This picture is part of the collection of S.Zeni.

1906 - Winter Picture

Elsa Auwarter Bridgehouse California

Hill Top School  Taken Winter 1906 by Mrs. T. Carhire
Front Row: Ada Meiss, Hazel Freese, Leo Jennings, Olive Childers, Earl Jennings
Back Row:Ethel Freese,Elsa Auwarter, Bess Heath, Vera Meiss, Ruby
Carbine, Miss Niles, Velma Brown, Retta Carbine, Ivan Carbine, Ira Brown
This picture was labeled at "Hill Top" School on the back.

See another picture of Michigan Bar School in 1911 submitted by the Day Family

A Day in The Life At Michigan Bar (Hill Top School)¹

"I was about seven and a half at this time (1899) and as soon as I came home I started to school.  It was known as the Michigan Bar School, (sometimes we called it Hill Top).  It was set on top of a hill.  Part of this hill had been mined away and steep banks were on two sides of the grounds.  They were quite high and there was no fence at that time to keep us away from them and no one ever fell over either.  There were several pathways down the sides and the boys would sometimes jump down the steepest places.  There was a spring in a tunnel at the foot of one bank and that was our drinking water.  We had a wooden bucket and it was the janitor's duty to keep the bucket filled. There was always an open shed or barn for the horses in winter.  This school must have been very old.  I have been told it was built in 1865.  It was quite a landmark, painted white, and visible for miles.  It was torn down in 1948 and many of the old timers hated to see it go but several schools were concentrated into one and a new building built at Consumne." 

"Our school had just one large room.  There were three rows of double desks.  A large heater stood almost in the middle of the room.  In back of the main room was a sort of annex where wood was stored for fire in winter.  We had a small belfry and there hung a good-sized bell with rope attached.  This bell was used by the teacher to call us to classes or announce recess.  We also had an organ.  My first teacher, Miss Heath, could play well and we had music to march in by, also to sing songs the first thing in the morning."

"Teachers had to teach all nine grades.  The attendance was never very large.  The most children I can remember was thirty nine.  But most of the time it was much lower than that."

* The information above was submitted to Sloughhouse Area Genealogical Society by descendents of Elsa Auwarter and is presented here with permission of the Zeni family. This is for informational use only and for historical interest. No portion of this story may be copied without consent of the submitter. For information, pleasecontact Sloughhouse AGS.

¹Excerpts used with permission from: Anna Elsa Dildine's story of her life "Looking Back".