Lordsburg/La Verne Grammar School History 1935

This is a transcription from an article in the La Verne Leader dated Friday, May 17, 1935:

Grammar School History Dates Back to 1886

   Rather authentic information seems to show that the La Verne School has been in existence for 49 years, beginning in 1886. The following people have guided the destinies of our school.

Mr. Sievers, Mr. Ensign, Mr. Holliday, seven years—1886-1893.

Mr. J. C. Storment, three years—1893-1896.

Miss Irene Dudley, one year—1896-1897.

Mr. McIlmoil, six years—1897-1903.

Mr. Linderman, seven years—1903-1910.

Mr. Jenkins, one year—1910-1911.

Mr. C. P. Sparks, fifteen years—1911-1926.

Mr. R. R. Cullen, nine years—1926-1935.

   According to Miss Rose Macias, who was a pupil, the first school in La Verne, then Lordsburg, was opened in 1886. There was one teacher, Mr. Sievers.

   The schoolhouse was a two-roomed building, surrounded by large pepper trees. It was located diagonally across the street from where Mr. Bolling now lives—about where the packinghouse stands.   The following seven years were filled by Mr. Sievers, Mr. Ensign, and Mr. Holliday. Mr. Holliday was assisted by his daughter, Miss Reba, but it is not known if she were a graduate teacher.

   In 1893, Mr. J. C. Storment came to us as principal, with Miss Conklin as primary teacher. Mr. Storment served with much success for three years.

   In 1896 the schoolhouse was totally destroyed by fire and Mr. Storment finished the term in an old building called the Pioneer Hall that stood where the Palomares School is now.

   The 1896-1897 term was taught by Miss Irene Dudley, now Mrs. George Phillips of Pomona, with Miss May Doughty as primary teacher. The term began in the Pioneer Hall, but ended in a new school building standing where the first had stood.

   In 1897, Mr. McIlmoil came to us with Miss Jeffries continuing her work as primary teacher. The next term, 1898-1899, Mrs. L. J. MacDonald came as primary teacher. Mrs. MacDonald was with us for nearly thirty years and greatly endeared herself to the whole town.

   Mr. McIlmoil remained as principal till 1903, when Mr. W. Linderman, now of Pomona, came. Mr. Linderman was with us till 1910, and it was during his administration the schoolhouse was built on “D” street. The next principal was Mr. Jenkins, who was here one term.

    Mr. Jenkins was followed by Mr. C. P. Sparks of Claremont. He was with us fifteen years, 1911-1926.

   In the fall of 1926 there was again a change in administration and the La Verne City Schools. Ray R. Cullen, who had been teaching for one year in La Verne College, in the Education and Sociology departments, took the place of Mr. C. P. Sparks as principal. The school board was also largely new and a number of changes were made in both the teaching force and the buildings. The board consisted of E. R. Blickenstaff, Marcus Garber, and Claude Arnett.

   The roof of the central building was removed with its bell and belfry and a tile roof took its place. Considerable money was spent which brought both praise and criticism. Educational and intelligence tests were used to get the capacity and grade placement of the pupils and some experimental work was done in this regard.

   In the spring of 1927 bonds for $25,000 were voted by the citizens and a new five room steel and tile building was constructed at the corner of “A” and Palomares streets, especially for the Mexican school population. All of the Mexican children were required to go to this school except those in the 6th, 7th, and 8th grades. According to law, a principal was appointed for each building, and the office of district superintendent was created.

   On the new building $17,000 was expended and the remainder of the bond issue was spent in equipment and rearranging of the rooms of the Lincoln School. An auditorium was extremely necessary and the waste space in the central building of the Lincoln School, including one small classroom, was built into an auditorium with a nice stage and room for 200 people.

   New playground apparatus was purchased and by 1928 La Verne Lincoln School had one of the best equipped playgrounds in the country. The one entire block north of the school buildings was put in turf, which added greatly to the cleanliness and utility of the playground. At that time also the school office was moved from a small dark room in one wing of the Lincoln School and put on the upper floor of the central building. The contractors, Will Moomaw and John Hunter, and various citizens cooperated so thoroughly and gave much time to the school in making the rooms as convenient and beautiful as possible.

