Lake County, California

When the Lake County Courthouse burned in 1867, all official records, including school records, were lost. So it isn't known when or where the first schools were started in the county. But, in April 1856, two school districts were formed in Clear Lake Township (Lake County was still a part of Napa County at that time). The two school districts covered the Big Valley and Upper Lake areas, and J. C. Herron was the first Superintendnent of Schools. There were already several schools in existence even before these school districts were formed. And there are records that seem to indicate that there might have been Private Schools before there were any public schools.

This will be an attempt to bring you the history and pictures of as many of these schools as possible.

Miscellaneous Lake Co. School Information

Feb. 6, 1879 - Middletown has a private school - Miss Mary Stark, Principal

Feb. 6, 1879 - Prof. Scott's private school is flourishing finely, both pecuniarily and otherwise. (no location given)

There were apparently at least two other school districts; Franklin School District and Willow Grove School District. But, there is no indication that there was ever a school in either of them.

Notes in historical files say: "Franklin School District was dissolved into Pleasant Grove School District and the Upper Lake School District".

Willow Grove School District was formed from the Upper Lake School District and took in Blue Lakes, Bachelor Valley and Tule Lake. The historical notes on May 4, 1869 say: "Willow Grove School District dissolved into the Upper Lake School District".

THE SCHOOLS OF LAKE COUNTY

SCHOOL	Established	Closed	SCHOOL	Established	Closed
Abbott Mine	??	??	Kelseyville High	..	..
Alcove	1893	1919	Konocti	1910	1920
Arabella	1878	abt. 1882	Lakeport Academy	1884	1901
Argonaut	..	1870s..	Lakeport College	..	..
Arnold Knoll	bef. 1856	??	Lakeport Grammar	1867	Present
Ashland	1871/1881	1920s	Lakeshore	early 1860s	abt. 1912
Bachelor Valley	1870	1920	Liberty	1870	1921
Barkerville	1934	1949	Loconomi	bef. 1869	aft. 1940
Bartlett Landing	abt 1880	late 1890s	Long Valley	abt. 1882	1934
Bartlett Springs	1873	1909	Lower Lake Grammar	bef 1869	Present
Berry Ranch	1864	1869	Lower Lake High	..	Present
Big Canyon	1913	1917-18	Lucerne	1929	Present
Big Valley	1861	1920	Middle Creek	abt. 1884	1926
Big Valley Indian School	1914	abt 1930	Middletown Grammar	bef 1881	Present
Binkley Ranch	1934	1941	Middletown High	1916	Present
Blue Lakes	1869	1946	Mono	1896	1903/04
Bradford-Mirabel	1890	bef. 1924	Morgan Valley	bef 1869	..
Brundige Ranch	bef 1871	(A few years)	Morgan Valley Branch High School	1923	aft. 1926
Burns Valley	1869	..	Mountain	1868	1947
Cache Creek	1880	abt 1942	Mountain Institute	1870s	Abt. 1903
Calayomi	1875	1925	Mountain View	Bef. 1888	Abt. 1903
Cinnabar	1867	abt 1871	Mrs. Mary Arnold's School	1897/98	..
Clear Lake Collegiate Institute	1876	1884	North Lake (Hammond)	1913	1947
Clear Lake High (Lakeport)	1901	Present	Oat Hill	..	..
Clover Valley	bef 1881	abt 1920	Olive	1888	1898
Cobb Valley	bef 1872	..	Pepperwood	1857-1864	1884
East Lake	bef 1881	Present	Pleasant Grove	1869	1921
Emma Thompson Home School	1881	..	Pleasant Valley	..
Eureka	1876	..	Rancheria	?	1921
Excelsior	bef 1869	..	Rincon	1861-69	1919
Fairview	1875	..	San Hedrin	1896	1902
Fort Thompson	..	..	Scotts Valley	1870	1921
Glen Eden	1890	1950	Seigler	..	1920
Gravelly Valley	1878	..	Spring Branch	..	..
Great Western	bef 1881	..	Spruce Grove	bef 1881	..
Grizzly Canyon	1880s	..	St. Helena	Abt. 1900	1925
Guenoc Indian	??	??	St. Turibius Mission	1880	1905
Helen	1905	..	Sulphur Bank	bef 1881	bef. 1920
High Valley	1880s	aft. 1901	Sulphur Springs	1870	....
Highland	1874	1920	Sunset	....	....
Horse Mountain	1943	1952	Townsend School	1859	..
Hough Springs	1915	..	Twin Valleys	1899	1917
Hullville	..	..	Uncle Sam	1868	1907
Hurlbutt	early 1900s	1906	Upper Lake Grammar	1884	Present
Indian Valley	1884	1894	Upper Lake High	1916	Present
Kelsey Creek	1860	1920	West Lake	1881	1937
Kelseyville Academy	1886	1890	West Lake Adventist	Aft. 1937	Present
Kelseyville Grammar	1907	Present

