Jessica: How long was your school year? I know that it’s 180 now, but there must have been more time off?
Dillard: We started right after Labor Day and we always got out the last of May. Usually around May 29. Yeah, because I don’t think we had any spring vacation. But, yeah, we always got [...]

The Nisqually Valley News
September 19th, 1940
Miss Dorothy Kniffen entertained Tuesday night at the M.J. Gruber home, honoring the four nef [new] teachers. Guests were the women teachers and the faculty wives. The game of Yatchet was played throughout the evening, honors going to Mrs. O.L. Montgomery and Miss Morgan.

Nisqually Valley News
September 31st, 1940
School opens for the new year next Monday morning at 8:45. The school buses will run the same routes and schedules as at the close of school last spring. Students do not ned [need] to bring lunches for the first day. The second day of school, Tuesday, will be a [...]

The Forest School was part of the Yelm School District by 1915.  Located on the corner of 143rd SE and Vail Road the building still stands and is known as the Deschutes Grange.  From this picture one can see the closed bell tower that was always part on the small schools of the era.  Located [...]

Introduction: Chester Biesen worked as a teacher for only a short time in this area. He worked at both the Lackamas and the Yelm Schools. This short interlude as an educator was only a small part of his long and varied career.
The following material reflects only a small part of Biesen’s story. [...]

Introduction:  Here are a few scenes from the 1939 annual.  The annual was owned by Les Wilson, the class of 1941, and was provided to the “Yelm History Project” by his wife Doris Wilsonn
            The Faculty
 
            Senior Class History
 
            Seniors (Alongi-Dolan)
 
            Seniors (Hobart-Murrary)
           
            Seniors (Nelson-Stanton)
 
            Seniors (Stewart-Wilson)
 
            Senior Class Will
 
            Football
 
            Eighth Grade Class
 

Introduction:  Yelm had notable success in footbal this year.
The Team

The McCloud Brothers

Introduction:  This aerial photo from the 1940 annual was taken facing west.  Note the flat prairie surface and lack of trees.  The site of the school is now occupied by the Yelm Middle School.  Schools have been in this location over a century.

Introduction:  The following represent a few of the pages found in the 1937 YHS annual.
            Annual Cover
 
            Front Door
 
The Staff
 
            Some Seniors
 
            Girls’ Sports
 
            Eighth Grade
 
            Bus Drivers
 
            High School Picture
 
            The Depression was represented by two “gag” photos included in the annual. 
The first, entitled “Millionaires” showed students riding the rails.  The other, [...]