tlschool.html

The Mt. Adams Sun, Bingen, WA., July 20, 1961, page 8

COST OF TROUT LAKE SCHOOL IS 1000 TIMES MORE THAN IN 1896

Trout Lake's school budget was $75 in 1896. Today's budget in 1000 times what it was 65 years ago, according to Chas. Coate of Trout Lake Valley for the Klickitat County Historical Society which held its summer picnic and program in Hollenbeck Park, Trout Lake, Saturday, July 15. On hand to verify this startling comparison between the past and the present was Wm. Olson, now 97, of Husum and six of his former students: Nettie Murray and Jenny Stump, Carl Pierson, Jim Coate, Effie Dean and Charles Coate. Mr. Olson recalled that he received $25 per month for teaching the three months term in 1897. He paid $10 per month for his room and board.

SCHOOL SPITOON

Before taking charge of the log school house, the new teacher demanded that the school board clean out the school spitoon and ashbox provided for pipe dregs and cigar butts. School was held during the summer. Mr. Olson recalls three days when he and his pupils sweltered in 103-degree heat. Before building the first frame school house, Trout Lake had four log schools. The first was built in 1887 and had seven students, none of whom could speak English. The school was located just east of the present ranger station and the first teacher was Miss Sara Stevens who received $30 per month without board. In 1888 or 1889 the school was moved to the Cutting place and in 1892 to Billing's Corner where it remained until 1896 when a large tree toppled and demolished the building. School patrons picked up the pieces and reassembled them at the present school site. The first frame school was built in 1900 and was destroyed by fire in 1918. Flames consumed its successor in 1944.

ROSES FOR YOUTH

Mr. Olson acknowledged the honors paid him with an invitation to all present, about 75, to come to dinner. "We'll furnish the fire and water. You bring the food", he said. He also revealed his formula for keeping young. "I feel younger today than I did 20 years ago. I keep young by loving two things -- my roses and children." Mr. Olson has 45 varieties of roses in his garden behind the Husum school. Although children frequent his garden, they've never molested anything, Mr. Olson said. He was not so complimentary to un-named adults to whom he has loaned rose shears to pick their own bouquet. "They never brought the scissors back," he said. Mr. Olson has a remarkable memory, but he doesn't know where he was born. "It was somewhere on an immigrant wagon between St. Paul and Omaha, Nebraska. I don't know where, but the date was Sept. 15, 1864."