Page 43 - Sansarc Country School Museum, Orton School Bell booklet 2.3.2020

I admire the courage of the teachers who arrived at school early to get the fire Orton School Picnic
going with wood and coal before the children came in with cold hands and
feet. The teachers would stay in the schoolhouse overnight in a cramped Photo of
corner with sometimes no electricity, phone, or indoor toilets, in a very school picnic
remote area, and taught students in multiple grade levels all
at once.” courtesy
Prairie
Orton School Progress,
Originally Prepared by Marion Hudson Roy and
Edith
Location: Approximately forty-five miles northwest of Fort Pierre, SD, on Norman
Highway 1806, which is an oiled road to within ten miles of the school. The
last ten miles is graveled. Address is Mission Ridge, Stanley County, SD
Original Location: No. This building was four miles west of the present site.
In 1952, the school was moved from West Orton to East Orton in order to
accommodate the entire community, since East Orton School was too small. Names of Former Teachers at West Orton and East Orton Schools:
East Orton School was moved to Standing Butte and later discontinued.
Helen Sorenson Monica McCall LaVerne Valentine
Name of Building and Origin of Name: In 1907, Crazy Woman Flat was the Katie Brady Dorothy Curtis Phyllis Fravel
original name of the community known as Orton Flat. I believe this was Alta Hill Ruth Olson Irene Payton
given because of the many homesteaders who came and left because of the Florence Hughes R.D. Harlan Irene Walsh
hardships, which they could not endure. One instance which is told of a Celia Samuelson Gretchen Fluharty Elizabeth Trimble
woman homesteader coming out of her shack in a long dress and stampeding Florence Young Ruth Wightman Virginia Stanbrough
a herd of cattle, which was being moved. Henry Angel, who was with the Bertha Kirley Juanita Crouse Sylvia Anderson
herd, said “A crazy woman, GOD, a crazy woman.” Mrs. Babcock, a Marie Johnson Olga Olson John Endes
homesteader, whose maiden name was Orton, had the first Post Office and Katherine Carlisle Anna Soper Anna Dunkleberger
thus the community received the name Orton. Orton #8 was the name and Gertrude Knoepker Horace Miers Loretta Tibbs
number of this school district for many years. In 1976, the County of Stanley Ida Erickson Edith Young Edd Book
took over all the schools and the present number is 57-1. Minnie Humphrey Mina Erickson Letha Parsons
Amanda Fravel Martha McRae Elizabeth Hoyt
The district was organized and the school was built in 1918 by Henry Elsie Reed Luella Graham Philip O’Connor
Hopkins, with the help of Severt Thorsen, John Hill, Glen Fravel and more. Hattie Brown Ellen Tolton Debra Osborne
Mrs. Alta Hill was the first teacher in the newly organized district and new Grace Frost John Angyal Shari Metz
school year house. She taught for two years and had fifteen to twenty pupils Nancy Schmidt Janice Fink Maria Bergeson
each year. The school has been used for about fifty-three years. From 1943- Rick Zollner Steve Pickner David Owens
1952 school was held in the East Orton School and this building was vacant. Lynn Larson Maia Lynstad Theresa Beastrom
The school was built according to specifications for schools at that time. Darla Tibbs Rose Marie Shoemake Shari Beeghler

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