By Dana Sharp

As early pioneers etched their mark on history (and left something of themselves in the shadow of Granite Mountain) and reared their families, they began to see means to formally educate their children in ways other than the lessons of everyday life. Formal education in the Mint Wash area began with the formation of the Mint Valley School District No. 20 in 1884. As the area became more populated and more children needed formal education, Granite Mountain District No. 32 was organized in 1918.

Albert Stringfield built the Mint Valley schoolhouse in 1884. His bride, Harriett who had taught school in Ash Fork and Jerome Junction prior to her marriage in 1883, perhaps influenced Stringfield to build the school. The records of the early years of Mint Valley School are scanty and we can only imagine the problems that faced Robert K. Porter, the first teacher in the school. The tasks of getting organized and teaching good learning habits may have been difficult with children who perhaps had never gone to school before, even though they were beyond the average age for beginning students. 

Vada and Alice Stringfield, sisters to Albert, taught at different times during the existence of the school and Agnes Stringfield Truman's earliest recollections of the school begin about 1908 when her Aunt Alice was teaching. Agnes was not yet old enough to begin school but she felt left behind when everyone else went to school. After shedding many tears, her parents finally said she might go. However, her short legs couldn't carry her all the way to school, so her aunts and older brothers took turns carrying her to school. For a short time, the Stringfield children rode a burro over to school, about a mile from their home. 

Miss Ernestine Lund began teaching during the 1914-15 school year and Agnes recalls a spanking she got from her father for teasing Miss Lund about wearing a black and white hat on her flaming red hair. Miss Lund left her teaching position at the end of the 1916-17 school year to marry a Mr. Nash. 

Agnes and Bernice Stringfield remember a Christmas party at the school in either 1916 or 1917 when their older sister, Ethel, played Santa Claus. It was an exciting time that ended in a near tragedy. Mrs. Stringfield put her sewing talents to work and created a Santa Claus costume for Ethel, complete with fluffy cuffs and a flowing beard of cotton. At last, the evening of the party arrived and everyone gathered at the little schoolhouse in anticipation of the arrival of Santa Claus. The Christmas tree was covered with small gifts of toys, candy and fruit and was decorated with glittering candles. Santa arrived and began to pass out the gifts. Suddenly the cotton on her sleeve became ignited from one of the candles on the tree. In a panic, Ethel headed for the one door and outside. Fortunately, their father caught her and tore the burning costume off, but not before Ethel's arm was rather badly burned. This is only one of many stories left behind about Mint Valley School. 

We found the former site of the Mint Valley School on a beautiful 'Indian Summer' day. All that is left are rocks that once were part of a sturdy foundation for the little schoolhouse. The ground sparkled in the sun with bits of broken glass and there were rusted square nails lying about. As I sat on one of the foundation rocks, a jet droned overhead and, a mile east, automobiles whizzed down the pavement of Wi1liamson Valley Road, and their occupants oblivious of the history they were passing by. What a contrast to life in Mint Valley when the schoolhouse still stood! A narrow little road still meanders down the hill past the school site. We found the steel bows from a buggy top; we found a can of hub grease for wagons and, from a later date, a wheel hub from an ancient automobile. 

A slight breeze was blowing and somewhere lost in time are the shouts and laughter of children who played crack-the-whip during recess, such as the Poland children, Ereminta (Mrs. Minnie Porter), Jess, David, Relan and Alfred; Bill, Gladys, Mattie and Nancy Cooper; and the Stringfield children, Lon, Jim, Hazel, Ethel, Agnes and the twins, Bertha and Berniece, and Vinnie Lee(Mrs. Dave Shivers). Perhaps there were others whose names we are unable to find after so much time has gone by. 

Near a thicket of oak brush, Tucker found an old blue inkwell, somehow spared by the hand of time and waiting for a more secure place in the world, and a pen nib carrying the patent date of 1886, all that's left, besides memories, of a little schoolhouse that meant so much to the children educated there long ago. 

(Dana Sharp is a long time resident of the Prescott area and a member of the Sharlot Hall Museum Board of Directors.) 

Sharlot Hall Museum Photograph Call Number:(bus5088p)
Reuse only by permission.
Granite Mountain School c. 1900, aka Mint Valley School.