Chief Joseph Middle School (504 Wilson, Richland, Washington 99352), built in 1951, was named for the son of Old Joseph, veteran of the Washington Territory Indian Wars of the 1850's and chief of the Nez Perce Indians. Old Joseph's successor, Chief Joseph, became the most famous Indian general in U.S. history. He lived from 1840 to 1904. Resisting a fraudulently obtained treaty in which the Indians had supposedly ceded their homelands to the U.S, government, the Nez Perce Tribe, under Chief Joseph, was pursued a thousand miles by U.S. troops. In 1877 Joseph led his whole tribe of warriors, women, children and elders, across a wintry West, evading capture until he was intercepted only 30 miles from the presumed safety of Canada. Chief Joseph School in Richland was closed in 1983 because of enrollment decline. For awhile, the building was used as an alternative high school and the auditorium opened for public performances. Operating costs forced its total closure in 1987. The doors were opened again in 1994 for the new Chief Joseph Middle School....(excerpt from Chief Joseph Middle School Yearbook, 1994-1995)

After a 12.9 million dollar rebuild, Chief Joseph Middle School is a modern school for the 21st Century and reopened in the fall of 1994...with approximately 570 students in grades 6 through 8....Enrollment for 2001-2002 is 710 students.

Our school is completely networked for 147 computers (E-mail, library access, etc.), networked for building-wide video, and we even have telephones on every teachers desk.... Needless to say, all of our teachers are volunteers....

Using all this new technology has been great for students.... They are learning skills that will be considered essential for leading a productive life....Students are so excited about having the technology to create our own in-house electronic magazine, Team Lightning Magazine , enabling the sharing of their writing throughout the school. Now, through the World Wide Web, they can share with the outside world . (Samples of students' writing efforts are available on this site. We will be updating the magazine frequently... so check it out often.)

E-mail comments and suggestions concerning this page to:
Allen Quinton Moulthrop aqm@oneworld.owt.com

Last updated: 10-Nov-01

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