Valencia History
The History of Valencia School
The first school in Aptos was not Valencia School. The first schools were in Aptos Village but there was a school named "Valencia Town School which operated on Valencia School Road (formerly Bella Road) from ____ to about 1930).
John Hibble's History of the Early Schools of Aptos fairly summarizes the period until the present Valencia Elementary campus was built in 1928-1929. In the 1920s Mrs. J. C. Spencer was writing an occasional column in the Watsonville Evening Pajaronian newspaper. The list below was obtained from John Hibble of the Aptos Historical Museum.
1866-1877 1898 1915 |
1st school in Aptos - a private one in a home Alumni Association formed by Miss Ida Duncan Reading club organized by Mrs. Adella G. Haynes |
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List of all
the Aptos Schools through 1934 handwritten by Mrs. J. C.
Spencer in 1934. She was once the Postmaster. |
| "The site of the first public school in Aptos was donated by Don Vicente Castro. The grounds were a poor excuse for recreational purposes. Our recreation consisted mainly of baseball. The girls were often joined with us in the sport. Our ball ground was opposite this building on the north.” |  |
The first one room
school house in Aptos was built in 1871, just off what was
then a county road. The location is now 7
At the right is a photo of the original Valencia School. The building no longer exists. It served the logging town of Valencia and was located at the top of Valencia School Road, between Valencia Road and Trout Gulch Road, near Fern Flat. It ceased to operate about the time that Aptos Elementary School was built on Aptos School Road in 1928. The school building no longer exists. Does anyone know the identity of the man standing in front of the school?
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Aptos Elementary 1899-1928
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Photo of Soquel Drive about 1919
with Aptos School in left center. Rancho del Mar Shopping
Center was later constructed on the land on right side of photo. |
May 1,
1915.
When an unexpected shower turned the field to slick mud,
one by one the cars slid into the fence.
The
second Aptos School is clearly visible in the back-ground,
but the only building
in this photo remaining is the white home to the left of the
school in the right center of the photo. |
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| Aptos Elementary after bell tower was constructed | Aptos Elementary School. Top of bell tower is just visible above roof. |
"As for the site of this (Aptos) Hall, the site and building were donated by Claus Spreckels in 1889. The easterly one-half was built by C. D. Folsom, a contractor from Santa Cruz. Some years later the westerly section was erected by A. W. Wyman of Soquel. Permission to erect building on lands of Spreckels without a deed was given.”
“As for sanitation, the, school was poorly equipped from a sanitary standpoint. The lavatories were of the Chic Sale type. We had no running water. Water was carried in pails from Dave Rice's home about 200 yards distant. A detail of boys would carry water for one week. We drank water from pails, one dipper for the boys and one for the girls. Hand basins were used for washing. We had roller towels laundried once a week.”
Aptos Elementary School 1899-1928
Between 1928 and 1968, there was no Valencia School. The Valencia District merged with Aptos about 1928 and students attending Valencia School were moved to Aptos Elementary in Aptos and the School ceased to be used. Not until 1968 was the Valencia name was revived at the site of the present junior high school. In 1978, Valencia Elementary was relocated to its present location at the former Aptos Elementary School on Aptos School Road.
Aptos Elementary School 1928-1968
Aerial Photo of Valencia School today
Molly Smith's G.A.T.E. writing project, "The History of Valencia School" is found by clicking on the link.
Oral Histories
Paul
D. Johnston, community member inviolved in selection of
Valencia site on Aptos School Road.
Noel Paddon, Valencia Town
School student 1927-28; Aptos Elementary School Student, 1928-1934.
Merle Stark Kleinhammer, Aptos
Elementary Student, 1946-49.
Carolyn Swift,
Aptos Elementary School Student,
1952-60.
Jim Baker,
Valencia School Principal, 1968-71 (at Aptos Jr. High campus)
Caryn Capitola Lane, Valencia
student ________, Valencia Elementary teacher _________.
Karen Richmond, Valencia
student ________, Valencia Elementary teacher _________.
Ann Soldo, Principal Aptos Junior
High School (on Valencia campus) 1969-??)
George Beattie, Principal of Aptos Elementary School 1949-??
Newspaper Articles
2/8/1951.— J.
C. Spencer, Aptos Resident 70 Years, Tells of Early Days. SC
Sentinel News
July 30, 1985 — Ralph Mattison,
Aptos Union School District Trustee, Watsonville Register-Pajaronian
July 5, 1999 --- Ralph Mattison Obituary, by Dan
White, SC Sentinel