50 years ago

The former Hubbard school house five miles north of Colfax on Highway 195 was struck by fire Sunday. Much of the roof section of the building and the east end were damaged by the blaze which started from grass burning in the area.

Built in 1882, the building was used as a school until 1942. It has been used as a meeting and polling center for several years since.

Volunteer firemen from Colfax and Steptoe received the alarm at about 10 a.m. and were able to salvage the building. Del Mitchell, Steptoe volunteer, said the fire started in the southeast corner of the building. Bud Ackerman, who resides next door, was burning off the grass around the building when the structure caught fire.

Firefighters had to dig through layers of roofing on the vintage building to douse the stubborn blaze. Holes were cut in each end of the roof, Mitchell said. He estimated 2700 gallons were poured on the fire by two trucks and their tanker units.

A small shed near the building also caught fire but the blaze was quickly doused.

The building was one of the last of the one-room school houses standing in the county. First term at the school had 50 pupils with ages varying from 5 to 21 years. The largest class in the building was 75 pupils, according to Beulah Ray.

Sophia Delegans was teacher when the school closed in 1942. Six pupils were enrolled, including John and Joan Brindle; Marvin, Marion, Floyd and Carl Ray.