Early East Millcreek Schools

Early East Millcreek Schools. . , The pioneers of East Millcreek built the log schoolhouse in 1854 on bench land above a creek, later named Millcreek. Drinking water was carried up the hill from the creek. Logs were brought from the nearby canyons, and members of the community furnished the labor to build the school. The children wrote on desks of wide pine slabs with charcoal gathered from a kiln in the canyon. The teacher removed the writing with a wood plane. The school was located on Millcreek Road, about one-half mile east of this site. The building was sold to Moses Wilkinson in 1878 and moved; it became his family home., The second school was housed in the adobe chapel of the East Millcreek Ward that stood directly across this intersection, perhaps 30 yards east of the mill marker. Completed in 1878, the building housed worshipers on Sunday, young students on weekdays, and people of all ages at social gatherings. A curtain divided its single 25 by 40-foot room to give two teachers their own classrooms. As was the case with the earlier log school, parents were required to pay in cash, produce, or other goods for their children's schooling. Serving students until 1893, the building was razed in 1974., In 1890 the Territorial Legislature passed the Free School Law, making education available to all children. Three years later, the 33rd District School opened one-half block north of this site on the east side of 2700 East Street. This tax-supported school of brick, with a small bell tower, covered porch, and its date and name embossed proudly on its front, housed an increasing student enrollment until 1910 when the larger Sherman School was constructed.