Andreen and Belleview Schools
The Andreen School was the first Belleview School. Started in 1906, in the Andreen’s cabin, it was located at the mouth of Mud Creek. The Andreen family’s sacrifice was typical of the pioneer struggle to educate their children. It truly was a sacrifice, having five children and using one room of their three-room house for a school. At night a folding bed was placed in the “schoolroom” for the teacher. It ran until 1915.
In 1916, the Belleview School was built near the road leading to Missouri Flat. It was standardized in 1921 1922.
Belleview pupil, Lewis Freudenthal, was responsible for naming the Western Meadowlark as the state bird of Wyoming. In 1926, teacher Olga Hett asked the students to write an essay on which bird they would pick to represent Wyoming. Lewis urged the selection of the Western Meadowlark because, “He belongs to the Wyoming plains.” Representative Dr. Robert Hale introduced a bill to the state legislature, and in 1927 the Western Meadowlark became the official state bird of Wyoming.
Belleview School closed in 1944, due to an acute teacher shortage.
Sunshine and Sunnyside Schools
Sunshine school was a small frame building, erected in 1914, at the west end of the Buchanan Ranch near the Dempsey Ditch. It operated until 1919. When some of the families moved, the remainder of the students attended the second Sunnyside School. The Sunshine School became a bunkhouse on the Buchanan Ranch.
The 1st Sunnyside School ran from 1917 1919. Then in 1919, Mrs. Andy (Mary) Workman donated land for a new 2nd Sunnyside School, more centrally located on what is now West Sunnyside Lane. Nine-month terms were begun, and the school was standardized in 1922. Although Sunnyside was relatively small, the library contained 705 books Consolidated with Lucerne in 1949, the school was later sold to Wallace Shaffer who remodeled it into a home.
Morningside and Johnson Schools
Built in 1916, by Charles Hill, who was also the first teacher, the Morningside School was to be called Missouri Flat School but Hill was so impressed with the early morning beauty of the spot, that he convinced the school board to name it Morningside. After 1947, there were no more pupils at Morningside because it was cheaper to bus them to Thermopolis that to maintain the school.
The first school that was attached to a house, was the Johnson School. Later, the school district built a school nearby. This photo was taken in 1913.
Grandview and Cope Schools
The first term at Grandview School was taught in 1901, by a man from Michigan, in a school “located near the old Morrison place.” It was moved twice. The last Grandview School was built about 1915, on the north side of Owl Creek, above the Belleview School. The cost was $2,600. Intended to serve as a consolidated school, it ended up housing only those students on the north side of the creek. As there was no bridge across the creek, which was difficult to cross at times, a school was built on the south side. That school was Morningside. The Cope School was located 1/4 mile north and 1/2 mile west of Grandview School.
