BIG VALLEY SCHOOL

When Arnold Knoll school became too crowded, Big Valley School was one of the two new schools built to accomodate all of the students. Built in 1861, the first building was a few hundred yards east of the present junction of Big Valley Road and Highland Springs Road. The building was also used as a Church of Christ. There was disagreement as to whether the school should be used for anything other than school purposes. The school burned in 1868 with each side accusing the other of burning it to settle the argument.

After the school burned, the children went to the makeshift Argonaut School until the 1870s and then to a dwelling 3/8 of a mile east of Finley on the north side of Finley road. In the early 1880s a new building was built which was in the town of Finley and it was known by most people as the Finley School. The district consolidated with Kelseyville in 1920.

STUDENTS OF BIG VALLEY SCHOOL - August - December 1897

Nellie C. Morrison, teacher

Lem Keithly, Clerk

Gladys Annett	Maud Griffitts	Edna Rison
Ina Annett	Ewen Hill	Elsie Rison
Lester Annett	Jimmie Hill	Frank Rison
Wiatt Annett	Marshall Hill	Nellie Rison
Dotte Buchanan	Ola Hill	Byrd Rowden
George Buchanan	Pressie Hill	Irene Rowden
Mary Buchanan	Alice Keithly	Curtis Shell
Bertha Cox	Ada Reeves	Orpha Shell
Mattie Galbraith	Dora Reeves
Loren Griffitts	Susie Reeves

GRADUATES OF BIG VALLEY SCHOOL -

1883 - 1894 - (Graduates of all schools are listed on Schools Main Page

1895 - (Lennie Moore, teacher) - Jessie Griffetts

1896 - (Graduates of all schools are listed on Schools Main Page

1899 -Ina Annett,   Ada Reeves

1901 - 1904 - (Graduates of all schools are listed on Schools Main Page

1905 - Eugene Clark,   Ola Hill,   Willie Marley,   Stella Sneed

1906 - 9th grade graduates - (Graduates of all schools are listed on Schools Main Page

1907 - Cecelia Crowley,   Frank Hill,   Bertha Weber

1909 - (Viola Gunn - Teacher)

Paulson, Paulson,   Regina Paulson,   Winnie Puett,   Roscoe Smith

1910 - Lillian Hill,   Annie Rentsch,   Verna Thomas

1911 - Mary Paulson

1912 - Harry Paulson,   I. Ruth Smith,   Ward Wooldridge

1912 - Promoted to 8th Grade -

Hammack, Merle,  Emil Pulson,   Hazel Smith,   Charley Stanley,   Carrol Stone

1913 Graduates -Emil Paulson,   Hazel Smith,   Charley Stanley,   Carrol Stone,   Alice Sylar

1914 Graduates - Ernest Bannister,   Clarence Davidson,   Roy Dewey,   Harold Hammack,   Dick Hill,   Bert Smith

June 1914 - Promoted to 8th Grade - Lindsey Puett,   Dillard Sneed

1915 Graduates - Dillard Sneed,   Lenora Stanley

1917 Graduates - Jettie Allen,   Joe Smith,   Park Stanley,   Ellen Stewart,   Clarence Sylar

1918 Graduates - Virgil Bogart,   Waverly Slattery,   Harold Stanley,   Audrey Sullivan,   Elwood Sullivan

1919 Graduates - May Bogart,   Newton Brown,   Willie Guyer,   Bernice Magee,   Norma Stanley,

Lorna Sylar,  Norman Sylar,   Ruth Turner