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The local area had a sketchy start, and most schooling
was dolled out in homes or small make-shift cabins. Specific regulations as
to a person’s qualifications for teaching were generally limited to
having an interest in children, and being able to read & write.
Formalization took place after statehood. For example: in 1904-5 The Board of
School Trustees met at the First National Bank. They consisted of: PB Moss
(President), ID O’Donnell, Fred L Summers, Fred Inabnit, FS Mills
(Trustees), and Ira L Whitney (Clerk). Diplomas were issued from the County
to attest to a child’s passing the state’s high school
curriculum. (See Huntley Project’s Example below.) Shortly after Billings was created,
in 1883, JE Hendry was appointed School Superintendent of Yellowstone County
Schools.
The following listings and short details depict the general
history of the buildings starting with the early days of Coulson, Canyon
Creek and Billings
prior to statehood. Attendant to these schools are attached extensive
listings of the teachers, school districts, superintendents and the various
directors. The County School Records for all of Yellowstone County Districts
(excepting the Billings Area – District #2) are defined for the years
from 1914 through 1930 on a Certified
CD that identifies the parents and children in each household from
ages “0” through “21”. Records preceding the 1914
date are housed in Miles City, and in the Crow Reservation
School records.
Portions are extracted for examples. After creation of Yellowstone County,
its boundary lines were constantly changing; thus schools moved in and out of
the county. These included some of the Crow reservation schools. Details
about the life and times, annual census’s, and various administration
factors can be found in the BIA annual reports by the Indian Agents (Serial
Set). To get a truer view of life in these schools, one must read the
numerous Congressional/Senate Hearing Reports – separately compiled.
BILLINGS AREA
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
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18XX-
Washington Street School.
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Officially called “South Side
School”,
located on the SE corner of 1st
Ave South and 30th Street. It was a Public
Grade School, and the one of
several true school houses constructed specifically for education in Billings. [Not to be
confused with South
Side High
School located some two blocks away.] It
originally sat on an entire block.
School
Authorities
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1878-
Newman School (1st)
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Shortly after ON
Newman arrived in Canyon Creek (Riverfront
Park) he established
a school in a trapper’s cabin that was on his land. Nat Givens,
a neighboring farmer, who volunteered his time, was the first teacher. Flora
Amna ALLING came to Montana in the
summer of 1879 with her parents, sisters and a brother. The family settled
on the Yellowstone River two miles above Youngs Point, near Park City, Montana.
The fall of 1879, 0. N. Newman was looking for a full-time teacher to
instruct the pupils at a small school which had been established the
preceding summer near his ranch. She was the first teacher to be paid a
salary. Oscar’s Dreamland reportedly acquired the cabin, had it
restored and was available for view. That photo is to the right. However;
The Oscar cabin is the Newman Icehouse that sat right next to the school
house. They were almost identical, excepting that the school house had a
shallower slanted roof. Both had a lean-to attached. This verified by the
Newman Family. The school house logs simply vanished.
School
Authorities
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 Jim
Taylor, an early valley resident, built a small cabin on the northeast
corner of what later became the Ed Newman land in Section 15. It was
reported that the Indians, whom he apparently had cheated, escorted him out
of the area, leaving the cabin vacant. [The name was reported to be Taylor, and it is
presumed that Jim Taylor is the person being referred.] This cabin
served as the first schoolhouse in the region. This cabin-school sat next
to a foundation located east of 3602
King Avenue South that housed a replacement
school, Newman
School #2. (School District #3)
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1895-Present
Lincoln School
(Called High School)
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Students were
enrolled in 1895 in Billings'
first high school, a 12-room school on a plot of land between 29th and 30th
Streets and Fourth and Fifth
Avenue North. The building, named Lincoln Center (?)
was constructed with an $8,000 bond issue, a $4,000 donation from Fredrick
Billings and a contribution of 29 lots by the firm of Kurtz and Foster.
J. W. Johnson was the principal of the new school, and on May 27, 1895,
five girls were the first high school graduates in Billings: M. Maude Boyle, Claire F.
Sweetman, Marion Goss, Martha Hoe, and Sophia G. Hoe. The first
commencement ceremony cost the school district $6.90: In 1989 the cost of
commencement was nearly $4,000.
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Information from 
“The History of Billings
Senior High”, "Through These Doors, 50 Years of
Excellence"
Published by the Journalism Classes of Billings Senior High
School. In 1936, 1st & 2nd
Grade students from Roosevelt Grade School were required to participate in the
dedication ceremonies at Lincoln at 8 pm.
Prior to building of Senior High, in Billings,
this school held grades 6-12. After that it supported grades 6-9. Currently
it is called Lincoln
Center, and no longer
has school classes. After Senior High was built in1940, it became noted
simply as “Junior High”. Currently it consists of a community
center “of sorts”. During one of the ceremonial meetings I was “tricked”
into memorizing the Lincoln Gettysburg address, and had the privilege to
present it to a packed audience.
