The Burbank School was an independent consolidated school located in Rock Creek Township in Miner County. It was named after the famous ''plant wizard'' Luther Burbank, who was born in 1849 in Massachusetts and died in California in 1926. He was an American Botanist who developed more than 800 strains and varieties of plants during his impressive 55-year career. He is also famous (infamous?) for selling the rights to the Idaho potato for $150 to pay his fare to California.
After the school was erected, a name had to be chosen. The school was made up almost entirely of farm children and many felt that it should be named after Burbank. The school's first instructors, Mr. and Mrs. E. W. Gehring, and the school’s students sent a letter to Luther Burbank asking for permission to name the school after him. He agreed and sent an autographed photo of himself that later had its own place in the school.
The Rock Creek area’s ability to provide a high school was very important to local residents. It was difficult for area families to provide room and board elsewhere for their children and that made it nearly impossible for many of the area children to receive a high school education. The total enrollment in the fall of 1935 was 76 students -- 43 in high school and 33 in grade school. The Burbank High School yearbook, The Owl, was first published in 1936. That year, the graduating class included Dayton Ritzman, Lena Pederson, Harold Gehring, Fay Harper, Grace Gullickson and Hazel Raske.
The Burbank school had a basketball team, but it was difficult for the team to be competitive since they only had an outdoor court to practice on. In 1935, a 50- by 72-foot building was moved in to accommodate the team and the Owls won third place in the Miner County Tournament that year. They also had a skilled baseball and track team.
In 1912, Rock Creek Township residents started a literary society which developed into a community club that all members of the area participated in, giving monthly programs. The club united the citizens of the area. They discussed problems and listened to well-known speakers with their primary focus on improving the quality of their everyday lives.
Enrollment at the Burbank school began falling in the 1940s and the school eventually closed in 1965. These teachers served the Burbank school during the years it remained open:
1917-1918. Supt. Steele, Minnie Thom, Miss Molumby
1919-1920. Mr. & Mrs. G. B. Maple, Agnes Davison
1920-1921. Mr. & Mrs. G. B. Maple, Marie Seaton
1921-1922. Mr. & Mrs. Klaude D. Dick, Marie Seaton
1922-1923. Mr. & Mrs. L. W. Connely, Marie Seaton
1923-1924. Mr. & Mrs. L. W. Connely, Myrtle Fisher
1924-1925. A. E. Hackett, Myrtle Fisher
1926-1927. J. W. Fisher, Mabel Willard, Eva Hummel
1927-1928. J. W. Fisher, Elizabeth Garvis, Eva Hummel
1928-1931. J. W. Fisher, Elta Fisher, Eva Hummel
1931-1932. Clement Molumby, Victor Larson, Eva Hummel
1932-1933. Clement Molumby, N. C. Staley, Eva Hummel
1933-1934. Clement Molumby, Mr. & Mrs. N. C. Staley, Eva Hummel
1934-1935. Clement Molumby, Eva Hummel
1936-1947. Ada Gehring and several other teachers taught during this period. However, no records are available on the other teachers during this time frame.
1948-1949 Lura Thomas, Elizabeth Hofer
1949-1950 Elizabeth Hofer
1950-1951 Maude Zietschel
1951-1952 Geraldine Gates
1952-1953 Florence Bengsten
1953-1955 Ida Burke
1955-1956 Roy Case
1956-1958 Irma Peterson
1958-1964 Leona Bailey
1964-1965 Luella Siegel
-Written by Justice Forster, originally printed in the Miner County Pioneer.
After the school was erected, a name had to be chosen. The school was made up almost entirely of farm children and many felt that it should be named after Burbank. The school's first instructors, Mr. and Mrs. E. W. Gehring, and the school’s students sent a letter to Luther Burbank asking for permission to name the school after him. He agreed and sent an autographed photo of himself that later had its own place in the school.
The Rock Creek area’s ability to provide a high school was very important to local residents. It was difficult for area families to provide room and board elsewhere for their children and that made it nearly impossible for many of the area children to receive a high school education. The total enrollment in the fall of 1935 was 76 students -- 43 in high school and 33 in grade school. The Burbank High School yearbook, The Owl, was first published in 1936. That year, the graduating class included Dayton Ritzman, Lena Pederson, Harold Gehring, Fay Harper, Grace Gullickson and Hazel Raske.
The Burbank school had a basketball team, but it was difficult for the team to be competitive since they only had an outdoor court to practice on. In 1935, a 50- by 72-foot building was moved in to accommodate the team and the Owls won third place in the Miner County Tournament that year. They also had a skilled baseball and track team.
In 1912, Rock Creek Township residents started a literary society which developed into a community club that all members of the area participated in, giving monthly programs. The club united the citizens of the area. They discussed problems and listened to well-known speakers with their primary focus on improving the quality of their everyday lives.
Enrollment at the Burbank school began falling in the 1940s and the school eventually closed in 1965. These teachers served the Burbank school during the years it remained open:
1917-1918. Supt. Steele, Minnie Thom, Miss Molumby
1919-1920. Mr. & Mrs. G. B. Maple, Agnes Davison
1920-1921. Mr. & Mrs. G. B. Maple, Marie Seaton
1921-1922. Mr. & Mrs. Klaude D. Dick, Marie Seaton
1922-1923. Mr. & Mrs. L. W. Connely, Marie Seaton
1923-1924. Mr. & Mrs. L. W. Connely, Myrtle Fisher
1924-1925. A. E. Hackett, Myrtle Fisher
1926-1927. J. W. Fisher, Mabel Willard, Eva Hummel
1927-1928. J. W. Fisher, Elizabeth Garvis, Eva Hummel
1928-1931. J. W. Fisher, Elta Fisher, Eva Hummel
1931-1932. Clement Molumby, Victor Larson, Eva Hummel
1932-1933. Clement Molumby, N. C. Staley, Eva Hummel
1933-1934. Clement Molumby, Mr. & Mrs. N. C. Staley, Eva Hummel
1934-1935. Clement Molumby, Eva Hummel
1936-1947. Ada Gehring and several other teachers taught during this period. However, no records are available on the other teachers during this time frame.
1948-1949 Lura Thomas, Elizabeth Hofer
1949-1950 Elizabeth Hofer
1950-1951 Maude Zietschel
1951-1952 Geraldine Gates
1952-1953 Florence Bengsten
1953-1955 Ida Burke
1955-1956 Roy Case
1956-1958 Irma Peterson
1958-1964 Leona Bailey
1964-1965 Luella Siegel
-Written by Justice Forster, originally printed in the Miner County Pioneer.