Cora Statton found herself on her way by train to Mondak in the year 1909. She was on her way to Montana to take over a homestead located next to her Uncle Bryon Stratton’s homestead. Stratton had a neighbor homesteader who had decided not to prove up, and it was decided Cora would take over this homestead when her term of teaching was up in South Dakota.

Because of a delay in Mondak, Cora had to find her own way to Fairview. She finally found a ride to the ferry, and then a ride to Fairview with two men of the Eastman family, who were hauling lumber to their homestead. They left Cora at the Richardson home where Mrs. Richardson often took in travelers.

The next morning, George “Shorty” Otis took Cora out to the Stratton home where she lived until her home was built. Stratton took Cora to the Ridgelawn land office where she filed on a quarter of land. She was now a homesteader. During the summer of 1909, Stratton made arrangements to have a 10- by 12-foot shack built and a well dug for Cora. The first night alone in her shack found Cora with a revolver and a Bible by her side on the table by her bed.

Since there was no schoolhouse in Fairview, Stratton contacted the Fairview School Board, which consisted of John Mohrherr, Andrew Foss and Mr. Bureau and discussed the building of a schoolhouse. There had been school the year before in a building which later became the Nazarene Church. Also previously, local children went to grade school in East Fairview, and most of the town was located in that area and adjacent to State Street.

That summer, the first schoolhouse of Fairview was built. It was a small one-room white building located on Montana Avenue, behind the back of Maxsons and Billington Pool Hall and Jack Benoit General Store. Cora became the first teacher. The first term in the new building began in September. Although it was within the village of Fairview, it was the usual school with grades from one to eight inclusive.

During the year there was an enrollment of at least 30 pupils with an average attendance of about 20. The pupils ranged from the two little ones who had never been to school before and who spoke only French to the ones who were nearly as large as the teacher.

Mr. Hillman came from South Dakota on May 24, 1910, and filed on a half section next to Cora’s land. They were married in Canova, S.D., in 1912.

The enrollment steadily increased year after year, necessitating the construction of the grade building in 1915, using the bricks from the Slater brick factory. A school site was acquired in the southwest part of town and a three-story grade school building was constructed by the district. On Friday March 3, 1916, Fairview’s new schoolhouse was dedicated with appropriate exercises and a big crowd. The speakers of the occasion made admirable addresses appealing to everyone interested in educational work. All the preparations and arrangements were made by Prof. Fox assisted by a committee composed of Mayor Newlon, Warren Maxson, Emil Johnsgaard and Carl Berry. The first superintendent or principal of the school was listed in past records only as Professor Fox.

Warren Maxson, on behalf of the Maxson Co., presented the flag to the school and delivered an address in patriotism and educational inspiration. He talked about the flag and what the stars and stripes stood for. Hon. E. C. Hicks gave the dedicatory address. He talked about the purpose of educating the children and developing their minds in order to become useful men and women.

The little white schoolhouse behind Maxson’s store was later moved to the new school grounds between the grade school and high school and used for storage for many years. In the mid 1930s it was converted to a manual training shop. The building was dismantled around 1941.

Again, with the increasing of students, the construction of a high school was in 1920, in the adjacent lot to the grade school. In 1951, two more new buildings were erected. The gymnasium and vo-ag building was added to the school grounds.

In early years, marble tournaments were the “big happenings” in grade school. It was noted in 1941, Fred Aguilar was first prize winner in a 65-student match with more than 200 game tournaments. The entry fee was set at 2 cents, and the prize was … who knows – probably a super-dooper king-size steelie.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Information compiled from Courage Enough and the Fairview Times.