A history of education in Graham County Item Type text; Thesis-Reproduction (electronic) Authors Montierth, Alton Elwyn, 1912- Publisher The University of Arizona. Rights Copyright © is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the University Libraries, University of Arizona. Further transmission, reproduction or presentation (such as public display or performance) of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author. Download date 05/10/2021 15:45:13 Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/10150/551174 A HISTORY OF EDUCATION.. IN. GRAHAM COUNTY by Alton E l w n Montlerth . .. , A .Thesis, - submitted to the faculty of the - Department of Education • ^ > - - * - - in par|j.al: ■ tilf ii l ^ n t of » •• - -• . "/ -*•.. • * '*/ , .% \ ' V-..’% • - < . ■ t v i* ‘ • the requirements for the.degree of " B x ......■ ' ' Master ^ Arts /C/ -" v „ / / in the Gradua te .ColT ege .. .. - ... - ; - ' University of Arizona . 1 9 5 1 Approved: Director of Thesis / rimioo ”i uciTAO'jaa ':v^ Y.iOTnin a V ' rtA:r^AA zrv-:/ • : [ ; ; J A ■ ' l-Jlkc A Of!"" lo i'r>: o nA oA !>r: Aixi-id;*-:-; xicli bojj[)'C 2o cr;0:ttA'ir.rr3G lo u::.*£r;Ar> I A f: i\ > 4 ’A.A \ \ X x . 12 ..) -usc^ap-*-^!— ; hovo‘icrfA 's \ \ UA ac. X^int-rf? Ao iAoti-^AC: % \ £ 979 / /95V ii . TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter I . INTRODTJCT ION : . >:V .. :. ., 1 II. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND ........... 5 III. EARLY SCHOOLS ..OF GRAHAM.COUNTY 12 IV. FURTHER ESTABLISHMENT OF SCHOOLS TO 1890 ......... 21 V. EXPANSION .OF.SCHOOL DISTRICTS FROM.1891 TO 1900. ♦ • >’ • .•1.. « . ♦ • . • • . ♦ . 37 VI. CONSTRUCTION OF NEW SCHOOL BUILDINGS AND • ' BEGINNINGS:OF;'SECONDARY EDUCATION; . .... 55 : : . -./v: - v :; , . ..... , ;,•> VII. THE:FIRM ESTABLISHMENT OF SECONDARY E D U C A T I O N ..... 85 VIII. A::P ® IOD';bF‘SCHOOL DISTRICT;CONSOLIDATION ......... 118 IX. RETRENCffiffiNT “AND R ® » V H i r ....... 138 ' X. CONTINUED GROWTH OF SCHOOLS-OF GRAHAM COUNTY..... 154 XI. EASTERN ARIZONA JUNIOR COLLEGE AT THATCHER ..... 165 XII. CONTRIBUTIONS OF EDUCATIONAL"LEADERS TO ‘- •- EDUCATION.IN GRAHAM.COUNTY ...................... 195 8.2 i1 3 ? ill TABLES Numb©!? = -• : . ,• v.. * , . ■ ' ■' - * - < ^ =•- ' » 4 •’■ -pag© I. EMOIJkENTV ATTENDANCE, SALARIES PAID, TOTAL . EXPENDITURES, FISCAL YEAR ENDING AUGUST 31, 1884, GRAHAM COUNTY SCHOOLS ......... 21 II. TEACHERS AND DISTRICTS OF GRAHAM COUNTY 1891 .. 4? III. COST OF EDUCATION IN SCHOOL DISTRICTS OF ... GRAHAM COUNTY FOR FISCAL YEAR ENDING •TONE 30,. 1892..... 49 IV. CENSUS AND AVERAGE DAILY ATTENDANCE OF GRAHAM ' ■ COUNTY SCHOOLS IN 1899 ......... V. SCHOOL DISTRICTS - IN OPERATION IN GRAHAM ' ... COUITTY FOR SCHOOL YEAR OF 1900-1901 ........ 5? ■..f ■■ / . VI. AMOUNTS ESTIMATED BY COUNTY SCHOOL SUPERINTEN- ; ' DENT REQUIRED TO MAINTAIN THE SCHOOLS OF GRAHAM COUNTY FROM JULY 1, 1902 to JUNE 30. 1903 .. '. ......... i ^ i . 72' Vlt. AMOUNTS ESTBIATED TO miNTAIN GRAHAM .COUNTY SCHOOLS FOR - THE SCHOOL YEAR 1903-1904 ......... 73 VIII. SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN GRAHAM COUNTY AFTER SEPARATION OF GREENLEE COUNTY .................. 112 IX. SCHOOLS IN OPERATION IN GRAHAM COUNTY 1920- 1921 T E R M ......... ............................. 133 X. COST PER STUDENT FOR THE TERM OF 1927-1928 IN THE SCHOOLS OF GRAHAM COUNTY .................... 136 XI. AVERAGE DAILY ATTENDANCE FOR THE SCHOOLS OF GRAHAM COUNTY FOR THE YEAR 1930-1931 ........ 149 XII. CURRICULUM OF SAFFORD HIGH SCHOOL FOR TERM OF 1950-1951 ......... ....... ........ ...........161 XIII. AVERAGE DAILY ATTENDANCE HIGHEST SIX MONTHS OF GRAHAM COUNTY SCHOOLS FOR THE TERM OF 1945-1946 .................................... 163 iv XIV. AVERAGE DAILY ATTENDANCE HIGHEST SIX MONTHS OF GRAHAM COUNTY SCHOOLS- FOR THE TERM OF 1949-1950 ....................................... 164 XV. EASTERN ARIZONA JUNIOR COLLEGE ANNUAL BUDGETS FROM 1944 to 1951 .............................. 191 !i ue % '' - I• •• • I.' l ■■■. y r \ ■; o-' MAPS 1 . : The Four Original - Counties of Arizona in . l863, v 10 ‘2^- Arizona in L885,-With Greenlee County as Part of Graham County .......... ..................... 30 ' ■ F'. 'M-: rv-r :lr. :vv :-:0 i,.: c;; h 'V ' ;V[ 3* Graham County in 1911 Before Greenlee County -- • - Was Set Off-.. ....84 nr: 4. Graham County-in Relation to the:Other : > c ^ : or- Counties of the State ......... ................. 113 - - ' ' h-:rc: i.7.. .;cm r L'rn nv.... In ..: r-v or' 5* Graham County, Arizona, School Districts as - of July 1 , 1921 ........;...... following 133 6. Graham Countyj.Arizona, School Districts as r of July 1, 1939 ............... .... following 148 ■' ■ r .0 : :00VC.-'- Lr,i • ,% ; ' " • f c v 0 0 , 1 c e l r. p -\ o' - ' l : C ,• •$ ' ; ■ . o n O' ’ c - t ' "" :; r"' i. % r 0 o r : ; . 