Four Lakes, School District
Four Lakes Schools Dist #19 and Dist #35
Dear friends, I am dedicating this column as well as the next one, and possibly the next two, for a partial historical review of the Four Lakes School District prior to the building of the school and before it's replacement by the new Four Lakes School, dedicated March 1958. - Lenard Mace. 28 February 1964
1882 is the start of school district
this information goes back to the year 1882, which was seven years before Washington became a state. Therefore, the heading for the school board minutes referred to school district number 19 of Spokane County, Washington territory.
In those days mentioned was frequently made of apportionments to cover operating expenses. The first entry shows a balance from 1882 of $19.11 and an apportionment of $68.21 for 1883, somewhat different from the amount spent these days.
One entry records lumber for house in 1884 for $90. Another entry refers to a 10 mill levy for lumber to build a schoolhouse for district number 19 and an acre of ground donated for the site.
From 1882 to about 1906 the school term seemed to last only about 3 to 4 months and occasionally up to five months. Monthly salaries recorded the following figures: $30, during those years indicated $33, $35, $40, and $50. The district seemed to change teachers about every year. A motion of January 1, 1886, indicated no funds on hand.
A further item referred to school district number 35 of Spokane County, Washington territory, which seems to indicate that they must have changed the school district number from being district 19 to district 35 about the year 1886. Names began to appear in the school district minutes about 1892 of persons who were more and more active in school affairs in succeeding years and around the time this new school was built.
Some of these names were J. R. Riddle, J. W. Davis, E. F. Graves, Walter Capell, Mr. Siggleko, and E. Mattie.
On March 3, 1906, the first record of a special election to determine the question of a new school building appeared.
August 3, 1906, a site was selected and a discussion was held relative to a larger, better building. It was decided to have an eight month term of school and to procure a teacher for $45 per month. On June 30, 1906, a committee was appointed to determine a plan and cost of building, and bonds were voted in July.
A discussion on February 2, 1907, concerning the right-of-way and the electric line. The Washington Waterpower Company built the electric urban line through Four Lakes, or Meadow Lake as it was known then, in the spring of 1908 and it continued to operate until 1922.
Mrs. Myrtle Beardsley was teacher from August 1907 till April 27, 1908. On May 25, 1908, the school board decided to have a one month term of school beginning June 1. Ms. Beardsley taught during that month.
On August 7, 1908, John Barry was employed to teach the upper grades at $65 per month And Miss May Joy to teach the primary grades at $55 per month.
On September 21, 1908, the school board, consisting of E. Mattie, W. C. Capell, and R. J. Riddle, approved specifications for the new school building. October 1, 1908, bids were open for the new school building. Six bids were received and George H. Yeaman, the lowest bidder, was awarded the contract at $4,995. The new building was to be finished by January 1, 1909.
The school board met January 6, 1909, to accept the new building and the contractor was paid.
By the meeting of March 20, 1909, an entirely new school board had been elected, consisting of J. G. Jones, clerk; B. A. Monroe, Chairman and R. J. Riddle.
During the fall and winter of 1908, Miss May Joy taught the lower grades in the little schoolhouse about 1/4 mile north of where the Del Gelium family now lives and along the old highway near the gravel pit. This was called the Siggleko School.
During this same year, John Barry taught the upper grades, which occupied the church until the Christmas holidays, and then all grades were moved to the new school building when school convened after Christmas, beginning in January 1909. Only two rooms of the new building were finished at that time.
The following June 26, 1909, it appears that it was necessary to correct some of the annual reports. An appraisal of the cost of operating the schools was also made an additional $1000 insurance put onto the building.
The teachers for the term of school were: Lewis S. Herrick, principal; Miss Tessie Edwards, Mrs. C.E. Randolf, and Miss May Joy. Janitor elected was Melvin Jones at $15 per month.
Grades one through four were on the first floor and the remaining grades on the second floor.
The following year the tenth grade was added an additional teacher was hired. That year the teachers were: Ms. May Joy, grades one and two; Mrs. Lindell, grades three and four; Miss Tessie Edwards, grades five and six; Edward Bletz taught in a room directly over the front entrance of the building and assisted Mr. Herrick in some of the high school subjects. Salaries were: Principal, $100 per month; the others $75 per month.
During the second term, a fire broke out in the lower room nearest the street, but prompt action of pupils, teachers, and citizens extinguished it but an enforced vacation was necessary for repairs.
Among the pupils who attended school in the upper grades were: Glenn Mintzer, Herman Willms, Edwina Graves, Ted Graves, Laura Monroe, Iva Prince, Leon McClintock, Nellie Cox, Ina and Ray Bacon, Pearl Manly, Ione Wilson, Ralph Barry, Grace and Lurena Joy, Arthur and Mamie Shanks, Charles and Len McCoy, Lizzora hubert, Melvin Jones, and Harold and Ruby Eddins.
The lower grades consisted of brothers and sisters of many of the above-named pupils as well as several others who cannot be named.
Mr. Herrick married Miss Bessie Joy while he lived at Meadow Lake.
It was also while Mr. Herrick was teaching here, that the name of Meadow Lake was changed to Four Lakes. The date for this was 1910.
The town meeting was held in the Store Building, built and operated by William F. Jones, and later owned by Mike Schmaus, it was at this meeting, that Mr. E. F. Graves presiding, that the name was changed by a vote of hands.
The social life of this. Revolved almost entirely around the school and church. The Epworth League and the Young People's Class were particularly active organizations.
Meadow Lake was a product of a real estate boom promoted by E. F. Graves and a Mr. Hanauer, a man of some reputed means from New York.
The city consisted of a large, two-story hotel, located one block south of the present post office; a real estate office adjoining the hotel; the grocery store mentioned earlier was located just across the street from the hotel where Mrs. Gray's house now is located. Next to this was a barbershop, that a hardware store, small cigar store, which also house the post office, a butcher shop and the store building on the site of the present post office, and residence of Mr. and Mrs. Ben Schulz, completing the frontage of the block.
At the back of these buildings were the barns and corrals of the Hanauer Graves company, and the city well, which was operated by electricity.
West of this block of buildings and across the street were located the Electric Interurban Train depot and warehouse, and further down the Medical Lake Highway was located the
Lumberyard owned and operated by Frank K. Eddy.
Incidentally, all those buildings have long since burned except the Electric depot which was moved across the street and now faces the present post office, which has been remodeled for other use.
A board sidewalk extended from the present post office building and southward along the full block and across the street in front of the hotel and real estate office. The present post office building is about the third building to occupy that location.
This made Street was known as Electric Avenue west of the Electric depot and warehouse and extending in front of the Medical Lake Road to the road past the Grange Hall was another parallel road.
It might be of interest to know that the streets were plainly marked with neat white posts at the intersections and even had electric lights and a few of the intersections.
The Medical Lake Road comes into Four Lakes on First Street, numbered southward. The school building is on Fifth Street. Extending eastward up the Hill Are Electric Avenue, Cheney Avenue, and Spokane Avenue.