in a school, children would receive closer individual attention. The greatest objection which seemed to out weigh excessive costs involved, was the matter of hauling small beginners in some instances for miles to and from school in all kinds of weather. The story of consolidation of schools had its beginning before the momentous move became a reality. The plan intended to improve our school system was conceived after much deliberation on the part of prominent educators. However, before definite action could be taken to institute it, considerable preliminary work had to be done. Members of the county commission vested with the power to make final decisions in matters involving interests of county people, did not unanimously favor the plan and lacked authority to act on a matter of such far-reaching importance until empowered by statute. William N. Petterson, prominent educator who served the county as super intendant of schools for twelve years, was one of the principals in framing the consolidation plan and principal leader in the fight for its adoption. In an interview with Mr. Petterson, he informed the writer that he personally spent considerable time lobbying at the legislature where he presented the plan to the Senate committee on education. His convincing argument with the support of a close friend, Milton H. Welling, an influential member of the committee, won the approval of that body which was instrumental in getting a law passed which empowered county commissions to consolidate schools and provide for election of a Board of Education consisting of five members selected to represent the various sections of the county. The county commission at the time was composed of William Wilson, a long-time sawmill operator and original owner of the Hermitage, an old established resort in Ogden Canyon; Oscar B. Madsen, owner and manager of the Model Dairy at west twelfth Street, Ogden; and Joseph Stanford a citizen of Pleasant View. Two members of the commission, Messrs. Madsen and Stanford, favored consolidation and Mr. Wilson opposed it. The plan was adopted by a split vote. Members elected to serve on the first Board of Education after consolidation became effective were: B.F. Blaylock from North Ogden, who represented Pleasant View, North Ogden, and Harrisville. Joseph Carver of Plain City represented his hometown, Farr West, Slaterville, and Warren. The other three districts which included Wilson, Burch Creek, Uintah, and South Weber located in the southeast part of the county, Hooper, West Weber, Kanesville, Taylor, Riverdale, and Roy in the southwest pant, and the three communities of Ogden Valley, Huntsville, Eden, and Liberty were represented respectively by Frank Stratford of Wilson, Antone Christensen of Hooper, and John Hall of Huntsville School in Slaterville, as those elsewhere in the county, was conducted during years past and up until the advent of the century, under direction of local Board of Trustees, which in most cases, were composed of three members who had power by a majority vote in making decisions in matters pertaining to hiring or expelling a teacher, fixing scale of salaries to be paid, or expenditure of money for general school purposes. As a means of facilitating efficiency and improving school activities in general, -74- an office of superintendent of schols was vreated at county level sometime during the 1880's. Duty of the superintendent, who at first was referred to as supervisor, was practically the same as that of superintendents of schools today, work in conjunction with Board of Trustees, make periodic overall visits to schools, introduce new and improved methods of teaching, prescribe textbooks to be used, etc. The first superintendent, as far as can be determined, was a man named Mosiah Hall, who lived in Huntsville. It is understood that only four men held that position from the time that phase of the school system was inaugurated, until consolidation of schools five years after the beginning of the century. Following Mr. Hall, these men were superintendent: Joseph Peery, Barlow Wilson, and U.N. Petterson, who also served some time after consolidation. Under the system, the following men served: Ben Fowler, Bateman, T.R. Bell, William R. Boren, and Leland Burningham. Among contributors to accomplishments in various fields of endeavor in this enlightened age are men and women who became qualified in mathematics, language, history, geography, reading, writing, and spelling, underlying fundamentals of a sound education acquired during the last half of the nineteenth century. Today's modern system of educaton has been expanded to include research and study in the fields of arts and sciences, automations, invention, technology, and many others, which all will agree, is commendable; but claims that athletic performances: football, basketball, baseball, tennis, bowling, swimming, track, and other field sports, stressed to the extreme they are today, are indispensible to a sound program of education, is questionable in the minds of many. Modern standards of ethics that prevail, particularily in our higher institutions of learning today, many believe, fall far below human practices that prevailed in similar institutions yeans ago. Regardless of how brilliant or apt a boy or girl may be, if they lack financial backing to keep abreast with so-called high standards in dress and style and sport a costly convertible, they find themselves ostracized by higher classmen from participating in social functions of the school. After the year 1940, the Slaterville School was not attended because of the consolidation. The children were transported to many different schools in the county until Walquist School was finished. For several years grade school students attended this school, but then other county schools were provided and the Slaterville students (grade) went to Plain City School. The Walquist School provided junior high grades and Weber High School is the place the students go for the tenth, eleventh, and twelfth grades. Recently Pioneer grade school was built and Slaterville students now attend this school. (See Fig 7- 14,15,16,&17.)