EARLY HISTORY OF LITCHFIELD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Transcription

1 EARLY HISTORY OF LITCHFIELD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL Although Phoenix was settled around 1867, the area now known as Litchfield Park was literally untouched until 1908, when William Kriegbaum, a citrus grower from Riverside, California, made plans to settle here. By 1910, Mr. Kriegbaum had gathered a group from California to file claims on the land in the area of Litchfield Park. William J. Morgan claimed the land where the current Litchfield School is located and used it for general farming purposes. In 1916, when Goodyear Corporation came to the Salt River Valley, they bought and leased the land in and around Litchfield Park. William J. Morgan s land was purchased on January 25, 1917 for approximately $25.00 an acre. The area started to develop very quickly. On June 25, 1917, the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors granted a petition for the formation of School District #79. J. L. Rayner led the movement to form the school district and the first board of trustees was composed of Mr. Rayner, E. A. Roberts and Mr. A. Tackett. These three men were all local landowners. On October 9, 1917, the first session of school was held in the old cook shack, which had wooden floors, a double roof and canvas side flaps. Mrs. Mable Padgett, wife of John Padgett an Engineer for Goodyear Farms, was the first teacher. Eleven pupils were enrolled on the first day of school and J. L. Rayner arranged for the seats, equipment and free textbooks. The school enrollment increased daily and the school was moved into a larger building about January 1, The year s enrollment reached 80 children. Plans were started to select a permanent school site. The site chosen was the corner of Agua Fria St. (Wigwam Blvd.) and Litchfield Ave. (Old Litchfield Rd.). To finance the necessary buildings school bonds for $6000 were voted in on August 1, Plans were made for four one-room adobe buildings on the school site, two on each side of a spacious plaza. The first one was erected in a cotton field, which had been planted there in the spring. Mrs. Mable Padgett, the first teacher, occupied the first adobe building and the second year the second one was built. Mrs. Charles Waterhouse, wife of one of the early plantation superintendents, was employed to assist Mrs. Padgett. The third year all of the buildings were completed and two additional teachers were hired. These four adobe buildings were still in use in the 1980s. During WWII the four original buildings were converted into two by filling in the spaces on each side of the units to accomplish more efficient heating and cooling.

2 Mrs. Padgett with her 8th Grade Class (in front of the first adobe classroom) In 1925, community leaders became disturbed by the lack of a high school for the older boys and girls. A movement by Kenneth B. McMicken and C. C. Hall was begun in 1925 to establish higher learning. The Board of Trustees employed L. D. Shumway, who was principal of Peoria High School and the ninth grade was taught that year. Mrs. McKibben was employed to assist Mr. Shumway with the upper grades. A program of school athletics was begun with Shumway as the coach. The following year James Felton was employed as the coach. There was a shortage of buildings to facilitate the high school. Temporary buildings were used off the campus. Transportation for high school pupils was a truck with a wagon sheet over the back and a transportation fee was charged. By the school year, all high school grades were offered. There were two senior students that year, Verna Stevens, who developed typhoid fever and died one week before graduation and Edward Parsons, who was hospitalized with fever at the time of graduation. Under Mr. Paul Litchfield s leadership, a high school district was established in the spring of A $36,000 bond issue was approved on May 1, 1928 for a building program. The bonds covered the cost of a high school building and included $12,000 for the elementary district to build an auditorium. Both the buildings were built in The high school building was dedicated to Paul W. Litchfield, because it was believed his influence had made the school possible. Forty high school students occupied this building and during the next few years the entire school enrollment increased rapidly. The high school was later expanded by a $9,000 donation from the Southwest Cotton Company.

3 In 1935, a $7,000 bond issue was voted into the elementary school district and another elementary school building was built. The present main elementary building was completed in 1938 with Works Progress Administration (WPA) assistance. The auditorium was later remodeled into a gymnasium to be used by both the elementary and high school. During World War II the school again experienced growth problems with the influx of new civilian workers at Luke Field and Goodyear Aircraft Corporation. Students from these areas were transported into the Litchfield schools. Because of the increased enrollment, the school launched another building project. Fortunately the Lanham Act, provided by the Federal Government for such war emergencies, provided finances to obtain additional building space. Under the Lanham Act, in 1942, the high school acquired two new classrooms and locker rooms and two new classrooms were built for the elementary school. During the growth of the school the athletic program flourished with tennis and volleyball courts, an electronically lighted stadium, numerous softball diamonds and playgrounds. Mr. L. D. Shumway was Superintendent of the Litchfield Park schools from 1928 until his resignation in During his administration the school became one of the most outstanding schools of its size in the valley. His success was attributed to the high caliber of teachers on his staff throughout the years. Mr. L.D. Shumway By 1954, enrollment in Litchfield Park High School had caused a strain on available facilities. There was a plan to establish a Union High School to accommodate all high school students living in Litchfield Park, Avondale and Goodyear. A board comprised of Henry Brooks, Ralph Cooper, W. T. Jarnigan, L. C. Hall and Chet Fuller met on January 31 st, 1955 to develop plans for the new school. It was decided the new school should be located in Avondale and accommodate up to 350 students. Chauncey Coor was the first Superintendent of Agua Fria Union High School. It opened on a temporary basis in the school year with some classes still being held at Litchfield Park High School. It was fully operational by January 29 th, In 1975, Agua Fria High School had more than 1,400 students with Harold Porter having been the school superintendent since In 1980, the north campus of

4 Agua Fria was established near Litchfield Park and housed ninth graders. In 1998, this campus became Millennium High School, a new Agua Fria District high school. In 1975, attendance at the grade school level in Litchfield Park was just above 1,100 students. A temporary school was established in the old YMCA in the White Tanks mountain area to relieve the crowded conditions. It was affectionately called Little House on the Prairie. In 1975, Scott L. Libby Elementary School was opened in the White Tanks area. This addition expanded the schools in the district and relieved the crowded Litchfield Elementary School. In 1991, Western Sky Middle School was built near Litchfield Park. This move took sixth, seventh and eighth grades out of Litchfield Elementary School, which is now a kindergarten through fifth grade level school. The Litchfield Elementary School District #79 continues to grow with the development of new housing areas and new schools. Palm Valley Elementary School opened in the fall of 1997, Rancho Santa Fe Elementary School opened in the Fall of 1999, Corte Sierra Elementary School opened in the Fall of 2002 and the newest school is Wigwam Creek Middle School, which opened in January This history represents the 85-Year development of Litchfield Elementary School and LES District #79. The district was formed on June 25, 1917, with a starting class that year of 11 students and today February 1, 2003, the district has 5,300 students. Historical information was taken from: 1948 Thesis written by Susan M. Smith titled Litchfield Park and Vicinity Story of a Town --Litchfield Park, written by Clyde Schetter Litchfield Elementary School District #79 Office Celeste Crouch Litchfield Park Historical Society January 29, 2003

5 LITCHFIELD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL