It would be pleasant to record, with authority, the names of the first ten children who made their way a hundred years ago to the little school to begin their learning, but, unfortunately, the registers of the first two decades cannot be found.

Class of 1893
 

 

 

 

The person who would know of these things is Mr. C.A. Helgesen, who was considerably younger than his brothers or sisters who were members of the first class.  His phenomenal memory for people and dates has enabled him to supply the following list with only a slight chance of error.  He thinks that the ten children enrolled the first day in March, 1872, were:  

Henry and Sarah Helgesen

Mary, Margaret and John Witty

Martha Rosman

Emily and Edith Fisher, and possibly

Sally Dutnall,

George Brown  

Henry and Sarah Helgesen

They were the hardy sons and daughters of hardy pioneers, who walked and rode to school in all weathers, and frequently heard the howling of wolves in the hills as they made their way home on the winter evenings.

Source: The First Hundred Years Metchosin Elementary School 1872-1972, Marion I. Helegesen