The First Con. 8 Photos

The First Con. 8 1912 to 1929

On this page we explore that first building or at least the first that was used. A presumably identical building was destroyed by fire in 1911 just before it was outfitted for the first Con. 8 school year. This building rising out of flatland ringed by mountains was a landmark of the countryside. A photograph recently made available complements one that had been well published; and study of the pair illuminates more clearly than either alone, the exceptional functionality of design, achieved in an elegant style.


#1. A front view of Con 8 About 1917 . A copy of this was in an old family album preserved by Rex McClure. This view reveals clearly the basic tee shape, the rear forming the top of the T, the two entrances approached by symmetrical east and west porticos; and the concrete walk some of which was completed in 1914-15. Both the east and west goals of an outdoor basketball court are visible at lower left. Click Here for enlarged picture.	#2. A view of Con. 8 about 1914-15 from the NW corner of the school grounds. This picture reveals details of the rear portion. its large size, and basement windows. It appears that a part, but not all of the walk way has recently been completed. This dates the picture. The basketball goal in the background may be the west goal visible in picture at left. For enlarged picture and more detail about source and the and position of photographer Click Here .
There were three classrooms on the ground floor which were used for the first eight grades. It is most likely the rooms were divided The top floor included a large auditorium, probably most of the top of the "T", but we do not know the floor plan. The upper floor was also used as upper grade classrooms. There may have been sliding partitions but there were only four teachers at least up till 1920. The basement windows visible in photo to the right indicates a nearly full basement and it is approximately the same size and position as the partial basement in the new brick building which replaced this one in 1929. The roof of the east and west porticoes appear to cover the second flight of the stairway which was lighted by the dormer windows. The bay windows light the first flight. It is known from 1914 records that artificial lighting was provided by acetylene gas generated by a "carbide generator". Those records indicate coal was used for heating. There is but one chimney, and most likely there is a single furnace in the basement near the coal room which heated the building via a convective vent system.

#3 Teachers in the 1917 group. From the print it was not possible to obtain sufficient clarity for most identification. However there are clearly at least three and possibly all four teachers shown here. Mr. A. J. Stoops, superintendent 1914 to 1917 is identified by reference to picture #6 where he is identified unambiguously.	#4. On Top of Con. 8 Two daring Students of about 1917 plus an equally daring unknown Photographer. They are perched at the intersection of the roof lines of the "T". This was also in Rex McClure's old album. Click here to see the full screen view for identification of the students, many fine details of the countryside and additional commentary.
Several group pictures taken with the building as a background provide details. The place the picture was taken can be identified with some reliability by reference to the large pictures above. This survey stresses just the building, person identifications and other relevant information are given in links from the chronological year-by-year pages and also provided here in the captions of the pictures.

#5. Classes in about 1913. This picture from Maggie Barn's notebook had a date of about 1913. The location appears to be west side near the southwest corner. That part of the building has five windows of which only four show here, the south four with the north most window out of the picture. Note the basement window at lower left which reference to the building pictures shows to be under the fourth window from the south. Click here for an enlarged view, identifications and comments.	#6. Classes 7 & 8 in 1917. This was taken on the southwest corner but shows the area just overlapping with that shown in the picture to the left and thus showing the three north most windows. The basement window under the fourth window is obscured, but the one to the north of it is in the picture as well as the wall vent. Note that the slope in the ground begins at the third window from the south, Click here for an enlarged view, identifications and comments.

#7. 1922 5th and 6th. Picture is taken on the east portico.	#8 1923 5th and 6th. East portico but camera aimed higher.
Click here for enlarged pictures, identifications, and comment for the 1922 and 1923 Pictures above.

#9 Several grades in 1924. Back at the favorite southwest corner. Now the ground slope just left of the center of the picture. Part of the fifth window from the south shows and the basement window under it is only partially obscured by the leftmost student. Click here for more about this picture and the other 1924 picture to the right.	#10 7th and 8th 1924. The southwest corner, with group now centered on the third window from the south. This shows another wall vent between the first and second windows from the south. Picture #5 showed those two windows but the vent was obscured by students. Note the identical window openings in pictures 9 and 10. Same day no doubt.
Click here for enlarged views, identifications, and comment about the two 1924 pictures above
	#11 at the left. This is thought to be a Con. 8 picture. From the range of ages among the less than 40 persons and from the dress it appears likely to be a sunday school group. The building was often and probably usually used for sunday school and church. . The background is badly washed out, but there does appear to be a basement window at the lower right. The spacing of the windows and their height above what appears to be the top of the foundation does not fit the parts of the building seen in the other photographs. We have none of the east or south sides so perhaps it is there but such high windows do not fit my concept of the functionally of the ground floor. It may be that the bottom portion of the windows are covered with shutters.