Once-in-a-Lifetime Opportunity to Own an Iconic Piece of Jackson Hole’s History. PRICE
SOUTH PARK 1896, WILSON, WY
$33,500,000 120
ACRES
Step into a piece of Jackson Hole’s history with this remarkable 120-acre property, available for the first time in 128 years. Originally homesteaded by early pioneers Sylvester and Mary Wilson, this land is rich in heritage and offers an unparalleled opportunity for the discerning buyer. In November 1889, Sylvester and Mary, alongside leader Nick Wilson and their party, spent two arduous weeks cutting trees and building a rudimentary trail to descend the modern-day Teton Pass. Their arrival in what is now Wilson, WY, doubled the population of the area, which was only 28 people at the time. This property is part of the original homestead, divided now into three deeded properties of 40 acres. This iconic property remains in the family to this day and is used for cattle grazing and hay production, preserving its rich agricultural legacy. The property features stunning, unobstructed views of the majestic Teton Range, making it an ideal location for multiple home sites. A seasonal irrigation ditch runs through the property, enhancing its agricultural potential and adding to its natural beauty. Located just a 10-minute drive from the Town Square, this unique property offers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to own an iconic piece of Jackson Hole’s history.
School House History
The South Park School House
The first school in Jackson Hole was held in the log home of early pioneer Sylvester Wilson in 1894. The next year, Sylvester sold enough cattle at the market in Opal, WY, to hire a teacher from Laramie, Wyoming. He applied to Uinta County (prior to the founding of Teton County) to obtain permission for a school. Early residents pitched in to cut logs for the new schoolhouse, and pioneer Stephen Leek sawed the lumber for its roof at his sawmill. Due to an Indian scare that year, the school was built up to the square but not completed. Sylvester died on August 2, 1895, and never saw the school completed. Later that year, they received word from Uinta County that School District #37 was approved, and Sylvester’s son, Ervin, and his wife Mary Jane donated the land for the new school on their South Park Ranch.
The inaugural class consisted of 16 students in the summer of 1896. Because Uinta County was low on funds to support the school, each father built a bench and desk for each of his children. Students recall taking notes with slates and slate pencils since books and paper were hard to obtain. Each lesson was prepared on the slate and then erased before the next lesson.
Nate Wilson, born in 1896, wrote in his historical notes that the schoolhouse “was about three-quarters of a mile from our home, and my brother, Joy, and I carried our lunches in five-pound lard or syrup pails. We had a point that we agreed upon as the halfway mark. One would carry the pail to that point and not one step farther.”
Eldridge Robertson, born in 1899, recalls: “Our drinking water was carried in a bucket from a nearby stream, and a dipper was used for drinking. A handbell was used to call the school to order. Our lunches were sandwiches made of homemade bread with elk meat and milk, carried in a Union Leader tobacco pail with wire handles. The girls wore homemade long dresses, braided hair, and laced or buttoned high-topped shoes. Discipline was an important factor in education at that time.”
More than one of the students remembers the discipline they received at the end of a ruler. The schoolhouse windows were built high so that the children could not see out of them while sitting at their desks. When a horse and carriage came by – or any welcome distraction from their studies – they would have to stand up to see outside. This behavior would usually result in a rap on the knuckles by the teacher’s ruler.
Although the first few years only held summer sessions of school, winter terms were added in 1900. Children remember riding in deep snow and blizzards, sometimes as much as five miles by horseback. The schoolhouse was heated by a large wood stove in the center of the room, and each child took turns stoking the fire for warmth.
The schoolhouse served multiple purposes beyond just learning. When school was not in session, the building was often used for community dances, social gatherings, and even church services. 1907 was the last year school was held in the cabin, and Mary Jane Wilson Lucas purchased the property from the school district. The schoolhouse stood completely intact for 82 years. Finally, in 1978, a heavy snow load collapsed the roof, leaving only the outside walls in place. Today, you can still see the standing remains of Jackson Hole’s first schoolhouse 128 years later.
JACKSON HOLE’S FIRST SCHOOL HOUSE
Unobstructed Views of the Teton Range
Divided into Three 40-acre Deeded Parcels.
Seasonal Irrigation Ditch
Rich in Heritage
10 Minutes from Town Square
Ideal for Multiple Home Sites
Family History
In 1889 the Wilson-Cheney company left ID and set out across Teton Pass. The arduous journey lasted two weeks, and the group eventually landed in what is now Wilson, WY. The group had cut trees and established a rudimentary road for the wagons over Teton Pass. The Wilson-Cheney party, including leaders Nick Wilson as well as Sylvester and Mary Wilson, husband and wife, was the first group of settlers to bring women, children and wagons over Teton Pass into the Valley, which at the time had a population of only 28 individuals. The Wilson-Cheney party more than doubled that population.
Sylvester and Mary homesteaded land in Jackson Hole, which eventually included the 120 acres in South Park.
The first cemetery above the South Park property was established in 1891 with the deaths of two of Sylvester’s grandchildren, Sarah (12) and Joseph (10) from diphtheria.
Sylvester applied for permission to start a school in 1894, and construction of the schoolhouse, the remains of which are still on the property today, began soon thereafter. Sylvester’s son Ervin donated the land for the site of the school. The schoolhouse was completed and permission granted in 1896, yet Sylvester, who had promised the school to his wife Mary, died in 1895 before it was finished. Ervin died in 1897, survived by his wife Mary Wilson. The school operated at the site until 1907.
The first 4th of July Celebration in Jackson Hole at South Park, in the year 1890.
WYOMING | TAX FRIENDLY STATE
Wyoming reigns as one of America’s most wealth and tax-friendly states. Discover why owning a piece of Jackson Hole Real Estate could be a smart purchase.
There are plenty of reasons to be thankful for owning in Jackson Hole, Wyoming: the mountains, the rivers, two national parks, three ski resorts, art galleries, restaurants, a charming Western-style downtown, and a close-knit, philanthropic-minded and fun-loving community. As enviable as our lifestyle is here, reality does intrude occasionally, as it does with taxes. But even in this area, we as Wyoming residents are better off than most. After all, Wyoming has been cited by Bloomberg Wealth Management magazine as the most tax friendly state in the county.
