Siskiyou Union High School - White and Gold Yearbook (Weed, CA)

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Early Transportation. Freight Wagons 1905 lnut Street, Sisson, California 1916, first high 1918 Sisson Branch High School Istill standing and in use ool on second story of new City Hall lsecond as dwellingl Pine and West Jessie Streets, ilding left foregroundl. Sisson lMount Shastal from Sisson Tavern about 1915, 11

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histony of mount Shasta high School Hpioneens to Beans Five thousand dollars allotted for a high school-to purchase a piece of property, to con- struct the building, and to suitably furnish and equip the finished product to accommodate at least twenty high school pupils. Today, the mod- est sum would not even be considered. Furs-trapping and trading had attracted rugged pioneers into northern California as early as 1827 Coming down from the north, these un'- tiring individuals had spotted and used as a landmark and guidepost, a mountain equal to Mt. Hood. They named it Mt. Sastise, meaning white or snow-covered. Gold-the much sought-after and coveted precious metal of nature-a few years later, caused an influx of people into the extreme north central portion of California when the pan- ning and diggings around Yreka were at their height. Strawberry Valley, extending from present clay Mott to Black Butte, north and south, and separating the Eddys Mountains from Mt. Shasta was an attraction to stage travelers, especially in the summertime. It was blessed with delic- iously pure and cold water which they had drunk at the stage stop on the present Valley Road near the California State Fish Hatchery. The little valley was green with stalwart evergreens and tasty wild strawberries were plentiful. By 1852, there was a sparse settlement of people. A few farm houses were inhabited by trappers and their families or dismayed gold seekers. The settlement took the name of its sur- roundings, Strawberry Valley, and a post office was soon established. This building still stands but is now used as a dwelling. Mr. Justin Hinck- ley Sisson was one of the more enterprising set- tlers and by 1857, had completed a stage sta- tion. The well-known Sisson Tavern, he com- pleted in 1865. lt was a boon to the area, being a fine place for resort seekers to stop to enioy all the sporting and outdoor recreational facil- ities offered by Mother Nature. The small community slowly increased and in the early 1880's, the railroad was seeking right of way to the north. Mr. Sisson, who owned the land through which the railroad was seeking passage, gave the right of way and by 1886, the area was being served by the iron horse. At that time, the business or main center of Strawberry Valley was changed to the present Walnut Street location to be more centrally located to the rail- road and the name was changed to Sisson, honoring its founder and benefactor. Education was provided for the children of the area. There had been one room elementary schools at various places in the valley but as time progressed Sisson had a problem-second- ary education. The first high school in Siskiyou County was established in 1892 in Scott Valley at Etna Mills. One year later, 189'3, Siskiyou County High School, a large two story and attic frame building, was built in Yreka and opened to pupils at large in the County. No school busses, gaily painted brilliant yellow coursed twice daily the main and secondary roads laden with precious cargoes of youth eager to secure a high school diploma and often preparing to .go on to a higher education. The roads, no matter how main, were nar- row, unsurfaced, filled with chuckholes and deep wagon wheel ruts. They were slippery and deep with mud in inclement weather. There were few automobiles, even as late as 1915 and those few traveled at comparatively snail's pace. So, it was necessary to room and board away from home if you lived outside of Yreka land espe-

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cially so if you lived in Sisson, 40 miles distantl and desired more than an elementary school education. The inhabitants of the various towns in Siski- you County had often rattled around the brazen idea of local high schools, but, there was the question of how to establish them. Education in 1915 in California was compulsory only to the age of fourteen. At that age, children were needed at home or to go to work to help sup- port the family. Many children had entered ele- mentary school late, at' eight or ten years of age, and therefore by age fourteen were not advanced enough to enter the high school even if one had been available within the local towns. The finances for construction of buildings were not available, and then there was the expense of hiring and keeping a competent teacher or teachers. Times were hard, financial matters were stringent in the small populace of Sisson, but the local weekly newspaper, The Sisson Headlight, for February 17, 1916, carried an article stating that a high school was needed, that the move- ment to secure one must be started. Prominent citizens were promoting -this and urged the Ladies' Improvement Club to stop at no obstacle and to move persistently forward until the goal was reached. The Siskiyou County High School Board took cognizance of the fact that Sisson people were declaring a crying need for a high school. A law had been passed by the State Legislature providing for the organization of jun- ior high schools and the Board said it would be glad to render any assistance it could to aid this movement. The people of Sisson had declared themselves progressive in educational matters and set out to prove themselves so. The Town Board donated the whole second story of the brand new City Hall lstill standing and in use as suchl to house the high school until permanent quarters could be built. It also set forth that Sisson was fast becoming known as a wide-awake town wear- ing a cap large enough to have another feather added to it. ln May of 1916, a mass meeting for the high school was held at the local Opera House. McCloud and Weed residents also were invited to hear Mr. Job Ward of Sacramento, Miss Hudson Dunsmuir, Principal of the newly es- tablished Dunsmuir High School, and County Su- perintendent W. H. Parker speak on the high school possibility. It was resolved to establish a high school composing Squaw Valley Township lMcCloudl, Edgewood Township lWeedl, and Berryvale Township lSissonl. A letter from the State Superintendent of Public Instruction favored establishment of the school at Sisson as a branch of Siskiyou County High School, like seven such schools in San Fran- cisco. lt was to be governed by the Yreka Board of Trustees and could pull out independently later, if conditions permitted. June 22, 1916 saw a high school register opened at a mass meeting of parents and pro- spective students. Eighteen registered to attend in September and Mr. Van Dellen of the County High School was instructed by the Board to go to Berkeley to hire a teacher. About six weeks later, Professor Palmer, his wife and small daughter moved to Sisson. Pro- fessor Palmer was to be the new principal- teacher of the new high school. He duly called a meeting of parents and prospective pupils, out- lined his year's work to them and declared that he would make the high school a success and a proud possession for the townspeople. He opened school four days later on September 14, 1916, with 14 pupils. The enrollment increased to twenty-one lfive academic and sixteen com- merciall. Some pupils 15 or 61 came from Mc- Cloud. They commuted daily on the McCloud