Glendale School

District 105

Glendale School

District Number105

The Glendale School, though not known in the beginning by that name, was opened in the fall of 1849 in a little log cabin.

Orville Huggins was the first teacher, and pupils of all ages attended.  A huge fireplace that was kept filled with great logs heated the cabin.

One evening in the week a spelling bee has held, attended by all the neighborhood families.  The spelling bees were continued in the new schoolhouse, which was built the next year, 1850, and is still in use.

The first winter in the old cabin, the teacher’s salary was made up by the families of the children attending the school, but a district appropriation was obtained for the building the of new schoolhouse, and the teacher’s salary was paid in that way from then on.

On April 3rd, 1950, Enoch Huggins and wife deeded a piece of ground eight rod square in the N. W. corner N.W. Quarter of Section 36, Radnor Township, to School District No. 5. A short time thereafter, a schoolhouse was built which has always been known as Glendale. 

After the new schoolhouse was built the church services were held here, having up to that time, been conducted in various homes in the neighborhood.  Two circuit rider Methodist preachers alternated in giving the sermon each Sunday and some stirring revivals were held.  In 1859 a Methodist church was build across the road from the school and named Glendale Methodist Church at the insistence of the builder.

Ade Shaw, daughter of Harry Marie Shaw, began to school before she was three years old.  She proudly told her age every day saying “I will be three years old in October.” She recited with the “infant” class, learned her letters, and took a nap on the floor every afternoon.

All the drinking water for the school was brought from the well of “Aunt Belle Livingston” who lived near by.  It was a privilege to be allowed to “pass the water bucket”, and everyone drank out of the same big tin dipper!  In warm weather, the whole school would adjourn to the well at noon and recess, to draw water themselves with a bucket and windlass.

Quill pens were the ones in use at that time, and it was the teacher’s duty to prepare them for the pupils.  They soon played out and had to be skillfully made.  This was no small task

There were children in the school from the Huggins, Livingston, Nation, Doyle, Divelbis, Campbell, Shaw, and Gale families.

It was the custom in that times to a have a man teacher for winter term and a woman for the summer.

In addition to the spelling bees, the main social activities were singing school and literary societies as called in those days.  A.A. Bennett taught a class in penmanship in 1879.  Eldon Pulsipher taught vocal music n the year 1896, 1897, and 1898.  In 1899 and 1900 Caddie S. Saenger was secured as vocal music teacher.

Mrs. Margaret Ferris, Los Angeles, California is the only survivor of the scholars who went to school in the log cabin.

The greatest number of children enrolled in Glendale School was in 1864 when Elizabeth Woodward taught.  There were twenty-five boys and thirty girls making a total of fifty-five, with an average daily attendance of thirty.

The trees in the schoolyard were planted during the time Zoa Patton taught at Glendale.

The hard road, Route 174, was built past the the school in 1928.

On Arbor Day, 1931, the pupils of the school set out a spirea.

Early teachers were Huggins, Louise Keetch, Will A. Ferris, and Mr. Marrel.

Lives of great men and women have been recorded on stone through ages of time, in letters of old and on memories walls, but the footprints of Glendale School have lefta great deed of merit.  We hope that the kind hand of time will erase all unworthiness and will only leave all the good of Glendale in memories walls.

Written by Florence I. Campbell

June 1931

Glendale School  Route 174 near RR crossing West of Alta

Currently a private residence.

Story written by Teacher Florence Campbell in 1931.

Picture submitted by Eileen Diveley

1931-1932 Glendale School