Historic churches and schools

Because of the generosity of pioneers such as Lawrence and Mary Zimmerer, we have a vast selection of historic photos of people, places and structures. Churches are an important segment as depicted is an earlier Album. This Album will display that vast array of not only Churches but schools as well. One cannot always distinguish between the two. And over a period of time we hope to identify every last structure with the help of folks like the Zimmerers, Susan and Robert Simpson, Mae Huffman Fischbach and Vera Spaulding just to name a few.

The Very first Forreston School was very well attended over many years.

The Burroughs. Thanks to the Deer Park School District.

Mention is made to the first log school house at Loon Lake. Unfortunatly there is no photo. We credit the Loon Lake Historical Society for this picture.

Loon Lake School

This Photo is labled Deer Park School 1899.

This photo was taken of the entire town of Clayton from the roof of the Terra Cotta building, And way in the background is the Clayton Community Church but referred to as the Protestant Chuch back then. Note the stand of trees. That was what virgin timber looked like.

New to our Website is the Stevens School house supplied in kind by Jack & Ellen Lewis.

This Springdale, WA, Church picture was taken in 1967 by Susan Wind Simpson's husband Robert.

Deer Park School District identifes this as the second elementry (grammar) school. The photo says Grammar School, Deer Park, WA. There is an "02" visible which possibly indicates 1902. The first school was built in 1899.

Early days Wild Rose School in 1888 - 89

Pine View School on Oregon Road. The Bldg. still stands.

In this Coffin photo of the Bigfoot Valley School, Florence Coffin is third from the left in the front row.

This is a restored version of the photo to the right. Restored by Dennis Ottmar. Thanks Dennis. This one was a challange. The original contains a full listing of names and the courtesy of the Hodges family. Very early settlers to the Williams valley area.

This is a Lillian Koehler photo with students identified by Luella Milner Dow. Williams Valley School, about 1940. Front row, l to r- Ed Schmitt, unknown, Jim Reilly, Kay Krick, and Bob Krick. Middle row- Virginia Johnson, ? LeFors, Annie Huntsman, Kathleen Schmitt, Charlotte, Luella Milner, George Heffly, Floyd Reilly, Carol Ann Hurt, (teacher's daughter), Huntsman, and Mrs. Hurt, teacher. Back row- Lorraine Milner, Anna Jo Bowen, Bobby Hamilton, Joyce LeFors, Freida Heffley, unknown.

A first time picture of the Dennison School. Furnished by the intrepid Jack Lewis.

Bigfoot Valley School. Charlotte Coffin is on the right in the front row. A Pete Coffin photo.

Clayton's St. Joseph's Catholic Church in the early 1940s. Little Karen Renner Meyer is in the foreground and probably the reason this photo was taken. There certainly is not an abundant supply of pictures of the Catholic Church or the Clayton Community Church.

The very first School house erected prior to the turn of the century still stands as a stark reminder of the craftsmanship of our forefathers.

This is from the Clarence Glassbrenner collection. This is the The Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic church and also known as the stone Church.. It was built in the 1930s and is still in use says Dianne Eppler, Museum opperator at Hunters Wa. It is on the Spokane Indian Reservation at a place called "West End" near Hunters, WA Although this is not located in our immeadiate area it is a picture perfect Building. We thank Dianne Eppler for her help..

The Wild Rose School, now the very active Wild Rose Community Center

The old Deer Park High School Gymnasium located at the far east end of Perrins Field and directly across from the school. Please see construction details below.

We do not intend to make a habit of supplying photos from out side our immeadiate area but, this is the burned out shell of the Marcus School just north of Kettle Falls, WA. It was built with Clayton bricks, naturally.

Deer Park High School's new gymnasium, dated November 1, 1923. A date of December 15, 1923 is scheduled for completion and ready for use. Stocks were sold at $10.00 per share for a total of only $5000.00. Labor was furnished by volunteers and 30 high school boys from the Manual Training Class supervised by bona fide carpenters. Money was also rasied by the 4L organizaton and the local Women's Club. The building is 46 feet by 90 feet with a hardwood basketball floor and a 18 foot stage. Thanks to the Hodges family for this picture.

This is the Dartford grist mill on the Little Spokane River, a short way south of Wild Rose Prairie, Courtesy of the Spokesman Review.

An almost impossible task has been accomplished. The very first Church built in Deer Park in the 1890s was the Open Door Congregational Church. It was officially organized November 8,1891. There were 13 charter members. This information was supplied by Nancy Fisher, historian for the Deer Park Chamber of Commerce and can be read in its entirety on their website. It is an excellent scource of historic and current information.

This is a total listing of the tiny Schools scattered out across the country side of the Clayton Deer Park Loon Lake vacinity.

Lost Springs School, circa 1921. Fay and Marilyn Reilly write, "It was on the corner of Mason and Sherman about a 1/4 mile south on Mason."

This building has nothing to do with our area schools, but Grove Road does extend clear up to the Clayton- Deer Park area and beyond. Occident School sits along side Grove Road due west of Spokane. Mr. Roy Diteman of Haden Idaho gave us information, He states, "While I was a kid going to school in nearby Garden Springs, this little school still existed. It had only 12 students in the late 40s and was known as the Occident School." Thanks so much Mr. Roy Diteman.