Yesterday, this marvelous photograph of the Teachers’ Institute, September 1-6, 1902 was posted on the Pacific County Historical Society’s facebook page. It was labeled “Oysterville” and Keith Cox tagged me, asking if I could identify the setting more specifically. I couldn’t. Neither could Tucker. But I do have a related story…
Some of the names were written on the back of the photo, though they are not matched up to the individuals pictured. One name called out to me: Mrs. L. A. Loomis. I doubt very much if she was teaching in 1902. More likely the Institute included a luncheon for all Pacific County teachers and former teachers. (Those pictured here probably number many more than all the teachers in the county at that time.)
My story about Mrs. Loomis begins in the late spring of 1869. My great-grandfather, Robert Espy, and his friend Lewis Loomis were both on the Oysterville School Board and they were going to need a teacher for the following school year. (Felicia Brown who had held the position for the 1868-1869 year had taken a position elsewhere.)
So, in the Spring of 1869, Loomis and Espy journeyed to the Normal School at the University of Salem (now Willamette University) to interview young graduates who might be interested in the job. They chose Miss Julia Jefferson. She was 18 years old, was graduating with honors, and was the prettiest young lady in her class.
In Oysterville, she managed the school, grades one through eight (sometimes numbering 50 students), with a firm hand and boarded at the Stevens Hotel. Two of the Stevens girls who were near her age were not at all pleased with the attention Julia received throughout the year from Robert Espy. He was, after all, one of the most eligible bachelors in town and they felt that, as long-time neighbors, they should have proprietary rights.
When Robert proposed to Julia, she agreed to a late summer wedding and the Oysterville School was again without a teacher. Again, Robert and Lewis journeyed to Salem to interview prospective teachers and again they chose the prettiest and brightest member of the graduating class: Miss Louise Glover. The following summer Louise married Lewis, becoming Mrs. L.A. Loomis.
End of story. Except that the teacher who was hired next was an Oysterville woman, Harriet Wing…