Miss Mary M. Maroney sat at her desk to fill out the end of the year report. It had been a good year of teaching in Vail. Twenty two 1st – 6th grade students were enrolled. Often only 18 were in attendance. The report to the Pima County Superintendent had so many questions to answer. She had to report that the local School Trustees: S.G. Wagner, A.C. Duffy and J.J. Synn had not visited the school at all during the 1913-1914 year. The County Superintendent had only stopped by once for 15 minutes. She was proud to report that the library had 25 volumes, and that she had kept the State School Register up to date.
Vail students and teacher, c1910. Likely not Miss Mary M. Marony, but the class of 1913, which would have had some of the same students. Baker Collection, Vail Preservation Society.
She had to be honest and report that even though the school had sufficient grounds, was large enough at 30 X 20 feet with a 10 foot ceiling, and a good supply of water from the Southern Pacific Railroad, it was not supplied with suitable furniture and had insufficient apparatus. How was she to instruct the pupils in the sciences effectively without proper apparatus? The Vail School did, however, have two good water closets and plenty of ventilation with six windows and one door. Mary earned 75 cents a month and had been able to put a little aside. Vail was very small, but she would probably stay another year.
The families were hard working and friendly, many of them worked for the railroad, for ranchers or for the Tattersfields at Rancho del Lago. There was always work on that large farming operation. It was easy to catch train #9 at the Vail Station to go into Tucson once a month to do her shopping and visit friends. Yes, she would come back in September to teach again in Vail. Hopefully the Trustees would order the apparatus the school needed over the summer.
Save the Date and FYI
Oct. 29th, 2016 2nd Annual COBB Team Corn Hole & Horse Show Showdown
Dec. 3rd, 2016 8th Annual ‘Tis the Season
The Vail Artist & Artisan Cooperative steering committee is making great organizational progress developing the guiding documents and vision for the new group. Information about how to get involved and how to participate in the 8th “‘Tis the Season” event will be coming soon.
