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Building today

Building c. 1925

School room c. 1920

Construction on the Hanford High School began in 1916 and was dedicated in 1917. For the time, it was a forward looking design and incorporated art deco design elements. According to eye witness accounts, its gym had the nicest hardwood flooring around.

After the government took over the town of Hanford, this building was used for government functions for a few years. Sometime later, it was used for SWAT-team practice drills, which nearly destroyed the entire building. Today, it is merely a shell.

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George McConnachie always used to tell a story about lemon pies and Indians. He would start out by saying, "My wife, she makes a very fine lemon pie." The lemon extract used for these pies came from his store. The local Indian wives in the area also made lemon pies from the extract. However, seeing as how the lemon extract was 98% alcohol, the Indians also took to drinking it. Mr. McConnachie was a very religious man and decided to stop selling the extract when he saw how it was being used.

George McConnachie was born the 30th of August, 1864 in Harriston, Minto Township, in Ontario, Canada. He was named for his mother's grandfather, George Innes. His parents were John McConachie and Elspet Sellar who had immigrated to Canada in September of 1856 from Banffshire, Scotland. They selected a piece of timber land that was almost a wilderness at that time. His father cleared the land of trees and used them to build a log cabin house.

George married Jane "Jennie" Maria Wilkinson Bond on the 8th of March, 1893 in Elkmount Township, Grand Forks, Dakota at his brother Will's farm. Will McConnachie had been one of the three first white men to live on land in Elkmount in 1881.

George was a merchant in Walhalla Valley, North Dakota, from 1890 till he moved to Hanford in about 1908 with his brother Alexander, and his family. George resided in Hanford until 1943 when the Government shut the town down.

George was a graduate from Guelph Business College in Ontario, Canada.  He immigrated to the Dakotas in 1890 and applied for naturalization. He attended the Presbyterian Church all his life and didn't miss a Sunday until two weeks before he death in March 1956 in Torrance, Los Angeles, CA.

Thanks to Carol Becker, George McConnachie's granddaughter, for providing this information and George's family photograph. Carol can be reached at CARBECKER@worldnet.att.net