— Compiled by Betty Jane Wilson, society president
The 1960 Valley Falls Senior Class of graduates represented a century of progress in the city and Jefferson County schools.
In 1860, Jefferson County reported 20 school districts. Five of them were in Grasshopper Township (later Delaware Township, city of Valley Falls).
It was not until 1886 that the first high school class was graduated. It consisted of four girls — Maud Myers, Cora Cowen, Elizabeth Fox, and Nelia Hayward.
Almost six-years-old in June 1860, the Grasshopper Falls Gazette lauded the village improvements with the following:
“It is cheering to the heart of everyone identified with the interests of our section of the county, to note the enterprise which is this season being manifested in the line of buildings, fencing, painting, and beautifying of our streets and public grounds.
“Already Grasshopper Falls has an actual population of 400 to 500 persons . . . the present season has brought amongst us many more families, who are stowed away two, three and four in every house. Dwellings are rapidly going up, and many are now making arrangements to build the coming summer and fall. Three residences have been completed within the past three weeks, and eight more are at present in process of erection.
“The only church in Jefferson County looms up upon our town site, and the tones of its bell vibrate through space that has not resounded no other chime than this.
“Our large merchants’ flouring mill — our hotel arrivals are constantly increasing — our merchants are enlarging their storehouses and stocks of merchandise — our schools are constantly augmenting in numbers, and the only free bridge on Grasshopper River will be completed this summer at this place at a cost of five thousand dollars.
“These are facts which must be cheering to every faint heart and tell of the brilliant destiny before us . . .”
— an added half century begets borrowing the popular phrase, “You’ve Come a Long Way Baby.”
Daleen Senn and Mary Maxfield will be museum hosts Saturday, May 22, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free.
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