Final two plaques bring schools together

A pillar of rock in front of Lake Roosevelt Schools memorializes the evolution of the community, now displaying plaques to recognize two more schools that went before.

A dedication ceremony in front of Lake Roosevelt Schools June 22 unveiled plaques to memorialize the contributions and achievements of Mason City and Nespelem High Schools, which would later be consolidated into Coulee Dam High School.

The first plaque on the basalt column, added in 2017, remembers the Grand Coulee Tigers, whose alumni raised funds for the pillar and their plaque, hoping more would follow.

A Coulee Dam Beavers plaque was added in 2019.

Last Saturday, the final two pre-LR commemoratives completed the column of history.

Mason City High School was the first high school in Coulee Dam and existed from 1935 to 1947.

In 1947, the school was renamed Coulee Dam High School, which existed until 1971 when it was consolidated with Grand Coulee High School to form Lake Roosevelt High School.

James Bickford, a Mason City High School graduate from the 1945 class, was present at the ceremony Saturday, as were early graduates from Coulee Dam High School, including Connie Babler (class of 1952) and Lynne Petretee (class of 1951).

A little-known fact is that the high school commencement address to the first Mason City High School graduating class in June 1936 (of nine students) was given by then-Washington State Governor Clarence D. Martin.

The dedication and unveiling ceremony for the Nespelem High School plaque included a prayer by Colville tribal elder Soy Redthunder and brief statements by Colville tribal elder Wendell George and Nespelem High School graduate and tribal elder Charlie Moses. Nespelem High School existed from 1935 to 1956, when it was consolidated with Coulee Dam High School. The last Nespelem High School class graduated in May 1956.