Puyallup Indian School facts for kids

The Puyallup Indian School was a special kind of school run by the government in Washington State. It was open from 1860 until July 1, 1920. Later, it was renamed the Cushman Indian School. This school was located in Tacoma, Washington, near where East 29th Street and Portland Avenue meet today.

The main goal of schools like the Puyallup Indian School was to make Native American children live and act like white Americans. This was part of a bigger plan by the US government to change Native American cultures.

What Was the Puyallup Indian School?

The Puyallup Indian School was built on the land of the Puyallup Tribe. The US government set aside a large piece of land, almost 600 acres, just for the school, a farm, and other buildings.

The school started as a small, one-room building. It grew bigger twice, first in 1873 and again in 1898. After the 1873 expansion, it had workshops for things like carpentry and blacksmithing. The 1898 expansion allowed more students to come from all over the Pacific Northwest and Alaska.

Why Children Were Sent to the School

Many children were forced to go to these schools. Sometimes, government agents would physically take children from their homes. Other times, parents might not get payments or goods they were promised if their children didn't attend. For example, Billy Frank Jr.'s father, William "Billy" Frank, said that in 1880, an agent took him from his home to make him go to the school.

It was hard to keep students at the school all the time. Sickness was a big problem on reservations, especially for children. Records from the 1880s show that there were only half as many children as there were families, partly because of these illnesses.

In 1888, another school called St. George's Industrial School opened nearby. It was a Catholic school that also focused on teaching skills.

Students at the Puyallup Indian School had to wear a uniform. It included a blue jersey and military-style caps.

Important People at the School

Henry Sicade's Story

Henry Sicade was a student at the Puyallup Indian School from 1873 to 1880. He was related to important Native American leaders, including Leschi (Nisqually). Because of the difficult times he had at the school, Henry later helped create the Fife Public Schools. These schools offered a different kind of education for Native American children in the area. Henry Sicade remembered that the food at the school was usually cornmeal mush, bread, and molasses.

Edwin L. Chalcraft's Experiments

Edwin L. Chalcraft was the school's superintendent from 1889 to 1894. He wrote down many things about his time there.

Chalcraft tried out some interesting ideas with the students. One idea started on May 5, 1892. He noticed the school uniforms looked like army uniforms. So, he decided to let the boys try to govern themselves like a military group. He gave them ranks like captain, sergeants, and corporals. The higher-ranked boys were in charge of the others during chores and free time. If someone broke a rule, they would have a "court martial." Chalcraft oversaw these meetings with the "captain" and other "officers." He thought this idea worked well and kept it going until he left in 1894.

His second idea was a way for students to report others without anyone knowing who told. The school had a library that wasn't watched very closely. Chalcraft noticed children were playing there instead of reading. To fix this, he put up a board with cards that had student names on them. If a student saw someone misusing the room, they would take that student's card and bring it to Chalcraft's desk. If your card was missing, you had to go to Chalcraft's office to get it back.

Robert H. Milroy's Views

Robert H. Milroy was in charge of Indian Affairs in Washington Territory from 1872 to 1885. He had been a soldier before this job. Milroy strongly believed that schools like the Puyallup Indian School were meant to make Native American children fit into white society. He often argued with Congress to get money to keep these schools open. He said that closing the schools would "stop the machinery of civilization." He also believed the schools helped "stop raising generations of worthless and costly savages."

Sickness at the School

The Puyallup Indian School often faced serious illnesses. In 1882, a measles outbreak forced the school to close for a time.

In the winter of 1917–1918, students brought measles back to school after Christmas break. A month later, meningitis spread. A student named Edward Long died from it on January 31. Two more students died that year: Leon Boncheau from pneumonia and Isabel Law from heart problems.

In October 1918, a flu outbreak caused the school to go into quarantine. This meant no one could leave or enter, and it made it hard to hire more staff. The school's hospital only had 45 beds, one doctor, and one nurse. The first student to die from the flu was Celestine Pichette on October 19. He had run away to Seattle and was brought back, unknowingly bringing the virus with him. Two more students, Frank Tom and Alice La Fleur, died on October 24. Alice had been seen by the school doctor, who thought she only had a common cold.

On October 26, Thomas Curlew and Mary Kowoosh also died. The superintendent, Hammond, sent Mary's body to her mother and asked her to pay for the shipping. More students, Joseph Simpson, Ernest Crofoot, and Raymond Hoebucket, died in November and December. Raymond was buried in the school's cemetery.

The quarantine ended in December, but students were not allowed to go home for Christmas. Instead, the school had a turkey dinner, games, and a movie.

Another wave of flu hit the school in February 1919. This led to a second quarantine that lasted for eight weeks, ending on March 15.

What Students Learned

The main goal of the school's education was "vocational training." This meant teaching students practical skills for jobs. The idea was to remove Native American culture and make them part of American culture.

Boys and girls learned different things. Girls focused on skills for the home, like cooking, cleaning, sewing, and other household chores. In the 1880s, money for Indian schools was cut. So, the work done by students, especially girls, helped the schools save money.

The Cushman Indian School Era

In 1908, the Office of Indian Affairs tried to close the school because not many students were attending. But a congressman from Washington State, Francis N. Cushman, stepped in. He argued that the school was good for the local economy.

In 1910, the school was renamed the Cushman Indian School in his honor. It continued to focus on vocational and industrial training. Boys learned gardening, carpentry, machine shop work, blacksmithing, engineering, and plumbing. Girls continued to focus on domestic studies like cooking, cleaning, ironing, sewing, and general housekeeping.

Some students and former students from the school served in the military during WWI in France. The war made things difficult for the school. Students left to take higher-paying jobs in lumber and shipyards to help with the war effort. Prices also went up, and staff left for better-paying jobs. The remaining staff had to do more work to cover for those who left.

Why the School Closed

The school finally closed on July 1, 1920. One big reason was that fewer and fewer students were attending. Many children ran away from the school in its last few years:

• 1916-1917 school year: 22 students ran away
• 1917-1918 school year: 31 students ran away
• 1918-1919 school year: 73 students ran away
• 1919-1920 school year: 10 students ran away

The flu outbreaks, not enough staff, and pressure from the government to spend less money all played a part in the school closing for good. Any students who were orphans were sent to the Chemawa Indian School in Salem, Oregon.

What Happened Next: Cushman Indian Hospital

After the school closed in 1920, the buildings were used as the Cushman Indian Hospital. It served as a hospital until the 1960s.