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

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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

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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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River Railroad. Professor Palmer immediately called ci meeting of the pupils and a student body was organized. The first officers were: President, Merritt Sheldon, Vice-President, Roy Bell, Secretary, Doris Miller lHayes1, Treasurer, Mary Long lSheldonl. Almost the first concern of the student body was a library and a total lack of books. A Tag Day was held and enough funds were raised on that day to buy twenty books. Before Christmas, 1916, an additional fifty books on academic subiects had been loaned to the high school library by local citizens. Also a set of Encyclopedia Britannica, Universal History 112 volumesl, Byron's Works and Mark Twain's Works also had been loaned. By November, a basketball team had been organized with Ralph Holden lnow deceasedl as captain and coach. Blue and gold were selected for suit colors and thus the school colors were first permanently established. The boys on the team purchased their' own suits and each con- tributed 25 cents toward the purchase of the basketball. Harry Lassen made the hoops at his blacksmith shop and contributed them to the school. The first game was against the McCloud Elementary School team. Sisson won 30-14 due to weight. A girls' volleyball team was organ- ized. They played games every time there was a basketball game. Their suit was a white middy blouse, black sailor tie, full black bloomers, long black stockings and black tennis shoes. The basketball and volleyball practice area was out- side and behind the City Hall where the Fire Department Hall now stands. The classrooms were above the jail and often recited to the accompaniment of bellowing jail inmates, sometimes causing laughter among the pupils. But on the whole, Professor Palmer was well satisfied and pleased with his flock. One morning he arrived a bit late and found every pupil hard at work studying. There wasn't a sound of any sort to be heard. He complimented them upon their fine devotion to their lessons. Little did he know or suspect that they had been warned of his arrival by an outpost! The Palmers were well-liked by the towns- people as well as the students. They were made to feel very welcome in the community and their home became a social outlet for the students who were entertained several times at the Pal- mer home. There were afternoon or evening socials with games, music and songs, and re- freshments. ln September of 1916, the Siskiyou County High School in Yreka burned completely. The fire started during the night and the fire department couldn't save the frame structure. A 560,000 bond issue was sought to rebuild the school. The towns of Siskiyou lMcCloud, Weed, Dorris, Fort Jones, Sissonl had been advocating new branch school buildings for each town. The bond issue didn't state what would be done toward branch schools, so the bond issue was defeated. The bond issue for rebuilding was again put to the vote of the people. This time it was for 570,000 but stated that branch schools would be built in each town, 55,000 being allotted for each. The issue was passed in the county. Immediately, a site for the new building in Sisson was sought. There were three properties offered for sale-one in the Sheldon area, one at McCloud Avenue and B Street, and another on Pine Street. The Pine Street property won in the election and work was immediately started on the first real high school building. This was in May of 1917 and the first year of high school over the City Hall was drawing to a close. A flag had been loaned to the school. lt was flying atop the City Hall. A second flag, also loaned, was placed in the window of the second floor school room. 'The PTA had been organized with Mrs. Letitia Harper as its president. They secured and gave a piano to the high school