   In 1928 a cafeteria was arranged with a kitchen in the cooking room of the domestic science department, and the large classroom was built into a dining room. New members of the board took the place of Garber and Arnett. They were Perry A. Yoder and O. L. Marshall. The board members were all enthusiastic about the psychological effect of interior decorating in the classrooms and endorsed a very “up-to-date” program of such decorating.

   In 1927 La Verne College asked the board for permission to put cadet teachers in the La Verne School. This practice has continued since that time, and for a number of years the district superintendent of schools was connected with La Verne College and acted as director of teacher training.

   Mrs. Anna R. Strayer was elected to the board in 1932. Prof. Jesse Brandt was elected in 1933 and Mr. Carl Ohler was appointed in 1933 to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Mr. Yoder, and those three members have continued in office until the present time. Mrs. Strayer succeeded herself in the board election this spring.

   The school enrollment has increased continuously until the average daily attendance for 1933-1934 totaled 525. The average daily attendance for the present school year will be decreased somewhat. La Verne Schools have been run on a very conservative platform as far as expenditures are concerned, but a progressive program as far as educational ideas are concerned. The district has a low assessed valuation in comparison with the enrollment. In 1933-34 the cost per school child was below $63. The classes have been large and although the achievement is high, it is often hard on both pupils and teachers. At the present time, for the English-speaking children, a very complete battery of tests is given to each child above the first grade. The testing program consists of intelligence tests and from 3 to 5 achievement tests per year to get the exact achievement of the child in each school subject. These tests are also diagnostic, and each teacher can find the particular weakness of each child and give special attention to those deficiencies as much as time will permit in the large classes.
   Within the past year and a half, the S. E. R. A. has contributed around $12,000 in labor to the La Verne Schools. This has been on the playground and also decorating all of the buildings inside and out. The total cost to the school for this entire project was less than $3,000. The school board is to be congratulated that they have made the effort to use this gift of the government to such good advantage.

The following pictures help to illustrate the foregoing article and bring the reader up to date:

This portion of a current copy of Los Angeles County Assessor's Map 8377-028 shows the location of the original Lordsburg "School Lot" on the East side of "G" Street, North of what was then Palomares Avenue (now Arrow Highway). The property is now part of Paper Pak Industries.

Lordsburg Grammar School, built about 1908 on the Northeast corner of "D" and Sixth Streets, became La Verne Grammar School when the city name was changed in 1917.

The Sloyd or Wood Shop building was located behind the main school building (previous photo). In 1952 it was sold to the La Verne Methodist Church and is now part of the House of Praise at the Southwest corner of Third and "F" Streets.

This architect's drawing depicts the proposed changes to the main building and the addition of North and South wings of classrooms in 1922.

The school after the changes were made.

A 1930 photo taken from the tower of the nearly completed Church of the Brethren by Joseph B. Bixler. Lincoln School is shown in the center.

Palomares School, located at the Southwest corner of Palomares and "A" Streets, is shown at the bottom of this 1952 photo. The L-shaped building was built in 1927 and the straight building below it was added in 1937. Even though the school opened in the Fall of 1927, it was not named until the Summer of 1928. Nor was the "D" Street school named Lincoln until that time, the two schools being referred to as Unit No. 1 and Unit No. 2 of the City Grammar School.

Segregation of the elementary schools ended in 1947 and this article from the La Verne Leader dated August 22, 1947 reports on which students will attend which campus and how they will get there. All children of the La Verne City School District in Kindergarten and grades one and two will attend Palomares School. Those in grades three through eight are to attend Lincoln School. Details of registration and bus routes are also given.

As things often go--even to this day--the bus had not arrived on time. But it was on its way and the Bonita Union High School District had graciously been covering the situation as was reported in this December 19, 1947 Leader article.

This November 26, 1948 Leader article tells of the anticipated construction of the new primary school on the North side of Eighth Street at "E" Street. This school replaced Palomares School which then became a recreation center and the location for other activities.

This article appeared in the La Verne Leader on Friday, February 9, 1950.

The new Lincoln School was built on "E" Street in 1951, behind the old Lincoln School, between Sixth and Eighth Streets. It was later named J. Marion Roynon School on April 9, 1957. This photo was taken August 25, 2009.

This plaque, mounted outside the Roynon School office, gives a very concise history of the school.