Glen Grove School



Glen Grove, known as District 6, was the first school on west Plum Creek. First classes in the area were held in the upstairs of Benjamin Quick's home and taught by  Miss. Mollie Boon. Early sessions were also held in a log cabin on Spring Creek and in the back of the cook’s shack at Cantril’s Sawmill. The first school building, circa 1868, was 12 x 15 feet, with one window on the east and west sides and a door on the south side and became mobile whenever the school population shifted. Originally the school was located south of George Robinson's place on the east side of the road. In 1871 it was moved to the bank along the creek above John Cantril's house and in 1876 moved again to below the John Kinner place east of the George Nickson ranch. During those times a school session began in April and ended in August to avoid traveling in bad weather since students came from as far away as seven miles.

By 1880 the building needed repair and was replaced after a bull snake came in and crawled across one student's foot. Legend has it that Benjamin Quick paid a man a pint of whisky to burn it down.  Mr. Quick then donated land for a permanent location and a new school was built on the bank along the creek near Cantril's Sawmill. This frame building burned down May 17, 1909 when a brush fire got out of control.

After the fire, school was held in a cottage on the Quick property until the district could collect enough funds to build another school. The Record Journal on June 17, 1910 advertised for bids to build a brick or cement block school house. A contract was let to Ben Saunders on July 30, 1910 in the amount of $650 for the construction of the new school building.

One teacher, Mrs. Nell Billings Elting, recalled several stories about Benjamin Quick for the book ‘Just Reminiscing by Charles A. Nixon’. She stated that: "Mr. Quick did not approve of an organ [for the school.] When I asked him to donate for it - he snorted - 'Hell's Bells! No! We hired you to teach those kids the three R's, not to sing to them!' I replied, 'I am teaching them the three R's and I'm not going to sing to them but with them.” After attending  a program the school gave he  decided to donate $10.00 toward the $40 organ.


Mrs. Lizzie Wiley taught at the school in 1903.

Like many one room school teachers, Miss Billings (Mrs. Elting) was paid $25 monthly and lived with families for two weeks at a time. While living with Ben Quick she helped with farm chores, including hauling hay when necessary and was particularly appreciated when she helped bring in the crops before a storm. After that "he thought I was tops."

Throughout its history, Glen Grove School had between 15 and 40 students at a time, but by the late 1940's, the population of the school had dwindled to four or five. In 1951 the school was consolidated with Castle Rock District 38 and Larkspur District 15 by a vote of the residents and the students were sent to those schools.

The building is now a barn on private property and is included in the Bear Canyon Agricultural District and was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.

Courtesy of Larkspur Historical Society, Josephine Marr, Douglas County Historic Resources Map Appendix April 1990.

updated 10/2010