LAKE COUNTY SCHOOL CENSUS

SCHOOL	1869	1881	SCHOOL	1869	1881
Big Valley	63	34	Cache Creek	..	13
Blue Lake	24	23	Calayomi	..	34
Burns Valley	28	19	Clover Creek	..	23
Cinnabar	26	...	Cobb Valley	..	13
Excelsior	49	38	East Lake	..	14
Kelsey Creek	41	33	Eureka	..	24
Lakeport	70	219	Fair View	..	21
Loconoma	76	55	Gravelly Valley/Hullville	..	22
Lower Lake	89	129	Great Western	..	41
Morgan Valley	25	40	Highland	..	46
Pleasant Grove	72	46	Lakeshore	..	11
Rincon	61	28	Liberty	..	26
Uncle Sam	36	99	Middletown	..	135
Upper Lake	100	119	Mountain	..	395
Ashland	..	45	Scotts Valley	..	62
Bachelor Valley	..	27	Spruce Grove	..	38
Bartlett Springs	..	20	Sulphur Bank	..	33

TEACHERS & School Board CLERKS - 1891

County School Superintendent - Etta K. Harrington

SCHOOL	TEACHER	CLERK	SCHOOL	TEACHER	CLERK
Ashland	Luella Waterman	W. N. Thompson	Lake Shore	Anna Howe	B. F. Henry
Bachelor Valley	Kate Bromley	Ray Burke	Liberty	Nellie Colwell	I. W. Fees
Bartlett Springs	Frances Rhodes	I. Y. Newman	Loconomi	Eunice Tremper	Charles Lawley
Big Valley	Katie Fitzsimmons	W. P. Nill	Lower Lake	W. H. Adamson Susie Adams	James Kesey
Blue Lakes	Nellie Ganter	Henry Wambold	Middle Creek	O. T. Boardman	Charles Woodruff
Burns Valley	Mary O'Leary	Allen Bower	Middletown	C. M. Crawford Minna Ozenberger	I. L. Reed
Cache Creek	Polly Hanson	D. A. Hanson	Morgan Valley	Mrs. N. S. Newton	I. T. Bond
Callayomi	Robert A. Badger	A. Meade	Mountain	Mittie Wayne	Murdock McIntyre
Clover Creek	Madison Elliott	Samuel Jones	Mountain View	Lulu Connely	H. D. Peterson
Cobb Valley	Diantha Tremper	G. T. Allen	Oat Hill	Thomisino McKenna	I. P. Read
East Lake	Calla Gruwell	M. Butler	Olive	Viola Irwin	Mrs. B. F. Shaul
Eureka	Cassie Williams	W. Whittington	Pleasant Grove	E. Ferrien	John Barnes
Excelsior	Mattie Simpson	J. A. Harris	Rincon	Ada Clendenin	W. C. Stanley
Fair View	D. T. Seeley	Hiram Kennedy	Scotts Valley	Grace Reynolds	M. Byrene
Glen Eden	Euville Howard	William Woodward	Seigler	Clara E. Shaw	John Spaulding
Gravelly Valley	Mary E. Waite	William Hunter	Spring Branch	Lizzie Nicoll	Nannie Dishmore
Great Western	Lorititia Lea	Andrew Rocca	Spruce Grove	Grace Lawley	J. C. Copsey
Grizzly Canyon	Edward Adamson	H. H. Bonham	St. Helena	Hattie Wayne	Maggie Bradford
Highland	Kittie Marsh	George Minstrell	Sulphur Bank	Sophia Stephens	W. N. Smith
Indian Valley	A. J. Mikesell	I. Singleton	Uncle Sam	George Mallory Vina Hendricks	Charles Piner
Kelsey Creek	Lawrence Copeland	A. J. Mothershed	Upper Lake	Edward Gibbs Carrie Ganter	Frank Rice
Lakeport	L. B. Scranton Kate Phelan Minnie Hopkins	C. E. Phelan	West Lake	Harry Reynolds	?

