School Houses Few In Early Days
School Houses Few in An Early Day
Honor to First Teacher Revives Interest in Missoula History
Missoula’s first schoolhouse was located where the Missoula Mercantile company now stands. It was opened in July, 1869, for a three-month term, with 15 pupils in attendance. However, the original school building was used for only a couple of terms, and for a few years the school was moved from one location to another.
The locations of the first schools in Missoula are almost forgotten, but the memory of the first school teacher, Mrs. Emma Dickinson, will be a lasting memory. Pictures of Mrs. Dickinson as the first teacher were unveiled at Arbor day programs in the 10 grade school buildings of the city Tuesday before the 2,500 pupils who represent the enrollment today.
Addresses on the life of Mrs. Dickinson were made in the various schools when the pictures were unveiled. The speakers represented members of the school board and also old families in Missoula, who were identified with the schools here in earlier days.
Mrs. Dickinson’s brother, John A. Slack, was one of the first settlers in the Bitter Root valley. Mrs. Dickinson left her home in Baltimore in March, 1869, to come to Montana to join her brother. It was while visiting with her brother at Corvallis that she was given the offer to teach in Missoula.
In July of that year, 1869, she opened the school here. The pupils were Frank Higgins, John Higgins, John Buckhouse, Charles McQuirk, Eva McQuirk, Herbert Dana, Hattie Dana, Edwin Dana, Jeff Pelkey, Spencer Pelkey, Marie Miller, Linda Miller, Mary Winslett, Lucinda Harris and Thomas Meininger. George White and Charles Gregory entered later in the term.
The first school was held in the frame building where the Missoula Mercantile company now stands. The back end of the room was furnished with a table and some benches. A large table for the children to write on was provided and a chair for the teacher and a blackboard were made for the room.
Watched by Indians.
Mrs. Dickinson in speaking at one time of the school said: “The Indians would come and lean on the window and watch me teach. A young carpenter took pity on me and made a stand with a drawer in it. This made quite an addition to our furnishing. They could have only three months of school, so when my term closed I went back to my brother’s home to spend the winter.”
The next year Miss Lizzie Countryman, who afterward became Mrs. Frank H. Woody, was employed to teach here. However, her mother died and she gave up the school. Mrs. Dickinson was called to take her place. The school that year was in a log cabin which stood on the corner now occupied by the D. J. Donohue company.
Mrs. Dickinson was given the school again in 1871, but the location had to be changed, as Mr. Worden wanted to tear the cabin down to build a store. The school was therefore moved out two blocks on what is now East Main street. The school location was later on West Main street.
In the fall of 1871 Mrs. Dickinson was married to W. H. H. Dickinson. Mr. Dickinson had taught school at Gird creek, near where Hamilton now stands, in the summer of 1869. Will Cave of Missoula was one of his pupils.
Speakers at various schools of the city when Mrs. Dickinson’s pictures were unveiled Tuesday were as follows:
Willard, President Ralph Arnold of the school board; Franklin, Thomas Layfield, a member of the board; Hawthorne, Dan J. Heyfron; Roosevelt, Miss Margaret Ronan; Paxson, Miss Alice Woody; Whittier, Rev. P. D. Hartman; Lowell, ex-Governor Joseph M. Dixon; Central, Will Cave; and Prescott, Ronald Higgins.
Grandchildren Officiate.
Unveiling the picture at the Lincoln school was done by James Stewart Dickinson, youngest grandson of Mrs. Dickinson, and Martha Harkness, a granddaughter, Robert Harkness, a grandson of Mrs. Dickinson, unveiled the one at the Roosevelt; Mrs. Robert Harkness, daughter of Mrs. Dickinson, unveiled the one at the Lowell; Miss Martha Harkness, granddaughter of Mrs. Dickinson, unveiled the one at the Paxson, and Marjorie Dickinson, granddaughter of Mrs. Dickinson, unveiled the one at the Whittier. The pictures at the other schools were unveiled by the speakers.
The pictures, provided by the members of the school board, bore the name of Mrs. Dickinson, the year of her birth, the year of her death, and the date she began teaching in Missoula.
The above article appeared in The Missoulian on May 15, 1927.
https://www.newspapers.com/image/348721031
For more on Emma Dickinson see the following link: