ARGONAUT SCHOOL

The first school in Lake County (Arnold Knoll) was started east of the present town of Finley, in Big Valley. After a time, there became too many children for the small school, and two new schools were built: Kelsey Creek School and Big Valley School.

After the new schools were built, a disagreement came about at the Big Valley School as to whether the school should be used for anything other than school purposes. There was a great deal of ill feelings over the subject and in 1868 the school burned down, with each side accusing the other of burning it down to settle the argument.

At the time it burned, there was a very small building on the Argonaut Ranch that was vacant. It had been used as a store and dwelling previously. The children that had gone to the burned-out school then spent several years until the 1870s using this building as their classroom. After its use as a school, the building was used as a grainery. It used to sit in back of a barn where an orchard used to be, and then was moved to a location about 200 yards Southwest of the old Argonaut home. In 1949 it was still there and used as a dwelling for transient workers. The building was destroyed about 1972.,

Teachers (before they were married)-

1869 - Mrs. Josephine Boggs
1870-71 - Mrs. Cora Huston

Return to Lake County Page

Return to Lake County Schools

Anita Crabtree
anitajc@pacific.net
Last Updated 01/25/2020

Copyright © 1996-2022: by the Lake County Coordinator: All materials, images, sounds and data contained herein are not to be copied or down loaded for purposes of duplication, distribution, or publishing without the express written permission of the Lake County Coordinator.
This web page is maintained on behalf of the California portion of The USGenWeb Project and is paid for by Supporters. Although believed to be correct as presented, we ask that if you have corrections, changes, additions, or find that any links provided on this page are not functioning properly please contact the Webmaster for prompt attention to the matter. ~ALL RIGHTS RESERVED~