TEACHERS - 1910-1911

County School Superintendent - Miss Hettie Irwin

Lakeport Grammar School	J. P Utter, Principal Georgie Burger Veda E. Allen Helen Lyon	Clear Lake Union High (Lakeport)	H. N. Caldwell, Principal Anita de Laguna Jno. Overholser Lillian McDonald Mrs. Florence C. Mudge
Upper Lake	Lucy Griffits, Principal Mrs. M. E. Clark	Kelseyville	T. H. Hyatt, Principal Alta Thomas
Alcove	N. C. Fowler, Jr.	Kelsey Creek	Elsie Alley
Bachelor	Lily A. Martin	Liberty	William Abercrombie
Blue Lakes	Myrtle Harmon	Loconomi	Lois Stipp
Burns Valley	Stella E. Torbert	Middle Creek	Vivian Taylor
Cache Creek	Ada Stipp	Mountain	Clara Fraser
Callayomi	Robert A. Badger	Pleasant Grove	Lillie Tinker
Clover Creek	Loretta Christie	Rincon	Clara Thomas
Cobb Valley	Mrs. Bert Grigsbee	Scotts Valley	Mrs. Ada Clendenin
Excelsior	Mrs. R. T. Hanson	Spruce Grove	Susan Adams
Gravelly Valley	Mrs. A. McGimsey	Sulphur Banks	Ethel L. Behr
Great Western	Geneva Grigsby	Twin Valleys	Ada Summers
Helen	Dora A. Brink	West Lake	Mrs. Frank Crawford
Highland	Lena Reed

TEACHERS - 1911-1912

County School Superintendent - Miss Hettie Irwin

Lakeport Grammar School	C. E. Lawson Georgie Burger Veda Allen Helen Lyon	Clear Lake Union High	??
Alcove	Mrs. Armstrong	Lower Lake	Mrs. F. W. Noel Kate Biggerstaff
Ashland	Ruth Cleveland	Loconomi	Bessie Sallee
Big Valley	Bernice Stone	Middletown	J. J. Berry Alethea Smith
Blue Lakes	Ruth Hamilton	Middle Creek	Vivian Taylor
Cache Creek	Maude A. Clark	Mountain	Clara Fraser
Cobb Valley	Mrs. I. Grigsby	Pleasant Grove	Lillie Tinker
Excelsior	Mrs. R. Hanson	Rincon	Clara Thomas
Glen Eden	Miss F. Dutcher	Scotts Valley	Mrs. Ada Clendenin
GreatWestern	Geneva Grigsby	Siegler	Miss Ferguson
Helen	Dora A. Brink	St. Helena	Linnian Tindall
Kelseyville	Sylva Renfro Alta Thomas	Twin Valleys	Zada Newall
Kelsey Creek	Miss Sadie Zook	Upper Lake	Lucy Griffitts Mrs. M. E. Clark
Liberty	Lena Reed	West Lake	Mrs. Frank Crawford

TEACHERS - 1913-1914

Board of Education:

Elizabeth S. Sallee   President

Hettie Irwin     Secretary

Clyde E. Lawson

Elsie C. Alley

Mrs. M. H. Bonham

Alcove	Mrs. J. C. Armstrong	Konocti	Mrs. E. K. Harrington
Ashland	Florence Dutcher	Liberty	Mary F. Lawlor
Bachelor Valley	C. S. Pearce	Loconomi	Elizabeth S. Sallee
Big Canyon	Constance Badger	Lower Lake	Mrs. F. W. Noel Mrs. R. T. Hanson
Big Valley	Lillie B. Tinker	Middle Creek	Florence E. Reynolds
Blue Lakes	Lola C. Scanlon	Middletown	J. W. Abercrombie Bessie Washburn Maude Hinds
Burns Valley	Mrs. E. R. Massey	Morgan Valley	Horton Blair
Cache Creek	Ruth V. Roth	Mountain	Frances E. Taylor
Callayomi	Archie Fickes	Oat Hill (joint with Napa)	Mildred S. Snow
Cobb Valley	Mrs. J. K. Grigsby	Pleasant Grove	Vera J. Ackley
Eureka	E. Kate Biggerstaff	Rincon	Myrtie W. Sallee
Excelsior	Merle Hardy	Scotts Valley	Mrs. A. J. Gunn
Glen Eden	..	Seigler	Gertrude R. Nevins
Gravelly Valley	Olive Ochsner	St. Helena	Mrs. S. F. Greene
Hammond	Desmond Knox	Sulphur Banks	Mrs. M. H. Bonham
Helen (suspended)	..	Twin Valleys	Adah Stipp
Highland	Nelson C. Fowler
Kelseyville	W. R. Lane Minerva Ferguson	Upper Lake	Mrs. J. N. Herndon Clara Alley
Kelsey Creek	Mrs. J. W. Morrison	West Lake	Mrs. Ada Clendenin
Lakeport	Clyde E. Lawson Clara E. Thomas Olive M. Smith Gladys E. Burris	Clear Lake Union High	J. LeRoy Dixon John Overholser Lillian McDonald Agnes E. Brown Myrtle I. Harmon