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1940-Present
Billings Senior High
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Completed in
1940 after much design thought, the school was built in a conservative
modern style, steering away from the traditional ornamental decorations of
the 1930's. It contained 24 classrooms, four science, two craft, three
commercial, two music, one public speaking room, a cafeteria, and
administrative offices. The auditorium has seating for 834 people, causing
some to criticize that it was too small. The gym had seats for 2,000 and a
50 x 84 foot basketball court.
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"The
construction sight at Grand
Avenue and Virginia Lane was selected. The
school board received much criticism for building a school way out in the
country." (See
Lincoln School)
It served grades 10-12.
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18XX-c1923
Newman School #2
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Located east of
3602 King Avenue South,
it sat adjacent to the original Newman School Cabin (Newman #1) located on
Ed Newman’s land. This one was framed, had one room, with adjacent
outdoor toilets. There was no playground equipment. One teacher taught all
seven grades. A “big stove in the middle of the building”
heated the school. Attending school for the first time were children from
the Cochran, Frady (lived just east of Newman’s on Lot
#1), Miller and Newman families.
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Note: It was thought that this school was called South Side School
– but that is simply an error. Some correctly reference it as being
one-mile south of GW Sugar Factory. After this building was constructed,
the 1st Newman School-Cabin was abandoned. (School
District #3)
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19XX-19XX
Newman School #3
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Not Located
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Newman Elementary #4
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Located at 605
Billings Blvd, it serves the elementary grades.
Sometimes noted as being the 3rd Newman School.
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19XX-
First Ward
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Located at 419
Yellowstone Avenue
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18-
South Side High School
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This was the first public school erected in Billings. After it was
no longer used for instruction, the city used it as an Industrial Annex.
Its construction is very similar to South Side
School located a few
blocks away. The 1903 Plat map shows the location. It took up the entire
block.
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 Located between 1st & 2nd Ave S
and between 32nd & 33rd Streets.
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19-
State Avenue
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Located at 3410
State Avenue.
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19-
Orchard
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Located at 110 Jackson
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Taft
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Located at 515
South 26th St
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Roosevelt
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Located at 320 N23rd. This school was the 2nd
major school built in Billings.
It was torn down and the Billings
Community Center
occupies that spot. The teacher is Ms Quinlan.
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McKinley
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Located at 810
N 31st St
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Broadwater
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Located at 414
Wyoming Ave
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Garfield #1
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Located at 3215
2nd Ave South
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Garfield #2
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Located at 100
South 32nd St
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North Park
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Located at 615
N 19th St
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Highland
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Located at 726 Ave G
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North Side
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Located at 4th
Ave N & NW corner 29th St. (Part of Lincoln Center
Building)
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County Communities (Note these
Golden Valley Schools were all built after the County was created. 1899 is
cut-off for Yellowstone County; and thus virtually all schools that need to be
examined are within the current boundary lines (excepting for the Crow
Schools).
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Location
Years Open
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Remarks
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Original-Early Picture
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Current Picture
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Teacherage
1913-
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These are currently all residing in Golden Valley.
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Bill Gugler
1913-1929
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These are currently all
residing in Golden Valley.
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Cheery Creek
1912-1974
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These are currently all
residing in Golden Valley.
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Cavill
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These are currently all
residing in Golden Valley.
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Belmont
1909-1962
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These are currently all
residing in Golden Valley.
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Barber
1910-1955
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These are currently all
residing in Golden Valley.
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Pine Island
1915-1954
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These are currently all
residing in Golden Valley.
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East Bench
1914-1934
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These are currently all
residing in Golden Valley.
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Ryegate
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These are currently all
residing in Golden Valley.
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Irene
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These are currently all
residing in Golden Valley.
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Rothiemay
1915-1963
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These are currently all
residing in Golden Valley.
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Spring Valley
1915-1928
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These are currently all
residing in Golden Valley.
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Swimming Woman
1910-1937
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These are currently all
residing in Golden Valley.
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Cushman
1910-1937
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These are currently all
residing in Golden Valley.
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Lavina 1st
High School
1914-
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These are currently all
residing in Golden Valley.
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Slayton
1919-
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These are currently all
residing in Golden Valley.
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Twin Coulee
1919-1936
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These are currently all
residing in Golden Valley.
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Jacobus
1916-1920
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These are currently all
residing in Golden Valley.
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Sasse
1910-1913
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These are currently all
residing in Golden Valley.
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Slayton #2
1919
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These are currently all
residing in Golden Valley.
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Indian Creek
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This is currently in
Melstone.
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Stockade School
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Birley
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Gibson
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Castle Town
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Utica
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Return to Out in the Boonies Index
 Email
me:
Katy Hestand
Yellowstone County Coordinator
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