Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Harold B. Lee born 111 years ago in Clifton, Idaho

March 28 was Harold B. Lee's birthday. At the following link, his grandson, Brent Goates reminisces about this great man: www.thegoateskids.blogspot.com

 Pictured here are Lee at about age five, with some school friends, and the Silver Star School in which he taught and acted as principal at age 17.






 Below is David and his father, Brent, who authored a book  about Harold B. Lee. This picture was taken in 2007, during a visit the two made to the academy.

Friday, March 26, 2010

Bybee helps build academy

According to an obituary in the Davis County Clipper on Nov. 22, 1940, for Byron Elias Bybee, 82, we learn that he was one of the carpenters who worked on the Oneida Stake Academy.

It states: "In his early life, he followed carpenter work and building. He assisted with the building of the old Ogden city hall and the Broom hotel. In 1886, he moved to Clifton, Idaho, where he was engaged in contracting and farming. He assisted in construction of Preston elementary school, Western school and chapel and the Clifton school and chapel. While he lived in Idaho he was called as a special missionary with an assignment to the old Oneida stake academy, forerunner of the present Preston high school.
In 1912 he moved to Farmington....."

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Cool history

   The academy has come a long way since this picture early in 2004. The building had been moved to this location December of 2003, by Lindsay Moving Company out of the state of Washington. Project supervisor was Del Davis. Since this picture was taken, the Oneida Stake Academy Foundation received its non-profit status, put a new foundation under the building, installed water and electricity to the lot, poured an amphitheater at the building's back, upgraded the building's 120-year-old rubble construction walls to resist damage from earthquakes and, poured the base of a new staircase to the front door and has begun repairing and re-shingling the roof.

   With support from the public, restoration work will continue on this magnificent gem of our pioneer past!

Monday, March 8, 2010

Founders Day, 1920

Click on picture to enlarge it.
This copy of The Oneida, the OSA student newspaper, was published on Dec. 5, 1920. It main article discusses Founders Day, featuring events such as a pole climb, on which the "pluckiest class" was to post the school colors. The sophomores and seniors, it says, were the first to the top of the greased pole.

"The Honorable Mathoniah Thomas" of Salt Lake City, delivered the Founder's Day program address, which focused on tolerance. Miss Delilah Higgs gave a reading and a violin duet was rendered by Professors Engarand Harmon. Miss margaret Merrill sand "A Birthday."
After the program, a lunch was served in the kitchen by the Domestic Scince girls, under the supervision of Miss Louises Bird.

"At 2:30 a grand rush was made for the ball park by the students and others to witness the battle between the Oneida Indians and the B.Y.C."

B.Y.C. trounced the Indians, 24-0. The founders' ball took place in the evening. "Here everybody forgot the sting of defeat and danced his cares away."

Other subjects covered include the basketball team starting, football season ending, the cooking class The Interclass Basketball series, the Little Symphony Orchestra, helping the Red Cross and the Science Club.

Names mentioned in this edition of The Oneida include: Professor Johnson, Coach Gardiner, Coach Larson, Miss Margaret Perry, Cutler, Nelson, A. Larson, Jensen, Thomas Robinson, Ludeen Hansen.

Staff of The Oneida was as follows: Editor - Kenneth Carpenter, Asst. Editor - Oneida Meek, Literature Light - Ida Kern, With the Butterflies - Lucille Ballif, Exchanges - Louise Engar, Athletics - Emil Jorgensen, Business Mgr. - Jack Chatterton, Asst. Business Manager - Platt Larson, Reporters - Lucille Thomas, Ione Goaslind, Eddie Smith, Alton Sponberg.