On Monday, March 24, the old Meadows school burned. Some people probably didn’t even know it was there, because it sat about a block south of the highway from “downtown” Meadows and was not very visible from the highway. I’m told at one time (probably when the school was built in 1911) the main road through Meadows went right by the school.
The first school at Meadows was a re-purposed homesteader’s log cabin. I don’t know where it was located.
Everything within quotation marks here comes from the Meadows Eagle newspaper.
“When the cabin was being used for a school house, dances, literary meetings and most of the social gatherings were held in it.”
“After five years, a new school was built over on the flat about two miles west of Meadows.” The clues from the Eagle seem to indicate this new school was built in 1903 by George Clark and was also about “two miles out of Meadows.”
After the new school was built, “Louis S. Kogans took up the land on which the cabin stands and bought the cabin, and it was then used for a saloon, general merchandise store, shoe and harness repairing shop and dwelling house.”
“Meanwhile the new school house had been moved to town and an addition built to it.”
Another item from the Eagle seems to reference this new school as being “one built by George Clark in 1903 about two miles out of Meadows.” At any rate, it was moved to town.
“But the school kept getting larger until in 1909 the school district bought the old cabin again and put the primary department in it. The primary department grew too large for the cabin, and in 1910 they put the high school department in the cabin.
“At present 1911 the cabin is being used for high school department, but the Women’s club is going to purchase it and transform it into a town reading room and library as soon as the school is moved into the fine new brick building.”
The “fine new brick building” is the school that just burned. As early as 1908 people were advocating for a new, bigger school. The Eagle editor said the proposed school house “is absolutely necessary if we are to have the ninth and tenth grades.”
In 1910 it was decided to hold and election for the purpose of bonding the district in order to raise the necessary funds.
The year 1911 is the most remarkable year in New Meadows history. Several of the big brick buildings that became landmarks were erected that year. Plus it was early that year when the railroad finally arrived. It was also the year that Meadows Valley became part of Adams County. (The county was created that year.)
By the end of December, the Eagle said: A fine new modern four room brick building is now completed and after the holiday vacation the school will be all assembled in the new building. We trust the work may be done in the new building will prove as pleasant and profitable to all as that accomplished in the old log cabin.” The paper described the building as “a modern, up-to-date, two story, four room, brick schoolhouse.”
I don’t have information as to when the building was abandoned. Even as the school was being built, the town of Meadows was beginning to die. The railroad, which was so essential to commerce and contact with the outside world, had snubbed it to create the new town of New Meadows.
Dr. George Dale Smith, Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, moved to Meadows Valley to practice in 1971. He first practiced in a small outbuilding at their home at the south end of the valley, and then, at some point purchased the old brick school building in Meadows where he practiced for 30-some years.
Dr. Smith died in March of 2011 at the age of 86, and his family continued to own the building to the present time. I think I heard his daughter, Nancy, was living in it when it burned.
My presentation about Mesa has been derailed because of the highway closure. It will be rescheduled at some point after the highway opens again.
100 years ago
April 10, 1925
“A dog belonging to John Glaspie, which was believed to have been afflicted with rabies, was killed Tuesday.”
A girl was born to Mr. and Mrs. M. C. Wilkerson on April 6.
Died: Robert W. Dunham, 47, of Hog Creek.”
Bud Addington was driving his tractor in a field south of Council when the machine mired down. In extricating it, the machine tipped over pinning Mr. Addington under the steering gear. He suffered several injuries.
Died: Mrs. Belle Thompson. Burial at Weiser.
“A cow belonging to the Mesa Orchard Company became afflicted with the rabies last week and proved to be very dangerous.” She was killed and the body burned.
Married at Council: Miss Ella Corriell and Mr. William Halm, both of Indian Valley.
“The gas car was put into operation over the ‘Pin’ railroad for the season, starting yesterday.”
75 years ago
April 6, 1950
Died: John Melvin Hopper, 76. He was born in 1873 in Missouri and died at his home in Midvale March 31. Mr. Hopper came to Middle Valley with his parents in 1883 and has resided here since that time. He married Anna Garland 1889. She died in 1902 and he married Mae Ellena Elders in 1907.
49 years ago
April 8, 1976
Two Council youths were killed Sunday when the car they were riding in struck a tree just north of New Meadows at an estimated speed of 100 mph. The car was driven by Byron J. Day, 17, of Council. Day suffered minor injuries but his passengers, David Roberts, 16, and Jerry Hoffman, 19, both of Council, were dead at the scene.
Died: Donald Lee Lindsay, 22 of Boise, formerly of Indian Valley.
25 years ago
April 6, 2000
An award was presented to Stu Dopf for serving 60 years as a volunteer fireman and 35 years with the Cambridge ambulance.
