Frank A. Beachy, principal; N. B. Coffman, grammar; Miss Nellie Givens and Miss Carrie Sexton, intermediate; Miss Cordelia Leggett, primary. CENTRAL HOUSE DISTRICT.—The district has a good house, though getting somewhat old. The present trustees a year ago purchased the most approved style of desks, and the school is in good condition. LONE TREE DISTRICT.—The first building erected was central to the district, as it then stood: but the formation of the Honcut district, which cut off the lower end of the district, left the house on the border. Much difficulty was experienced in efforts to effect a removal. In the midst of them the difficulty was relieved by the mysterious burning of the building. As it was insured for $500, the trustees were soon enabled to erect the present commodious school-house, which stands in the center of the district. This was done in 1875. UNION DISTRICT.-The changes of boundary-lines in Union,, and its adjoining districts, were so numerous as to be actually amusing, until the law was changed so as to permit transfers to be made from one district to another without any alteration of boundary-lines, by simple consent of trustees, or the decision of the school superintendent. HONCUT DISTRICT was formed May 2, 1876. The school-house first stood on the land of J. C. Moore, some distance from the station. In 1878, the building was removed to the village of Moore Station. In 1880, a special tax was voted, and the house nicely fitted up and furnished in an elegant manner. WYMAN'S RAVINE DISTRICT.—In 1880, an unsuccessful effort was made to divide this district, cutting off the south-west half. In 1881, the formation of White Trees district took off the northern portion, leaving the remainder in very good shape. The district is in need of a new house and furniture. WHITE TREES DISTRICT was formed June 15, 1881. The first teacher is Miss Josie Douglass. A good house has been built, patent furniture bought, and the school is large and flourishing. Additional Comments: Extracted from: HISTORY OF BUTTE COUNTY, CALIFORNIA, IN TWO VOLUMES. I. HISTORY OF CALIFORNIA FROM 1513 TO 1850. BY FRANK T. GILBERT. The Great Fur Companies and their Trapping Expeditions to California. Settlement of the Sacramento Valley. The Discovery of Gold in California. BY HARRY L. WELLS. II. HISTORY OF BUTTE COUNTY, From its Earliest Settlement to the Present Time. BY HARRY L. WELLS AND W. L. CHAMBERS. BOTH VOLUMES ILLUSTRATED WITH VIEWS AND PORTRAITS. HARRY L. WELLS, 517 CLAY STREET, SAN FRANCISCO 1882. Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1882, by HARRY L. WELLS, in the office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington, D. C. FRANCIS, VALENTINE & Co., Engravers & Printers 517 Clay St., San Francisco File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ca/butte/history/1882/historyo/schoolsi315ms.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.poppet.org/cafiles/ File size: 6.7 Kb