Our History
The Slaghts - Shawnee School
In 1897 the Slaghts School was built about a half mile from Shawnee on Park County Road #64 which at that time was the only road between Bailey and Shawnee. Because Shawnee had become a more prominent community, the name was changed to Shawnee School in 1899.
This one room school contained grades one through eight. The enrollment ranged from two students to about fifteen. It was used continuously until 1943 when it was closed and then reopened in 1946 for two years. Because state laws mandated consolidation of the small schools, the Shawnee School was closed in 1948.
In 1949 the Deer Creek School was the only school in the area. It had a total of three teachers and 61 students. In 1950 the Platte Canyon School District was organized.
The building remained at its original site until 1953 when it was moved next to the Community Center in Shawnee. It was then used for Sunday school. In 1983 the Park County Historical Society moved the school to its present location.
This school is a good example of the many one-room schools which were in this area from the late 1890's until the 1940's. The rectangular building with tall narrow windows, a front gable, and narrow boards for the siding were typical features of these one-room schools. 
Children in a one-room school did much of their learning independently. It was not unusual for the older students to help teach the younger ones. The younger students also had the advantage of hearing the older ones recite.
Many values and traditions, which made up our heritage' were taught by teachers in isolated communities. From the 1870's until the 1940's the one room school was an important part in the settling of the west.