Westby Graded School 1907-1910

By M.I.P.

Students in front of the Westby Graded School about 1905

In the fall of 1907 the Westby graded school opened with the following teachers in charge: Miss. Mabel Polley — Principal 7th and 8th grades.

Miss. Gladys Pitts — 5th and 6th grades.

Miss. Rena Buchanan — 4th grade.

Miss. Eva Bailey — 3rd grade.

Miss. Thea Gullord — 1st and 2nd grades.

Owing to the lack of room and the overcrowded grades of the year before, an extra teacher was added to the force and the Temperance hall was fitted for a school room. Here Miss. Eva Bailey presided over the little flock of lively third graders, the majority of whom make up the present freshman class of the Westby High School.

Although the old white school house was pretty well battered up and disfigured, hot water, soap and sand, together with the willing hands of the pupils and teachers soon transformed the frescoed walls of the hallways and entry and the desks. Then fresh sash curtains were put up at all the windows in the building, and the textbooks underwent a thorough cleaning. Thus the road to good hard study and happy school life was laid.

We found the students to be interesting, full of life and eager to learn. The majority of them were talented in music and many days were made brighter when the fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth grades joined in signing part songs from the new set of song books and accompanied by the old organ. Basketball was introduced that fall, an outdoor court was laid by the boys, girls and teachers. An outdoor fire escape was built on the rear of the school house making it safer should the old frame building catch fire. An entertainment was given during the winter and the proceeds were given over to start a fund towards buying the piano which non stands in the High School assembly room.

The latter part of the year was devoted to good hard labor getting ready for the eighth grade diploma examinations, the class day exercises which were held in the Temperance Hall and the commencement exercises. Out of a class of eighteen the following graduated from the eighth grade that spring: Mettie Davidson, Amelia Paulson, Cleo Shannon, Bolman Moen, Hildur Galstad, Ruth Holman, Ella Steenerson, Harold Call, Martha Rudie, George Gulbrandson, Olga Hovland, Cora Galstad, Fred Shannon, Mabel Steenson, Agnes Lien.

No High School graduating class ever looked forward more eagerly toward commencement than did these eighth graders and none were prouder over their High School diplomas than these were over their common school diplomas, nor did they mean so much. Then there were the pretty dresses and new long-trousered suits, flowers pinned on just so, the March to the beautifully decorated stage, sweet music, words of wisdom, diplomas, congratulations, the reception; and, last of all, pictures taken, and all was over — just one brief year, yet how much it meant!

September, 1908 opened another interesting year of work. Two changes were made in the faculty owing to the resignation of the Misses. Pitts and Bailey, Miss. Elise Preus taking the fifth and sixth grade position while Miss. Anna Neprud took charge of the third grade in the Temperance hall. This year the present Senior class of the Westby high school came in as seventh graders to keep the 8th graders from getting lonesome and to help keep the ball of good spirits rolling. Among their number was a sunny-faced girl whom we all welcomed, for it was Grace Eielson who always had a smile for every one and who found a place in all our hearts. But, she was too choice a flower for us to keep and was suddenly take from us after a very short illness. Another death, too, came to sadden this school year. Reverend Gulbrandson, then a member of the school board, died shortly before Christmas. In him we lost a true friend in every way, a man who possessed that grandest of all things, character.

Then came the steady grind toward the diploma examinations and the pleasure and anticipation as well as the hard work in preparing for commencement. This year the class day exercises were held in the opera house. Then came the eventful night when the following thirteen out of a class of fifteen received their diplomas: Selma Paulson, Alice Fremstad, Anna Elverm, Edith Hill, Roy Running, Even Running, Ruth Appleman, Claud Shannon, Arvid Ramsland, Orval Johnson, Leif Schreiner, Leif Evans, Esther Mitby.

After the commencement exercises a reception was tendered the graduates at the beautiful home of Dr. Schreiner.

The school year 1909-1910 marked the last year of the Westby graded school in the old frame building. Two changes were made in the faculty, Miss. Nellie Riege taking the fourth grade and Miss. Vera Cass the third grade. This year the majority of the present Junior and Senior class of the H.S. formed the seventh and eighth grades and a more jolly or congenial roomful of pupils could never be found. In fact, we were like a happy family. What fun it was to prepare for commencement, to decide, like big folks, those weighty problems of class officers, programs, colors, etc., to pass those awful diploma examinations; then have class day exercises and charge admission and present the big Westby banner to the seventh graders to be put up in the assembly room of the new H.S.; and last of all have real commencement exercises and have the seventh grade decorate for you and wait on you and see that you had a reception. The following thirteen, in spite of the unlucky number, actually experience all those things; Otis Holman, Eugene Owen, Blaine Running, Milton Lindvig, Reuben Hagen, Jorgen Justin, Olga Reque, Magna Davidson, Verna Jackson, Esther Neprud, John Hovland, Earl Unseth, Harold Stevlingson.

What an unusual picture the class made that night as they sat on the stage with the four “sweet girl graduates” in the center surrounded by the nine boys, while all about them the school colors were in evidence.

Then we bade farewell to the old white school house and all the happy days we spent there. Even though the grand new high school building looked down at us from the hill top and beckoned to us to come, yet it was with regret we parted with the old frame building. Thus it was that the class of 1910 was the last to graduate from the old graded school and the first to graduate from the new four-year high school.