Holt Schools
Around 1906, at Holt, Media Basom taught a two-month school summer session in a storeroom dugout. Her fondest memory of that summer was of a little freckled faced bay who had a Rhode Island Red rooster that came t
o school with him. The rooster would travel around the building, and when he discovered the window, he’d stand and peck on the pane to attract the boy’s attention. Not able to stand the noise any longer, the little bay called out loud, “Go away, dam you. I can’t learn anything in here, neither can you!” Holt Schools were taught mostly in the summer months, due to the deep winter snow. The first permanent Holt School was built in 1913.
The second Holt school was built in 1931. Then, after the Hayes and Picard families bought homes in Thermopolis and Worland, the number of school age children declined, and the school was discontinued in November of 1937.
Andersonville and Old Town Schools
Andersonville School had a log school in 1896. But it was torn down and moved in 1903.
As Miss Cochran had a passion for music, she held a box supper to raise money for a second-hand organ, which increased the pupils love and appreciation for music. The school closed in 1910.
Old Town had a short-lived school in 1896-1897. When the school closed, Herman Johnson recited the entire Declaration of Independence. By the time he finished, the whole town was outside the school listening.
James School
The James School was a one-room school that opened in 1908. It was located about 4 1/2 miles down the east side of the Big Horn River and was the first of the Evergreen schools. It closed in 1917, as pupils grew up and moved.
Evergreen Schools
Evergreen Schools were held in several places near Cedar Mountain Besides the James School, there was Riverside, and a little school up Kirby Creek at the homestead shack of the teacher, Florence Butts the little school closed in 1918, and the students that were left attended another Evergreen school.
In 1927, the newest and last Evergreen School was built. A bus run was established to the Lucerne Post Office for the high school students. In 1935 the school closed and the students attended the Lucerne School.
Buffalo Creek School
There is no information on the Buffalo Creek School, just a photograph dated 1920.
Canyon School
Canyon School opened in 1925, in a building artistically covered with rock it operated until 1935.
Croskey School
The Croskey School was built in 1909, by James Croskey. It was a 12′ by 12′ log school located on his ranch on Upper Owl Creek. By 1916, it was closed.
Embar School
The first Embar School was built in 1906, on the North Fork of Owl Creek, and ran until 1913, when a new school was built. When it burned down the children returned to the “old” Embar School until the last school was built west of the Mill Iron Ranch in 1915. It closed in 1960.
Anchor School
The Anchor School was built in 1915. A small teacherage was added in 1927. National attention was garnered in the 1959-60 school term. The little Anchor School was attended by twelve students: all girls. It was the only known all-girl public school in the nation. Anchor was the last one-room school in the county, and it ran until 1968.
Early Middleton School
School was first held in the Middleton community in 1898. The actual location moved from one site to another, depending on where most children lived and what building was available. The name of the school also varied.
In 1913, school district #7 was formed, and school was held in a log cabin near the Shankle place.
It was called both the Love school and the Middleton school, but most referred to it as the “Punkin’ Draw School”, because it was near Pumpkin Draw. The cabin served as the school building until the new Middleton school was built in 1919.
Other Middleton Community Schools
During the 1918-1919 school year, the Pumpkin Draw or Shankle school had 35 pupils and one teacher. The need for new classrooms was apparent. During the summer of 1919, three new buildings were constructed. They were Keystone, Padlock and Middleton. All three had the same floor plan, with only the window location changed to the opposite side on the Middleton building.
Mr. Hobson received a contract and hauled all the lumber for the three schools with a wagon and team from Thermopolis.
During the 1950s all three schools held their last classes. The Keystone building was moved to a ranch and became a garage. Still in its original location the Padlock school was severely vandalized. The last class finished in the Spring of 1958, at Middleton.
The building was moved to this location in 1982 and was restored and preserved as an example of over 20 one-room schools which once served Hot Springs County.
