In the month of May of the year 1900, a small company of Mormon pioneers completed a journey from Utah to the Big Horn Basin in covered wagons and made a temporary tent camp on the Shoshone River south east of the present town of Byron. At that time, it seemed that the country had nothing much to offer except barren land, but the Mormon people were fulfilling a religious mission and their hearts were filled with the true spirit of pioneering that characterized the American frontier people at that time.
It was not long until small 10g cabins were replacing the tents and ground was being made ready for the planting of crops. During the first rear, the people raised a large community garden on the James Cowley farm and the next year the settlement was moved to where the present town of Byzon is now located.Here they lived like one big family, building homes, clearing land, and making future plans. Byron Sessions was made president of the colony and the town was named for him.
In 1902 the first school was built. It was a little one-room log building and there was but one book for all to use. E. I. Thomas and Eva Jensen were the first teachers.
The year 1905 brought an epidemic of typhoid fever and many died from the dread disease. There were no doctors and it was the duty of everyone to care for the sick. During this Jear, a new school was built of sandstone. It was later destroyed by fire and many of the school records were destroyed.
One of the greatest undertakings of this little group of pioneers, aided by members of the nearby settlements of Cowley and Lovell, was the building of the Sidon Canal which today still furnishes a major source of water for irrigation to northern Big Horn County. As a result of this undertaking, these communities can boast some of the finest crops in the whole state.
The first high school classes were held about 1924 and the first recorded graduation was in 1925. The graduating class consisted of two girls Jensen and La Rue Cowley.
Following the discovery of oil and the construction of wells and equipment, the school began to grow. Improvements have been made steadily since that time. The building in its original form was completed in the year 1926 and new additions have been added. The gymnasium was completed in 1936 and was remodeled in 1962.
In 1938 a new wing was added to the school which became the home of the Band, Chemistry department, Commercial department and Agriculture department. since been converted to larger quarters for the chemistry department and the commercial and Agriculture departments were moved to make way for the Kindergarten and First grade rooms. The new Agriculture building was constructed in 1951.
In 1950 the old lunch room in the basement was converted to the Commercial Room. A new Lunch Room was constructed in 1949. The Band room which was built in 1949 did not prove very satisfactory and another more modern sound-proofed one was built. This was later added to the Chemistry department quarters and a new Band room constructed in 1962 in the new addition to the school.
In 1962 a very modern addition was completed to add to our school. This contained an auditorium, swimming pool, band room and the rooms for grades two to six.
In the summer of 1963 a language laboratory was installed in the high school. The library was moved to the first floor and was sound-proofed with new ceiling and tile.
Parents, teachers, school board members, custodians, bus drivers, lunch room cooks and students all strive to make our school the very best and are proud of it.
It was not long until small 10g cabins were replacing the tents and ground was being made ready for the planting of crops. During the first rear, the people raised a large community garden on the James Cowley farm and the next year the settlement was moved to where the present town of Byzon is now located.Here they lived like one big family, building homes, clearing land, and making future plans. Byron Sessions was made president of the colony and the town was named for him.
In 1902 the first school was built. It was a little one-room log building and there was but one book for all to use. E. I. Thomas and Eva Jensen were the first teachers.
The year 1905 brought an epidemic of typhoid fever and many died from the dread disease. There were no doctors and it was the duty of everyone to care for the sick. During this Jear, a new school was built of sandstone. It was later destroyed by fire and many of the school records were destroyed.
One of the greatest undertakings of this little group of pioneers, aided by members of the nearby settlements of Cowley and Lovell, was the building of the Sidon Canal which today still furnishes a major source of water for irrigation to northern Big Horn County. As a result of this undertaking, these communities can boast some of the finest crops in the whole state.
The first high school classes were held about 1924 and the first recorded graduation was in 1925. The graduating class consisted of two girls Jensen and La Rue Cowley.
Following the discovery of oil and the construction of wells and equipment, the school began to grow. Improvements have been made steadily since that time. The building in its original form was completed in the year 1926 and new additions have been added. The gymnasium was completed in 1936 and was remodeled in 1962.
In 1938 a new wing was added to the school which became the home of the Band, Chemistry department, Commercial department and Agriculture department. since been converted to larger quarters for the chemistry department and the commercial and Agriculture departments were moved to make way for the Kindergarten and First grade rooms. The new Agriculture building was constructed in 1951.
In 1950 the old lunch room in the basement was converted to the Commercial Room. A new Lunch Room was constructed in 1949. The Band room which was built in 1949 did not prove very satisfactory and another more modern sound-proofed one was built. This was later added to the Chemistry department quarters and a new Band room constructed in 1962 in the new addition to the school.
In 1962 a very modern addition was completed to add to our school. This contained an auditorium, swimming pool, band room and the rooms for grades two to six.
In the summer of 1963 a language laboratory was installed in the high school. The library was moved to the first floor and was sound-proofed with new ceiling and tile.
Parents, teachers, school board members, custodians, bus drivers, lunch room cooks and students all strive to make our school the very best and are proud of it.