MILEPOSTS #1040

By Bill Pumford, Image from ROWHS Collection

TITLE: EARLY MOUNTAIN SCHOOLS – FREDALBA: During the late 1800s and early 1900s very few schools existed in the San Bernardino Mountains. The conditions were harsh and there were not many families in the mountains. One of the earliest schools established was in Fredalba which is an area near present-day Running Springs. In 1901 a Fredalba school district was established and in 1902 enough children were living in the Fredalba area to qualify for an actual school. In 1903 the children got their school, as seen in this week’s image. In 1905 the Fredalba school was the only one in San Bernardino County that had their school year during the summer because the mountain essentially closed down during the winter. The loggers and sawmill workers operated during the summer, so Fredalba school was open between April and November. Several of Bert and Sarah Switzer’s children attended the Fredalba school – Baynard, Gertrude, and Olive. One of the most well-known early teachers was named Ada Coy. She lived in San Bernardino, graduated from high school in 1900, and graduated from Pomona College in 1904. She taught at the school for several years until she got married in 1910. The summer school term did have a two-week break in July where the children could enjoy some of the summer activities and the teachers could visit family. As with all schools, improvements did occur over time and the Fredalba school was no exception. In 1909 the school roof was replaced with a roof having a steeper pitch that allowed snow to slough off easier. In addition, new maps, chairs, and blackboards were provided by the community to support their school.

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