Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1908-12-18
BYGONE HISTORY

/ IL NN4NL ll1t l. WV l.
SOME OF THE EARLY SCHOOLS AMI
THE FIRST TEACHERS.
Names Of the First Pupils Suppliments
Incidents to the Narrative Of Mrs. Sapl
Published in the Standard Of Novembe
Goth Suggests Some Fitting Landmark
for Historic Spots.
| By GEORGE IL. HINES.
PORTLAND. Ogn.. Dec. 6, 1908.
EDITOR STANDARD:
The article on the first page o
your paper for November 20th. by
Mrs. Martha Connor Ellis Sapp, wa:
one of great interest to me. as | ha(
a personal knowledge of most of tn,
events she referred to, in particularly
after the arrival of my fathers fam
| lily in ThurSton county, which was in
October. 1853 We arrived at the
house of David j. Chambers, foul
miles east of Olympia, on October
2lst. and were given the use of 9
comfortable log cabin by Mr.. Cham
bers, as be had just moved out of il
into frame house, still standing
and one of the oldest frame farm
houses in western Washington. We
stayed in that log cabin until Novem-
ber 9th following, when my father
removed to his donation claim, hav-
ing bought the squatter'S right to
it from q man named Fowler. This
is now owned by David Fleetwood.
During the winter of 1854 we made
the acquaintance of the Conner fam
lily, and have lively and grateful
recollection of eating warm bread
and molasses in the Conner cabin
the first I had after crossing the
plains. The school-hOuse Mrs. Sapp
refers to, built of logs, I remember
well, as it was there | went to school
in July, August and September.
David Lucas Phillips-not David
Phillips, he was the father-was the
teacher. The pupils l recall were as
follows:
DOrcas Phillips Mary +. Low
Letitix Chambers, AlOnzO Low
John fattison, John Low,
Sarah Mcmillan, Thomas NJ. Chambers,
James Mcmillan, James Chambers.
Jane McMillen, Hardaway Chsmbers
margaret McMiian, "a. H. Chambers of nOw)
Mary HsrtsOck William t.ooner
Malvina Hxrtsock, George McAIiister
Christopher Mcmillan, Helen T. Himes.
William Elder, George II. Hines.
| think the above is complete list
of all the pupils of that primitive
school, but wouldlike to be corrected
if any one now living can do so.
The pupils came to the school-house
from radius of about seven miles in
diameter with the school house almost
in the center. There were six young
persons in one family, all of school
age, a short distance from the
school, who did not attend on ac-
count of some neighborhood diff
Guilty. The first class in spelling in
this school was made up of DOrcas
Phillips, aged q, Letitia Chambers,
Is, Mary E. Low, IL, and the writer,
in his eleventh year. The text book
was Webster's Elementary Spelling
Book, number of which l have now
in possession, and not "a member of the
class missed word during the term.
Dorcas Phillips had one head mark
more than the remainder of the
class, for the reason that she won the
choice of position in its first forma-
tiOn.
The next school in that log cabin
was taught by Marcus Mcmillan, not
related in any way to Archibald Nc
MILAN, the father of the Mcmillan
children in the above list, and YVES
begun in May. 1855. to run six
months. Having work to do at home
| was not permitted to attend until
after the beginning of the third
month. The pupils at this school
were as follows, as nearly as can
remember:
William H Ruddell, Malvina Hartsock,
stephen Ruddell. Sarah Mcmillan;
lydia GrOgan, Jane Mcmillan,
Catherine Ruddell. Margaret Mcmillan,
California Ann Ruddell, James Mcmillan,
Christopher 81 o)Guthrie, Christopher Mcmillan,
Sanford Guthrie, Isaac A Wood,
Levi Prince, Alexander Wood,
Charles PattisOn, Kate Wood,
Mary +. Low, Thomas Chambers
Alonz0 Low, James Chambers,
John Low, Hardaway Chambers,
HenPv Ridden WILLIAM s.oopa.