GRAMMAR SCHOOL GRADUATES - Unknown Schools
Most of these early graduate's names came from an old Board of Education Minutes book; sometimes hard to read.
And most of the time it doesn't determine if they are graduates of the 8th or the 9th Grade.

For a few years, the book just lists all of the graduates in the county without listing the school, so they are listed on this page.
All of the graduates for other years are listed on the individual page for each school.

If you know, for sure, which school your ancestors attended, let me know and I will transfer them to the correct page.

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1883 - Viola Colwell,   Reese Copsey,   James A. Daly,   Anna Frazier

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1888 - Shafter Mathews,   Maud C. Townsend,   Hattie G. Wayne,   Mittie Wayne

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1890 - Susie Adams,   Hattie Adamson,   Maud Downing,   Calla Gruwell

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1891 - Charles Haycock

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1892

Irene Boggs	Madge Everett	Charles Haycock [?]
Isabel Christie	Berdie Gibson	Ada Scribner
Annie Crump	Lucy Griffiths

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1893 - Mabel Crawford,   Cora Gibson,   Bruce Thornton

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1894

Della Carson	Mary Pitney	Flora Sleeper
Floyd Fraser	Velma Rannels	Ed Twiggs
Dan Hanson	Lillian Rocca	Clara/Cora West
Sidney Hanson	Nelson Scribner	Helen Whittington

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1896

Stephen Asbill	Winnie Gordon	Minnie Rose
Ella Brown	Stella Gore	Lena Schwartz
Frank Butler	Leta Harbin	Maud Shirley
Edward Christie	Henry Hastings	Bessie Snow
May Epperson	Ira Kanns/Konrs	Charles Streiff
Edna Goldsmith	Albert Kennedy	Minnie Turner
Mamie Good/Gard	Henry Pedrazzini

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1900

Edgar Allen	Lena Hilsabeck	Maud Rickabaugh
Irving Allison	Myrtle Hurt	Florence Rocca
Agnes Asbill	Louisa Krumm	Fra___ Simmons
Otis Boardman	Chester Lawley	Vann Sleeper
Ada Bruton	Myrtle Lawrence	Maud Smith
Mattie Butler	Helen Lyon	Gladys Smythe
Lillie Bynum	Myrtle Lyon	Jessie Stanley
Jennie Cavagnaro	Henry Manning	Winnie Stanley
Etta Christie	Willie McCaughan	Lita/Leta Starkey
Grover Coats	Eva Mendenhall	Mary Stipp
Edwin Conrad	Paul Mitchell	Myrtle Stone
Maud Griffetts	Gussie Morrell	Archie Tindall
Kizzie Hale	Sophie Mortenson	Bertie Turner
Pearl Harrington	Willie Noel	Grace Williamson
George Haycock	Edgar Quigley	Eula Young

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1901

Bertha Allen	Elva England	Franklin Pierce
Frank Badger	Grace Graham	Paul Piner
Bertha Barker	Hazel Graham	Olive Pitzer
Mabel Breen	Stella Gregg	Robert Polk
Willie Brett	Lois Harvey	Jessie Risdon
Roy Bucknell	Mae Harvey	Elsie Robinson
Lillian Campbell	Essie Hendershott	Lois Stipp
Marjorie Chamberlain	Arthur Jones	Earl Valentine
Arnold Chapman	Josephine Lautenberger	James Vest/West
Elvyn Colwell	Kate Linck	Janie Wedlake
Callie Conner	Lela Mitchell	Alice Wray
Kate Dill	Lizzie O'Brien

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1901 PROMOTED FROM 8th TO 9th

