Elizabeth Rose Babbitt Interview, February 17, 1978

Elizabeth Babbitt speaks about her experiences growing up in rural Montana in the early 1900s, as well as her life as a school teacher traveling around Montana. She recounts her parents’ stories of how they ended up in Montana together. She remembers her young childhood, attending the Curlew School, and having to repeat a couple of grades. Babbitt also recalls her teaching career as a young woman, traveling to rural schools to teach while attending school to receive certification. She describes her childhood experiences interacting with Native Americans, riding the school wagon, and eating fresh watermelon from a neighbor’s garden. Babbitt discusses social events the school held such as Sunday school and box socials that she was not allowed to attend as a child. Her husband interjects to describe how the Curlew School was originally built next to a mine in the early 1900s, then later a new school building was constructed farther away.https://scholarworks.umt.edu/bitterrootvalley_oralhistory/1024/thumbnail.jp