KELSEY CREEK SCHOOL




It is believed that the Kelsey Creek School District was formed in 1860, while Lake County was still a part of Napa County. The first school was held on the old Indian Knoll that became known as the Arnold Knoll.
About 1864 another larger school was built on the corner of what became the George Piner pear orchard on the Lakeport road just west of Kelsey Creek. Three Boyd brothers owned the land and donated that corner for the school site.

In 1868 the Uncle Sam School District was formed out of the Kelsey Creek District.

In about 1871 this building was torn down and the best material was moved to a location about where the Quercus Ranch road joins the County road, where another schoolhouse was built. School was held there until the present old school building was built across the road from the Fruit Exchange in 1882. This last building (which is still standing), was also known as "Hell's Bend" School for many years. It consolidated with the Kelseyville Grammar School in 1920. Mrs. Seth Rickabaugh and Lucinda Mills took up a collection from the locals to buy the bell that went on top of the school house. This was about the time the school was built in 1882.

During high water in winter, the children went to school in a building just north of the Homer Henderson residence.




Some of the Kelsey Creek School Teachers (Years unknown) -



J. P. Royall (early)
William Lane (the 1864 building)
Thomas Sleeper (the 1864 building)
William Harriman (the 1871 building?)
Amanda Ogal (taught in winter during high water)




Kelsey Creek School Graduates



1897 - Lovett Fraser

1907 - Ida McNeill,   Byrd Rowden

1909 - (Adah Stipp - Teacher)  Blanche Keithley

1911 - Crystal Rickabaugh,   Wilda Waite

1912 - Frank Brown, Seth C. Waite

1914 - Raymond Rickabaugh

1916 - Cecil Blower,   Lester Blower,   William O'Brien,   Violet Timothy

1917 - Marie Brown,   Marjorie Rickabaugh

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Last Updated 01/26/2020

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