The first school built was the Swan Lake School, #40, and measured about 16′ x 24′ .
The following is taken from Timber Town and Later:
The school was “made of rough boards” from Tominson’s Mill at Hart’s Lake. It had windows on each side, a split cedar shake roof, a plank floor, and “a small hewn log served as a door step”.
Heat
The school was heated by a wood burning “box” in the center of the room. Students were responsible for keeping a supply of wood cut and ready for use.
Plumbing
A water bucket sat to the right of the entrance on a wooden bench and was filled from a well at the Fiander homestead about half mile away.
Seating
The first seats and desks were homemade. The students’ seats and desks were one unit and several children sat at a unit. The teacher’s desk stood at the front of the room opposite the door. On the teacher’s desk you could find a hand bell and the few books she had at her disposal.
The blackboard was simply two painted boards set end to end, with a small space between. And the teacher and students joined forces keeping the school clean.
Subjects
The first year students were taught reading, math and writing. “There was actually little formal reading done as the first requirement was to learn the alphabet.”
School Year
The school year was only three months long, with days running from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The bad news . . . school ran during the summer.
Eatonville To Rainier 
15 responses to “Swan Lake School, 1893”
i think that the airplane that crashed looked like it had a face in the window but it didn’t so boohoo i think that people that read this would be really interested in this if they have lived here their whole life and it’s good to no so i loved it and i love the pictures if you were like my teacher you would see your dad or your father in-law lucky ms.vancleve well by sincerely Skyler Simon may 26,2011 🙂
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Glad you like the site! More pictures to come.
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(^^^) ❤
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i ❤ this website
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i looooooooooooooooovvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee this website
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Thanks so much! 🙂
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Yay Skyler I love this website!:-}
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cool this is very interesting the question i have is was this an elementary school or something else like a middle school?????????
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There were a lot of smaller schools spread around back in in the day. I’ll try to get more posts up about them. In fact, at the first schools they only when to school during the summers.
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wow only summer?
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🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂
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ya lots of smilly face!!!!!
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mutch smaller than my high school!!!:]
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Notice the Fiander girls in matching and similarly matches dresses. The picture is missing their mother, Catherine Dean Fiander holding one of the other daughters.
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[…] reads: The third Swan Lake schoolhouse on the day of school let out in 1901 is seen with parents and children gathered there for hte […]
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