Emery Adams	Earl Gruwell	Carol Risdon
Earnest Allen	Maude Harrington	Jessie Sailor
Marie Alley	Arthur Hutton	Lois Simons
Joe Badger	Benjamin Jones	Neva Smith
George Barry	Florence Kyle	Rae Smith
Leland Boggs	Eugene Lhuillier	Billie Smythe
Velma Brooks	Lena Mallory	Curtis Smythe
Edgar Burger	Michael Manning	Harlie Spurr
Cecil Burroughs	Ada McCoy	Ned Stanley
Josie Carson	Maud Mendenhall	Jessie Stevens
Earnest Chapman	Mary Mortenson	Adah Stipp
Rea Clendenin	Nellie Mortenson	Ethel Stone
Nellie Conrad	Ida Parrot	Leonard Stone
Foree Crittenden	Eddie Pauli	Clara Taylor
Edna Davis	Clarence Phillips	Earnest Thompson
Elsie Fees	Melvin Phillips	Lillie Tinker
Pearl Fritts	Earl Pierce	Annie Wheeler
Birdie Gilbert	Herbert Porter	Maud Wight
Mattie Gilbert	Brice Rannells	Ollie Williams
Alsie Graves	Frank Reed	Fred Woodruff
Mary Grigsby	Lena Reed	Florence Wray
Nellie Grigsby	Myrtle Riggs

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1902 - 9th Grade Graduates (possibly some 8th Grade, also)

Earnest Allen	Rosella Henry	Geneva Smith
Joe Badger	Bernice Jones	Willie Smith
Leland Stanford Boggs	Eleanor Kebert	Billie Smythe
Cecil Burroughs	Florence Kyle	Curtis Smythe
Clarence Cady	Eugene Lhuillier	A. M. Stanley
Howard Cady	Maud Mendenhall	Jessie Stevens
Earnest Chapman	Mary Mortenson	Leonard Stone
Rea Clendenin	Nellie Mortenson	Earnest Thompson
Beryl Gilbert	Ida Parrott	Ollie Williams
Earl Gruwell	Melvin Phillips	Florence Wray
Logan Hammel	Brice Rannells
Maude Harrington	Lena Reed
Vilas Hastain	Macline Sleeper

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1903 - Diplomas of Graduation issued & Pupils promoted from 8th grade as per record book of County Board of Education - (Book with list of students not located)

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1904

Clydia Adamson	Hazel Hammel	Ethel Parriott
Gladys Annette	Lela Harmon	Juanita Quigley
Francis Breen	Gladys Hathaway	Frank Reed
Wella Breen	Nowell Hazzard	Mabel Sherwood
Dora Brink	James Hill	Lois Simons
Hattie Bruton	Marshall Hill	Curtis Slell
Clara Burroughs	Leta Hunt	Orpha Slell
Beverly Clendenin	Ray Ingle	Bernice Stone
Georgie Comer	Winfield Kastner	Roy Stone
Maggie Crowley	Carlisle Laughlin	Clara Thomas
Leslie Dow	Stuart Meddaugh	Joseph Tinker
Charles Dransfeld	Frank Motheral	Ralph Wambold
Clara Fraser	Ida Norris	Hattie Whitside
Yolland Fraser	Seth Nybey	Lamar Woods

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1906 - 9th Grade Graduates - Schools not listed

Kirk Boone	Ernest Hendricks	Patricia Reid
Thomas Butler	Pearl Hendricks	Johanne Reutsch
Kathryn Callahan	Samuel Henry	Hester Rickabaugh
Andrew Cavagnaro	Karl Hoberg	Andrew Rocca, Jr.
June Clendenin	Celia Jones	Irene Rowden
Carv Cleveland	Marion Keeling	Fount Salisbury
Ruth Cleveland	Bernice Lea	Erma Sherwood
Cecil Coates	Inez Lea	Blanche Shilling
Gladys Conner	Clara Malmke/Mahuke	A. Mortimer Stanley
Charles Craig	Alvin Maze	Sydney Stokes
Hattie Enderlin	Margaret Meredith	Warren Tallman
Sophia Fees	Amy Middleton	Katherine Timothy
Hattie Ferber	Hazel Miller	Clio Tyler
Hilda Gann	Edith Nolte	Herman Versell
Florence Garner	Dora Pool	Gladys Weber
Burling Gruwell	Myrtle Praedes	Stella Woods
G. H. Hammack	Leslie Puett
David Mark Hanson	Irwin Ransdell

Go to Lake County Vital Records and Sources of Information

Return to Lake County Page
Return to California USGenWeb Project Page

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Anita Crabtree anitajc@pacific.net Last Updated 02/09/2011

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