In the beginning Pleasant View children would go to school in North Ogden until Susan Mower Cragun said her house could be used for school and that she would teach. She set up a class up an area in her house that was preiously designated for home school. Her son, Wilford, was one of her pupils. After hearing about a closer option other children from the area joined in this humble school. I’m sure those that lived in Pleasant View were over-joyed at the thought of their children not having to walk so far to school each day. I assume they also appreciated the extra time they had for the kids to do chores. Susan taught from her house for several years.
After the school enrollment increased the need for more teachers was evident, William Godfrey was asked to help. He taught school in a log room belonging to Simeon Cragun. The room consisted of two small windows and a fireplace . Benches were made of slabs with pegs for legs, and a long board about 18 inches wide and slanted, along one side of the room. Also on pegs put into holes bored into the wall was a six inch board on the level for slates and pencils. The pupils took turns at the desk. The second school, a brick one, was much improved.
“We taught school in North Ogden the first summer we were married. In 1868 we bought bricks from Andrew Miller and built the first brick house in what is now Pleasant View. The second school was located about 3450 N. on 1000 West. The winter of 1869, William taught school in our new home. My mother, wife of Dr. Ezra Williams, helped William teach school in 1870. Godfrey received molasses, flour, potatoes and other such items as pay for teaching.”
School was also held in James Rice’s cabin for children living in the Pole Patch area. In 1890 a red brick one-room school was erected close by for them. A large spring hammer bell was rung to announce the beginning of the school day. Frank Pierce, William Crandall, Jessie Reed, and Thomas Budge served as teachers in one or more of the Pole Patch schools.
(This article was published in the Pleasant View Connection magazine. We were misinformed and took a picture of the Jensen house calling it the Cragun school. Though the pictures of the old school is similar to the Jensen home, they are not the same. The old school is no longer standing. We apologize for making this error.)