Original New River School Marker

Historical Significance:
The New River Community began as a ranching community during territorial days. Amos LaFayette and Della Essary came to the area in the late 1800s. When Homestead Land became available in 1932 their son, Bill Essary, obtained land that his parents had originally settled. The New River School opened in their living room in 1934 with 13 students. The county promised and provided a teacher, moved a building to the property for the students, and provided a Teacherage building to house the teacher; this Teacherage is the building now present at the monument. The first teacher was Miss Horner. The Essary family is named on the monument to represent all the early families.

The school has been the center of this community. In addition to classes for the children from first through eighth grades, the school has also hosted many community social events and even Sunday worship services.

This monument, fittingly, is located on the grounds of the New River School, next to the historic Teacherage Building, the only remaining building of the original New River School. Children from the school picked rocks from the school grounds to fill the monument. Also on site is a time capsule, placed by the students in 2000, to be opened in 2050. The marker reads, “In Honor of Amos Lafayette “Fate” and Della Essary and all the Early Settlers of New River, Arizona / Ocotillo Chapter National Society Daughters of the American Revolution 2017.”

Other schools with DAR markers include:

Oldest schoolhouse in Arizona, in the town of Strawberry

Scottsdale Grammar School #1, the Little Red Schoolhouse

Scottsdale Grammar School #2

Dedicated:
October 7, 2017

Sponsor:
Ocotillo Chapter, NSDAR