Cokeville’s Rural Schools
From 1908 to 1918, homesteaders claimed large portions of the valley, and the school system struggled to educate the student-aged children in the outlying areas. But in the ensuing years, “many who had come seeking good farms were disillusioned by crop failures and inadequate water rights and abandoned or sold their claims to stockmen who were eager to enlarge their holdings,” according to Errol Jack Lloyd.
As families vacated rural areas, the school system struggled. One term a report listed twelve children; the following year all of the families had moved out. Lloyd continues, ”Though it’s difficult to determine the exact number of rural schools that were operating at any given time, the number seemed to peak at eight in 1919. That year schools operated at South Border, North Border, Lower Sage, Sublet (Bennion), Beckwith, Smiths Fork, Upper Sage and Brookside.”
As families moved out, Lloyd continues, “a number of the rural school buildings were sold or converted to other uses.” The old Branson schoolhouse, where Mary Diamond taught school, has found new life as Cokeville’s newest air BnB. It was “moved to Beckwith to Border to Sage.” After buying it in the 1940s or 50s, Ross Thornock moved the schoolhouse to town. His cabinets and countertops were built lower than normal, since he was quite short. After Ross’ death, his daughter, Louise Dayton, sold the house to Mr. Swazy, a high school band teacher. In the 1970s Teddy and Judy Brooks bought the house.
Tricia Brooks, their daughter-in-law, a very determined individual, writes, “I take life by the horns and often take matters into my own hands. I make things happen…(I’ve) been accused of being a mover and a shaker. I am a “pull yourself up by your bootstraps” kind of girl. I believe that we can control our destiny and that we are solely in charge of making sure our life is what we want it to be.I also know that your thinking will alter your destiny.”
After being diagnosed with cancer of the neck and face in 2019, Tricia became frustrated at not being able to find resources to help her and her young daughter, Sara, deal with the day-to-day issues cancer treatment presented. She launched a website called canceringwithconfidence.org, which lists resources and positive reinforcement for those with cancer and their caregivers. After being released from her cancer treatments, Tricia and Sara, then 12, decided they needed a challenge. Together they knew they possessed the skills, and determination to tackle a big project. After deciding to convert the old schoolhouse into a beautiful air BnB, they planned every detail of the job. And then they went to work.
Making every decision together, the mother-and-daughter team has tastefully remodeled the building’s interior and the historic old building is now guest-ready. The remodeling isn’t totally completed- the exterior, still a little rough, is progressing nicely.
Visit the charming The Schoolhouse Inn at 440 Sage St. in Cokeville soon. You’ll experience relaxing, memorable memories…and you can see for yourself what two very determined females can do when they set their minds to do something.
Sources: History of Cokeville, Wyoming, by Errol Jack Lloyd, a thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in History, Utah State University, Logan, Utah 1970; Wikipedia searches September 2024; Wyoming Place Names, by Mae Urbanek, Mountain Press Publishing Company, Missoula, Montana, copyright 1988, 4th Printing, May 2004; canceringwithconfidence.org 2024.
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