by Skip Via
skip@westvalleynaturalists.org
From Linda de Kort (linda@westvalleynaturalists.org): Reta Sweeney shared some photos from her mother in law’s (Merle) collection. Merle put them together for her 90th birthday celebration. Merle taught at Kuhns for one year. Her photo is included. Apparently Bowser Lake was the place to go for “outings.” The school was moved to its present location on Lost Creek in 1962. There are also some photos I took this week of the old Kuhns school as well as the original outhouse.
From Jeanine Buettner: Kuhns’ school was originally part of the Sparks school district (on the northwest corner of Church and Farm to Market) and cut away from that to make its own school district on Feb. 28, 1900. It became part of the Olney-Bissell School district on Feb. 27, 1961. So it had only been empty for a year when it was moved to it new home.
For more on the Kuhns’ homestead (established in 1888), click here.
I really enjoyed seeing the pics, especially the ones of gatherings at Bowser. In the background of one, there’s the framework of a structure of some type.
I’ve found remnants of some kind of structure – planks, nails, etc on the western side and wondered what they belonged to. Any info re 1915 ownership, land use, etc?
Thank you, Jeanine, for contributing to my appreciation of the past valley uses and inhabitants!