0 ' 0 : :* • '.I o f v» -TO : j O l ' O ; r X ' > 0 ' ; ■- o r 000 - , ' ' ■- : h - r ■0: o : : t- n o r00 lor- ' 0 : o j o O p c i n ... I c V - n o h ! V o r : l n i 1 1 1 -": . 0 0 . o . i ... ; . .1 ■: i ; l o r . r j. co- 0 on' oh-.- O 'h l O ; : 0 0 O r ' o.;; . ■" : cor t o -00 t h ‘ r. ; -v: :r j.'i 1;'- hnv rron-: -ro CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION The writer approaches this study with a feeling of anticipation, for it will be concerned with the schools which were attended by him, members of his family, other relatives, and friends. The greater portion of the events to be listed herein will be those which have taken place in the area between majestic Mount Graham on the south and the Gila Mountains on the north. The history of education as told here will be closely connected with the history of a hardy people who came into an untamed wilderness and sub­ jugated it for the purpose of providing them with homes and sustenance. Maps show the area in which Graham County is located as a desert country. The yearly average rainfall is between nine and ten inches per year. However, those people were able to dig canals to make use of the waters of the Gila and thus to "make the desert blossom as a rose.* The amount of land brought under cultivation has been greatly expanded and has helped to provide a major portion of the wealth which made possible the growth and development of the fine - ' ’ educational system of the county which we enjoy today. The time covered by this study will be that from the 2 year 1875 to 1950 during which many changes took place* These changes have had their effect on the history of education for the new modes of transportation, and the building of good highways, have made possible the con­ solidation of school districts. The number of districts has been reduced and small or sparsely settled districts were combined with the more populous ones. This made possible an economy of operation in that greater benefits could be secured for the amount of money spent* The. results of consolidation were not always beneficial. The loss of the local school was keenly felt in many communities. To have their children attend school in a different community had a tendency to break the ties which normally should bind the home and the school. The loss of the school as a social center was also keenly felt. The Purpose . The purpose of this study is to trace historically the development of education in Graham Countyi Arizona, on the elementary, secondary, and upper level; to note the manner in which the educational system grew and developed, from its early beginnings; and to trace this development up to the schools of the present day. ; \ Limitations : 7 ' , A survey of the field indicates a scarcity of early 3 written records dealing with education in Graham County. Not a great many records are extant for the period preceding 1900. Written records of some school districts covering the period previous to 1920 were destroyed by fire. In some cases, adequate records were not kept at the time of the occurrence of events. Others may have been lost, misplaced, or not kept, due perhaps, to a lack of the realization of their possible value, Graham County educational records date from January 3, _ 1 1882. No writing of an historical nature has been found which deals with the subject at hand, 0, A. Williams, in his thesis Settlement and Growth of the Gila Valley as a Mormon Colony 1879-1900. deals with the early beginnings in that part of Graham County located in the Gila Valley. Some Information can be gained from the pioneers still living. In some cases, they do not agree as to dates, places, and events. But their descriptions will serve to orient the study. It is the intention of the author to present in chron­ ological divisions of a decade each, the history of edu­ cation as it transpired in Graham County. No.effort will be made to treat the history of events in each and every dis­ trict, due to their great number. The history of the Eastern 1. Small ledger on file in the County School Superintendent's office in Safford, Arizona, entitled, “School Matters from 1882 to 1887." Arizona Junior College, at Thatcher, Arizona, will be treat­ ed in a separate chapter, as will the contributions of edu­ cational leaders to education in Graham County. CHAPTER II HISTORICAL BACKGROUND In 1846 Gen. S. W. Kearney came through the Gila Valley from east to west, on his way to take California fropi the Mexicans. Mt. Graham was already known by that name in 1846. The region along the Gila River was avoided because of the murderous Apaches. Geronimo's surrender September 3 , 1886 brought peace to the land. In 1871 a few Mexicans were in the Gila Valley farming at Pueblo Viejo (Old Town), near the present site of Solomon. That part of the valley around the present site of Solomon and Safford was referred 2 to as the Pueblo Viejo Valley.