The Truxton Canyon Training School was completed in 1903. It was built along the old Beale wagon trail (which later became Route 66). It was part of a federal program to assimilate Native American children. It had been operating a couple years in smaller buildings before the school house was completed. Federal policy mandated attendance. For the children half of the day would be involved in school work. For the other half the boys were involved in learning trades and producing things which could be sold which supplemented the budget for the school. The young women were involved in learning domestic chores. The school is located 15 miles West of Peach Springs--Tribal headquarters of the Hualapai reservation. Even though the school is somewhat close to the reservation, it was a boarding school and students were forced to leave their homes and reservations to attend. Lessons were in English and students were not allowed to speak their native languages. Students' hair was cut upon arrival and their clothes burned. They were given American names. Curriculum was of a militaristic style with marches to class, and falling in to stand at attention. School life involved hard work and was traumatic for the kids. Some of the young women would adopt younger children and thus they became a makeshift family. Living in close quarters there was some spread of disease, including measles, influenza and tuberculosis. Eventually children from other reservations were sent to the school. This included Apache, Havasupai, Hopi, Pima, Papago Yavapai and Navajo. At its peak the school accommodated 300 children, It closed in 1937, shortly after a day school was opened in Peach Springs. It is now owned by the Hualapai Tribal Nation. It is currently closed to the public and plans are unclear for the future of the school. The dormitory and the teacher-age were torn down and brick used for the construction of Mojave County Museum in Kingman.
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| old picture from internet |
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| rest are pictures I took of the area. There once were a dozen buildings, but now only the two-story school house remains. |
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| This is BIA offices in the area. |
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