DISTRICT 28 PRAIRIE VALLEY SCHOOL
In 1908 the residents of Northeast Yuma County decided to form a school district from unorganized territory and a meeting was held April 15, 1908 to sign a petition to form the new district. This area included the Yuma County land which had been part of Joint District 5 Phillips County Colorado. Those signing the petition to form the district were W.S. Bradford, J. B. Nomis, G. W. Fincher, S.A. Hoschouer, E. L. Hoschouer, A. J. Hoschouer, J. T. Likeus, Mrs. D. E. Clark, James Shaw, Ross Shaw and Ira Shaw. The vote carried for forming the new district and S. A. Hosechouer was elected president, Mrs. G. W. Fincher treasurer and W. S. Bradford secretary of the District Board. The district was approved by F. B. Williams County Superintendent on April 30th 1908 and designated District No. 28. This early area of District 28 was about 8 miles square in the northeast corner of Yuma County.
A letter to County School Superintendent Clara Tegner in February of 1911 indicates that the school house was located in the extreme northwest of the district and that students in the south part had to travel a long distance to get to school. The People of the south part of the district ask that there be a division of the district or that school would be held for six months, three in the north part of the district and three in the south part. They also ask what it would take to get a school house in the south part of the district, so at that time there was not a school house at the Dist. 28 Prairie Valley location.
In 1915 teachers records show that two teachers were hired, one for the north school and one for the south schools. District 28 Prairie Valley School was probably built at that time. . Early teacher’s records show Aestel Kettley, Frank Draper, Julia Brophy, Abbie Becker, Mrs. Alta Deslems and Charles Hoschouer as early teachers in the area.
Census records in the Yuma County Courthouse for District 28 start in 1923. At that time both Prairie Valley and Cement students were listed as being in District 28. Families were the Banaka family, the Chapman family, the Dodson family, the Earl family, the Enyeart family, the Fincher family, the Goldsberry family, the Grosclose family, the Hayes family, the Irvine family, the Long family, the Likens family, the Ranum family, the Rowe family the Shaw family, the Williams family, the Winn family, the Jacobs family, the Wood family, the Wilson family, the Bradford family and the Whitley family with children in school.
On October 4th 1932 the north part of the district formed a new district known as District 117 Cement from the northern part of District 28.
The Prairie Valley School which was located in the Northwest corner of Section 36 Township 5 North, Range 43W moved to the Southeast corner of Section 36 and the name was changed to Thomas School.
The Thomas school was located a short distance north of Co. Rd. 54 on the west side of
Co. Rd. QQ. The school had a horse barn, a flag pole, a well and pump, a slide, swings and a merry-go-round. Jennie (Oman) Monk, one of the early teachers stated that the first school house
she taught at was the Thomas School in 1931. Velma Schelly was the last teacher who taught at the Thomas School House in 1952-53. Over
Complied by Bev Tracy
East Yuma County Historical Society
DISTRICT 28 PRAIRIE VALLEY DISTRICT MAP
Beginning at the North East corner of Yuma County running west to the North West corner of section 6 T 5 N Range 43 W thence south to the south west corner of section 7 T 4 N. R. 43W. All on section lines thence east to the boundary line between Colorado and Nebraska thence north along said boundary line to the place of beginning.
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