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

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and to round out the first perfect year, sponsored a picnic at Sisson Lake lsouthwest of the present Fish Hatcheryl. Everybody was invited. Here a petition was signed to have Mr. Palmer return for a second year. By the first of August the new Sisson High School was nearing completion and was to be ready for occupancy in September. The Mount Shasta Herald described- It isn't a very large edifice but is none the less neat and attractive and will be all Sisson needs for some time to come. lt is a credit to the go-out-and-get- it spirit of the town. September 11, 1917 and the merry clang of the school bell was heard again after four months of rest and solitude. The new building wasn't quite finished so the City Hall again ac- commodated laughing voices and light feet. Opening enrollment was twelve. By mid-October, the school was fairly bursting with pride, 'We have eighteen pupils, which beats all the other branch schools and we intend to keep it so. And the motto was Come to the school unless sick or dead. Athletics lvolleyball and basket- balll were continued and games were played in the Opera House lwhere the present Arcade isl. If games were out of town, the people were asked to take cars with as many friends as they could take to root for the team ana to show their interest in the high school. The biology class received a microscope and really began labora- tory study in earnest. Students were late even in those days for it is noted that Bill Rupp used to come up Main Street at half past nine but now he comes down the back alley at half past ten. Mischief, like- wise was active-Merritt Sheldon seemed to like to empty his ink bottle onto the floor and Wen- dell Bunny Edson had forgotten how to build a fire- Wanted a new ianitor. No wonder he couldn't make a fire, he had to swim six feet to reach the furnace. The new building on Pine Street lstill stand- ing at the rear of the present St. Germaine Foundation Buildingl was occupied by the end of November, 1917 and it was so good to be in a real school building. Serious work was on the agenda but all was not work. Pranks were a feature, too. Somehow the girls succeeded in get- ting the boys' basketball and stashed it in a safe place. Result: the boys hunted unsuccess- fully until finally they touched the hearts of the girls and the ball was returned. If the boys were absent from school the girls had to be janitor so the girls hoped every body would be present regularly. One door continually squeaked and annoyed and interrupted the classes. Also, one afternoon the high school was left without a teacher-very exciting times were enioyed by the students. Even a little hop lthe latest waltzl was enioyed in lab. class. Firecrackers went off in the furnace and the furnace smoked until the girls worried about their complexions. Miss Amy Luke was added to the faculty in 1918 and dramatics became a feature of the cur- riculum. She directed the first school play pre- sented May 18, 1919, Mrs. Oakley's Telephone and His Model Wife. By August of this year, 1919, there was a new law in the state stating that pupils must attend school until the age of sixteen and the county superintendent stated that this law would be rigidly enforced. This resulted in the increased size of the high school student body and crowded conditions soon existed in the small two room high school. The fall of 1920 recorded a student body en- rollment of thirty-three pupils and there were three on the faculty. The recreation area on the

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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

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north side of the school lcorner of Pine and West Jessie Streetsl had been graveled and prepared for use as Tennis courts. The two year high school course that had been offered at the high school up to 1920 was changed in March, 1921 and from then on a full four year course was offered. Night school was started and even day pupils could attend. Eng- lish, History and French were the first classes offered. John W. Anderson, a local' contractor lnow deceasedl started construction on the annex to the small and bulging high school building in June of 1921 and was to have the addition com- pleted by the opening of school on Monday, September 5. The annex gave a good and re- laxed feeling to the school. There was plenty of elbow room and room in which to grow and ex- pand. In the spring of 1922, the boys felt the pressing need of a shower after P.E. classes. They were given permission to improvise one in the basement of the new annex and in the school notes it was recorded as a great improvement. December 2, 1921, French Field Marshall Foch came through Sisson on the train. All the high school students were at the depot to meet him with ci banner - Viva la France y viva Marechal Foch-Bon Voyage. This moved Foch deeply and he came out onto the end of the train to speak iust as the train pulled away. A few days later the high school received his thanks written in French on his personal card. This was framed and hung in the assembly room. Registration numbers continued to mount. September, 1925 gave a tally of 56 students and the faculty numbered seven. Again the co.n- ditions were crowded and a new building was being sought. Weed had a new high school building. It had cost more than was anticipated so Mount Shasta lname Had been changed from Sisson in June, 19251 would have to wait another year for a new building. With the old school re- paired, Jere E. Hurley was named principal and he exerted every effort possible to the advance- ment and improvement of the school. He was a very young rnan and Mount Shasta was his first principalship. There had been discipline prob- lems but these were soon smoothed and Mr. Hurley gained the very highest respect and es- teem of his students. Early in August of 1926, ground had been purchased on East Alma Street as a site for the erection of a new high school. The plans were adopted and funds were provided in the budget. To the people of Mount Shasta Prospects are bright for this much needed building. The orig- inal plans were for an 580,000 plant but the supervisors cut the amount and allowed only S40,000. The contract was finally let in two parts l11 with the money on hand l21 on what the next year's tax collections could bring in, to William Shaltz of Chico for S67,790. The ground was broken the last of May, 1927 and by June 4, all supplies were being easily hauled up the newly paved Alma Street to the new school property. Tool houses were quickly erected and the founda- tions were soon appearing. The cornerstone was laid August 20, 1926 at 2:30 p.m. H. A. Wilson, M.A., LLD., City Superintendent of Berkeley schools was the main speaker. An American flag over 150 years old with 13 stars waved in the breeze and music for the ceremony was furnished by the American Legion Band. The contents of the box was a Mount Shasta Herald, post card views of Walnut Street, a list of officers of the local masonic lodges, board of trustees of Siskiyou Union High School, faculty of Mount Shasta High School, a Teachers' College verse class publica- tion, Schulers' sales poster,,and cards of the con- tractors, L. B. Hill and William Shaltz. The new building was not ready for occu- pancy by the opening date of school. The high