Mohave County miner and our mineral wealth., 1920-02-21
Arizona's Public School System
A Paper by Mrs. Cora Lanpson be-
 fore the Thursday Afternoon Club. )

A Paper by Mrs. Cora Lampson be-
 fore the Thursday Afternoon Club.)
 A just appreciation of the present condition of our public school system is impossible without a brief review of the history of education in Ari- zona. When We consider that our pub lie school system from its earliest be- ginnings to the present time covers period of less than fifty years, that travel and communication by railroad covers a period of less than forty years, and that not even the most primitive kind of a public school sys- tenn was attempted until after the close of the Civil War, Arizona cer- tainly has no cause to feel anything but a just pride in her present sys- tenn of education.
 The earliest attempt at education was the establishment of the San Xavier Mission School for the teach ing of both religious and secular knowledge was as early as 1887. After the abandonment of the Mis- sions and until the time of the Civil War ignorance and savagery held full sway. During the territorial admin istration, which began with the or ganization of the territory in 1864 and ended in statehood in 1912, the educational history falls under five distinct periods of progress.
 During the first period which in cludes the five years immediately fol- lowing the Civil War, Arizona's un- divided attention was turned toward the subjugation of the Apache Indians
 Only a few private shools were es. tablished and a six months term al Tucson with an enrolment of fifty
 five Mexican boys, is considered by lsome authorities as Arizona's firs'
 public school
 During the second period, under thu
 leadership of Governor Saf o r
 known as the Father of Arizona
 School System, school laws were ad
 opted, revenues accumulated, book
 and teachers found, buildings leased 3
 built, and schools set in operation il
 every community of any size. Tn first experienced teachers tive wome from California, after a dangerou journey across the plains, opene school in Tucson. Moses Sherman, al :. so trained teacher, from Vernon came to act as principal of school in Prescott. By these means Cove, '. nor Safferd began the work of inakin !. good Americans out of some very ur : promising material
 Following this good beginning, th educatieaal developments during ti next three periods, were along mol and more hrosdening lines, each sa' l ceeding period extending the improv' U ments in school laws, sources of re- '. enue, higher standards of certificatio " and school architecture. Among tf v noteworthy accomplishments of the. !. periods may be cited Moses Sherman ~ most notable service to education v the selection of two townships of va ' uable timber land donated by Ce' . gross as an endowment for terr v ' torial university. This preceded | V four years, the creation of this inst tuition which resulted more throue
 legislative combination than popul'
 demand. Phoenix and Tucson vi,
 with each other in ambition to b
 come the capitol city which distin
 tion rested at this time upon Prescot
 To satisfy the people of the three l
 calities, it was agreed that Presco D retain the capitol, Tucson become tl Ill seat of the University, and Temp ,e near Phoenix, be chosen as the loe t. tion of state Normal School. Du te ing the last territorial period, an Tt ther Normal School was establish ,e at Flagstaff. With the beginning
 statehood in 1912, the Legislatu l. passed a revised school law substa