Downey, from its earliest days has been blessed with outstanding leaders of its educational systems. Maude Price and Edith Unsworth come immediately to mind. Mary Foy, an influential force in the fight for suffrage, the Women’s Movement and the California Progressive Movement, once taught at Alameda. And on a more dismal note, the notorious "Baron of Arizona," James Addison Reavis, once taught at Gallatin.
As noted in a previous column, the town school was Downey Grammar School, where in 1915 Charles W. Mills served as principal. His teaching staff was made up of Phoebe Combs, Angie W. Davis, Nina Gibbs, Dorothy Ardis, Ollie Hutchinson, Mabel Kelley, Elsie Lafferty and Gladys Grant.
Austin A. Newbold became principal in 1916 and Agnes Maye joined the faculty. In 1917 Dottie Clifford, Alice Nelson, Juanita Bowen, Hermione Nava and Mayme Holcomb Robertsons are listed as faculty, and in 1918 the names of Ethyl Reynard, Sybel Howdyshall, Ruth Eveland and Ivy Nettlehorst appear as teachers.
In 1919 Rufus N. Hatch becomes principal.
In 1923 Spencer V. Williams became principal. He served 23 years until 1946 when Joe Glenn Coss took over.
At the historic old Alameda School District, one of the most famous names among the early teachers was that of Mary Foy, who later became famed as a fighter for Women’s Rights and suffrage and the Progressive Movement in California. She taught her in the late 1880s and early 1890s.
Charles N. Ganyon was a principal and teacher at Alameda in 1920. His staff was made up of Mildred Van Dam and Geneva Williams.
In 1926 Elbert Warren Ward became the principal at Alameda. Other names listed that year include Elsie Lafferty Vrooman, Katherine Woessner, T.C. Ball and E.L. Johnson.
Ward retired as Alameda superintendent in 1955 and Mr. Pace took over. Of all the elementary districts, Alameda grew to become the largest.
At Gallatin School to the north, perhaps the most infamous educator was James Addison Reavis, who arrived here in 1875 and served as principal and teacher at Gallatin for two years. While here he apparently plotted the bogus land claim he later lodged as "The Baron of Arizona." He actually had the U.S. government and big business such as the railroads considering buying him out until study proved his documentation fraudulent.
But Reavis’s two years as educator did not destroy Gallatin. It thrived after Reavis left. There was one teacher in 1928, R.H. St. John. In 1929 two were listed, Dorothy Weaver and Mary Belle White. In fact, a Gallatin was so small that in those early times sit was called "the little private school." From 1937 to 1942, Gallatin’s faculty was made up of Maude Price and Edith Unsworth. Price became principal in 1944. Her faculty consisted of Unsworth, H.L. Kerr and C.M. Gunderson.
Gallatin’s staff consisted of only three until 1952 when developers began bulldozing the orange groves.
Records for the Old River District are sketchy, but show Roland Adams as principal and superintendent in 1943. He administered a faculty of 13. These included Agnes Brown, Winnie Comstock, Mrs. Erickson, Mrs Cope, Mrs. Shaeffer, Mrs. Hogan, Mrs. West, Miss Jamieson and Mrs. Payton.
Of the Downey High School District, A.D. Hoerschell was principal in 1916. His staff included John Bryson, Mary L. Hinton, Gladys Grant, T.O. Rinker, Alexandra Fay, Clara Bleumberg, Betsy F. Lull and J.A. Schwanenburg.
In 1919, the principal's job at the high school was assumed by Joseph Templeton. Names on the faculty included George H. Ball, Edward Waller, Alexander Fay, Esther Hedstrom, Ruth Grant, Helen Herdey, Lenora Bloomfield and Winifred Doolan.
Frank Otto succeeded as superintendent, serving for several years. He was followed by C.C. Carpenter. When Carpenter moved up to the County Office of Education about 1942, William Walker became superintendent.