Historical photographs can serve as a window into both daily life and extraordinary events from the past.
We can gather unique insights into a time period by looking closely and wondering about the individuals and places pictured in the photo. Historical photos are also a wonderful way to make history accessible to kids!
Even children who are not yet reading can look carefully at the details in a photograph and really think about what they notice, wonder, and infer about life in the valley long ago.
As the new school year begins in the Snoqualmie Valley, we can look back and wonder about teaching and learning in the first school here.
Fun and Informative Historic Valley Images
First Upper Valley School After School District was Formed
The first district school in the Upper Valley began in 1884 in a Hop Ranch warehouse in Hop Field #3, on the river (now a slough) near what is now the Mount Si Golf Course clubhouse.
Miss Lurisse (Lulu) Thompson began teaching when she was fifteen. She taught during the summer and attended Territorial University during the winter. This picture was taken in 1888, and on Lulu’s right is John Borst.
Back row, left to right: Florence Cooper, Oscar Branam, Mary Thompson, Susie Carlin, Anna Branam, Madge Gardiner, Clyde Thompson and Nellie Cooper. Front row, left to right: Cynthia Carlin, Etta Branam, Cora Gustin and Ella Pike. Seated in front is Alex Gardiner. About 1936, Dio Reinig asked Lulu (visiting from Alaska) to annotate the back of his copy of this photo, with the pupils’ names.
The Reinig family provided the photo to the Snoqualmie Valley Historical Society.
Thompson Avenue and a park on Snoqualmie Ridge are named after Lulu – who later taught in Fall City.
Guest Post by Heather Anderson – Snoqualmie Valley Historical Society Board
