Remember When?

50 YEARS AGO • MARCH 27, 1969

PLAINS SCHOOL READY

Students of grades seven through 12 will move into the new Plains junior-senior high school Friday to begin classes Monday in the new structure which replaces the old high school building erected in 1909. While most classes for the top six grades will be in the new structure, they will continue to spend part of their school day in the old plant. Music, shop and physical education classes will continue to be taught in the old structure, since the new building was erected without a new gym, music room or manual training facilities.

A feature of the new building is a sunken library with carpet on the floor and open on three sides to the adjacent halls. Carpeting is used to provide a quieter atmosphere for the students and reduce floor maintenance costs and time.

The new school contains 18 teaching stations. The east portion of the building will house the junior high students and the center and western half the high school classes.

The structure cost $430,000. The district will spend another $30,000 for remodeling work in the old plant.

The gym, music and shop portions of the original building plan were eliminated when voters turned down a larger bond issue. Sentiment among many Plains parents now is that they wished the new structure included these facilities.

RICHARDSON – McELDERY VOWS TRADED

In a candlelight ceremony Wednesday evening in St. James Catholic Church in Plains, Miss Kathleen Marie Richardson, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Carl Richardson, was married to David John McEldery, son of Mr. and Mrs. Richard McEldery of Dillon. The Rev. John Hunthausen celebrated the nuptial mass in a double-ring ceremony with Mrs. David McClenahan, organist, and Mrs. Richard Cole, vocalist. Both are aunts of the bride.

Baskets of yellow chrysanthemums and white gladioli adorned with rainbow ribbons decorated the church.

A floor-length gown of white silk organdy featuring long, tapered sleeves and a high neckline was the bride’s choice for her wedding. Many rows of tiny white daisies decorated the dress. The veil was of imported silk illusion with a headpiece of seed pearls and lace. Her bouquet was a crescent of seven white orchids.

Valerie Brackett, cousin of the bride was maid of honor and Karen Miller, Karlyn Krudde and Susan McEldery were bridesmaids. Jody Cole, cousin of the bride, was flower girl and Tommy McEldery, brother of the groom was the ring bearer.

Andrew Weydt was best man. Ushers were Jerry Nelson, Peter Welliver and Stephen Schumauch.

Mrs. McEldery was graduated form Plains High School and is a sophomore at Montana State University. She was a former Miss Sanders County.

McEldery was graduated from Beaverhead County high school in Dillon and is a junior at MSU majoring in geology.

Congratulations Kathy and Dave McEldery on your 50th wedding anniversary.

PURE MAPLE SYRUP A NEW PRODUCT AT TROUT CREEK

Pure maple syrup, made from Montana bush maple trees on Tuscor Creek is being made by Bill and Elizabeth Page.

It takes 30 gallons of sap tapped from the large bush maples found along Tuscor Creek which flows through the Page ranch west of Trout Creek to make one gallon of syrup.

The Pages make the syrup as a hobby because they enjoy it.

After drilling a hole about one-half inch in diameter from one-half to three-quarters of an inch deep in the trunk of a bush maple, Bill inserts a hollow plug and attaches a bucket to the plug. The sap starts immediately to flow out of the hollow plug and drips into the bucket.

The sap is watery and slightly sweet.

He empties the sap buckets daily, storing the liquid in cream cans until enough is gathered to start boiling it.

It takes a lot of boiling. Initially, the Pages boil the raw sap in a big kettle hung over an open fire in their backyard. Later, to complete the boiling process, Elizabeth takes the smaller amount remaining into the house and boils it on her electric range.

If the sap is not boiled long enough it will turn into vinegar, explained Page. If it is cooked too long it turns into sugar. They keep tasting the syrup and checking its consistency to determine when it is done.

The finished product has a clear, amber color and a delightful, sweet maple flavor.

Page learned about tapping maple trees and making maple syrup as a boy in Ohio, where he grew up. He notes that the Indians showed the Pilgrims how to make maple syrup.

Bill collects about three gallons a day from each bush maple tree. The sap runs as long as the weather warms up in the daytime and drops below freezing at night. As nights get warmer, the sap goes toward making leaves and ceases to flow.

The Pages use their tasty syrup on ice cream, hot cakes and bread. Nothing is added to the sap, so their product is pure. And delicious.