Rex Trulove
This large log cabin, ‘large’ by the standards back then, was the first schoolhouse in Fort Klamath. I’m not sure of the date of the photo, but it was probably taken in the 1880s. Even back then, this was a cattle community. This is because of the richly fertile volcanic soil and the grasses that grow on them.
Most cattle ranges average 3-5 acres per head of cattle, to sustain a herd. In Wood River Valley, the soil and grass are so fertile that they can raise two cattle per acre. I know of no other place on Earth, and certainly not in the US, that can make that claim.
The beautiful ladies in this picture are wearing mostly handmade and fashionable garb for pioneer women. Things might have been simpler back then, but they sure weren’t easier. The kids would be expected to do their chores before going to school and after school, boys and girls alike had several hours of hard manual work to do when they got home. Often, dinner was served after dark. And that was on the easy days. Kids today, or even when I grew up, wouldn’t survive. To them (and us), ‘work’ is a four-letter word.
