This quality article on the early history of Bemidji’s schools was found in an early edition of the Bemidji Pioneer (March 7, 1901) and gives a fine history of the first years of Bemidji’s education system.
THE EVOLUTION OF SCHOOLS OF BEMIDJI.
By Chas. Jones in the SIRIUS.
Thinking it might be of interest to the readers of the SIRIUS to know the real progress of the schools of Bemidji, I have undertaken the task of giving a short history of the school from the first organization of the district up to the present time. The brief period of our story naturally divides itself into three epochs the first of which covers the time from the first organization to the sub-dividing of the district into three, in June, 1896.
It was sometime after the first of January, 1895, that the whole township of Bemidji was organized into a common school district. The first school meeting was held in Carson Bros. store, a log building about 80 rods beyond the bridge crossing the Mississippi, between lakes Irvine and Bemidji. In this building, now the house of C. O. Glidden, the following officers, G.M. Carson, director, R. H. Carr, treasurer, and M. E. Carson, clerk, were elected to serve till the annual election the following July. After the election of the board, the next thing to be done was to select a favorable location on which to build a schoolhouse.
The site selected is about one fourth mile southeast of where the B. & N. Ry. roundhouse now stands. It was one fine March morning that the following men, Ed Trask, D. W. Stevens, Al Godbout, D. Stillman, R. H. Carr, Harry Bachley, Ole Muligan, Knute Halverson, Porter Nye, Willis Nye and Carson brothers, were gathered at this spot for the purpose of donating their strength and physical endurance in the rolling up of a log structure about 16×20 and eight feet high.
When this much had been done toward a schoolhouse, D.W.Stevens took the job of putting on the roof and adding such other finishing touches as would render the building fit for holding school.
April 5th, Early this bright Monday morning we might have seen Mr. Porter Nye with an armful of books and a crowd of children coming along a newly-cut trail in the direction of the school house. It was not long after the teacher and pupils had reached the building till the ringing of the bell announced that it was time for school to begin. This day began a term of four months’ school, which Mr. Nye finished, except about three weeks taught by Miss Eva Cobly, one of the first teachers in this section.
The following children were enrolled during the term: Maynona Nye, Evan Carson, Calla Trask, Inez, Henry and Georgiana Nye, Vernon and Victor Carr, Westly, May, Edith and Eddie Walden and Henry Wolcot, in all 14 pupils for the term. At the annual school meeting held in July, nine months of school was voted and the following officers were elected G. M. Carson, treasurer John Steidl, director, and El Carson, clerk. The latter resigned, whereupon E.S. Kincannon was appointed.
Mrs. M. Achenbach, a pioneer, who was selected as teacher and who has kindly consented to describe the rural scenes and to tell what they did to be cheerful and gay, says: “It is quite impossible to give anywhere near a correct idea of the primitiveness and loneliness of that first school in the wilderness, to those unacquainted with pioneer life. Imagine if you can a school located in the midst of a dense forest of pine, far removed from any habitation. The towering trees on every side completely hiding the little log cabin until you reached its very door.”
“Once inside you can think of nothing more desolate. The empty room, the rude home-made benches, two small windows to admit the meager sunlight sifted through the waving treetops, casting shadows we were not always brave enough to trace the outline. It was no uncommon occurrence to be startled by the appearance of an Indian face at the window. The owls took the liberty to hoot all day, and the wild deer frequently grazed just outside the door.”
“Still it was not altogether without its attractions. The early morning walk through the sweet-scented pine woods the path bordered with gentian and golden-rod and the return at evening across the lake with the small band of children all in one boat short trips into the woods at intermission in search of the wild strawberry all made it possible to convince ourselves that we were happy and learning lessons every day that would be of great value to ourselves when Bemidji could boast of better schools and advantages.”
Among the names not heretofore enrolled were, Erton, Pansy, Ida and Inez Geil, Guy, Hazel and Norman Wood, and Arthur, Wilby, Bertie and Walter Brannon. Mr. Porter Nye taught the last three-months term.