Over the years the school was a big part of the community. During the 1920's it was also the Union Sunday School. A Mr. Peacock was the minister. In the late 1930's and early 1940's the Juvenile Grange met there on Friday nights while the adults met in the Grange Hall. Many basketball games and baseball games were played there after school and in the Summer.
The more things change, the more they stay the same. The tradition of the Christmas programs and plays and the picnics at the end of school were carried on from the very beginning to the very end of York's history.
All of the teachers commented about the wonderful cooperation and support from the parents. Notations in the records testified to this over the years. Teachers were either liked or disliked, but they were always respected.
There were uncounted advantages for having a community school. Children could run away from school and still not be far from home. Some children even ran away from home because they couldn't wait to go to school. The teachers were part of the community and knew the backgrounds of the children and their families. Several families in the York area had three generations attend York School: Meppen/Weber, Seyfert, Moir, Hughes, Sykes/Smith, and Weise.
The York School is still owned by School District 91 and is being used by the Idaho Migrant Council in the Summer. About 75 children attend school there. From 1975 through 1980 it was used an a school for trainable, mentally handicapped children.
I want to thank everyone who helped with this history: those who sent in their questionnaires, the many people I talked to on the phone, Nita Rowe for getting it started and searching records, my daughter, Lynn, for editing and typing the "good copy", my husband, Gordon, for historic accuracy, and the Reunion Committee listed below.
compiled and written by Karen Moir,
June 28, 1986
Nita (Smith) Rowe,
Joe and Marge (George) Junk,
Frank and Gerri Smith,
Bob and Bonnijean George,
Glen and Gayle (Miller) Eiman,
Gordon and Karen Moir