Long Valley School
Long Valley was in the far SW corner of Kiowa County. One of the early teachers was a Mrs. Weir who had taught in Mexico. She lived with her four children in a one room teacherage.
The school served as a community center, with writing schools, singing schools, Sunday school, preaching services, box suppers and magic lantern shows. One of the former teachers tells the story of one little boy who refused to bathe at home during the winter. When she finally resorted to having the county superintendent ask him to take a bath, his sister explained, “He’s tallowed for winter, and all sewed in.”
When 6 miles of Kiowa County, the strip from highway 62 to Otter Creek, became a part of Tillman County, Long Valley School District consolidated with several other districts to form Laing Consolidated School.
Pleasant Valley, District 95
The first school in Pleasant Valley was located on the SE corner
of Louie Lanig's farm,
in a tent. Nobody remembers how many students there were or how much the
teacher was paid. The children sat in cane bottom seats and had slates
for writing.
Later a frame building 32 x 50 feet was erected on the SW corner.
Within the next 10 years the students outgrew the building and an addition
was added on the west side. With
the school growing it was decided to make it a two room school and two
teachers
were hired.
Mountain Valley District 98
This school was located 3 miles east of Cooperton on the land of Walter White. It was annexed to Cooperton in 1925.
Surprise District 105
Surprise, also known as Dick was located Southwest of Gotebo. It was a one teacher school until 1937 when it was transferred for 4 years and annexed to Gotebo in 1941.
Koonkazachey District 109
Koonkazachey was plotted as a town, 12 miles south of Hobart and 6 miles east of Lugert , but it never developed. The school was started in 1907. It was named after a Kiowa-Apache chief named Koonkazachey who was a government scout. Because of his service to the government he was buried with military honors at the Post Cemetery, Fort Sill.
This small school sat on the plains at the foot of the Wichita Mountains. Although the official name of the school was Koonkazachey, it was known more by “Koon Con”, the Con standing for Consolidated.
The school had lots of honors in county meets of scholastic activities, field and track, softball and basketball. It was one of the first in the county to become a model school. It had a hot lunch program without Federal help. It remained a school until about 1946..
When money became a problem patrons held a box supper. This was necessary when money was needed for a Christmas tree, a new piano, stage curtain or library books. It was not unusual to make as much as $300.00 at one of these suppers.
For a long time there was a male quartet with Mrs. Pete (Erma) Barton, as accompanist and the members differing from time to time, but usually consisting of Homer and Pete Barton, Roy Wadlow and Aubry Howl. This quartet was in great demand for the entire area and often sang on the radio.
The school boasted an unusually good library for a rural school
with 300 or more books. At the termination of the school, about 1946,
some of the books were sent to Soldier Springs. A number of the graduates
returned to teach at the school.
Rocky Hill District 110
Rocky Hill was located 6 miles north and 2 miles east of Cooperton at the foot of a small Rocky Hill. The school site was selected within one half mile of the center of the district to build the building and was one square acre
This acre of land was a part of the US Government allotment to
Eunoch, an Indian named Ah-tone-ah. In order to obtain clear title to
the land, the district had to go
through the process of condemnation. When approved, Eunoch was paid $50.00
for the acre of land. This legal order was notarized May 31, 1910 by Corwin
Boake. At the time Boake owned and operated a trading post named Tokio,
which was 3 miles north of Rocky Hill School. As the district had a lot
of Indian land, which paid no taxes, it only had enough money for a six
month term.
After the Rainy Mountain Indian School closed, some of the Indian
students attended
Rocky Hill. One former student recalls there were more Indian than white
students part of the time.
Like other one room schools, it served as the community center with Sunday School and singings, pie and box suppers and school programs. District 110 was one of the youngest schools in the county, being established in 1910. Only 2 were organized later. As with other one room schools, it was consolidated . In 1929, most of the district went to Sedan school, Con. #9, while a small part went to Cooperton, Con. #10.
Copyright, 1998-2003
Return To Early Schools
Updated October 25, 2003
Background Courtesy Pat Calton