View source for Pine Hills School



Published: Wed, 11/20/2013 - 3:42pm | Section:
By Amorette Allison 

Back in 1893, the state took a large section of ground east of Miles City to establish what was then known as a “reform school.” It was for juveniles who committed crimes, as well as children who were homeless or came from homes where their parents couldn’t take care of them.

In fact, there are records of juveniles who requested to be placed in Pine Hills, so they could be fed and cared for.

In the early days, what we usually refer to simply as “Pine Hills” had both male and female inmates. In addition to being a school, students at Pine Hills were expected to learn a trade. This is why the name “Industrial School” came into use in later years. Students were taught an industrial trade.

When girls were in attendance, they were taught to cook, sew, make butter and soap and other helpful household skills that were expected of young women in 19th-century America. The uniforms worn by the students were made by the students, as were the shoes. 

Pine Hills, in its early days, was nearly self supporting. The farm around the school raised dairy cattle, beef cattle and all the vegetables the students ate. The boys were taught farming, blacksmithing, carpentry and shoe-making, all useful skills.

For the most part, everything that was eaten at Pine Hills was raised at Pine Hills. If there was excess, it was sold to help pay for the institution.

The school was separate from the town to the extent that it had its own cemetery. The first person buried there was George Buchanan, who had been admitted October 3, 1896 and died November 6 of the same year. Since Alice Bell, who had been admitted on March 31, 1896, died on November 26, 1896, it is possible there was an epidemic of one of the childhood illnesses that have for the most part been eliminated.

While they were kept separate, after a few years, it was decided that the female population should be housed in its own facility. They moved out around 1902 and Pine Hills has been just for young men ever since.

When Pine Hills first opened, students were up at 5:30 a.m. and kept working or in classes all day, retiring at eight o’clock at night. Today, student activities begin at 6:15 a.m., so there hasn’t been much change there. The students’ time is scheduled for the 16 hours a day they are awake.

While some programs have changed, Pine Hills still has a fully accredited high school. 

While the agricultural programs faded out of use for a number of years, they are starting to come back, with students participating in 4-H and raising vegetables, flowers and corn in a specially designed facility on site.

While most of the early-day buildings that once sat elegantly on the far east end of Main Street are gone, some to fire, some simply to becoming too old to be functional, a large dairy barn and a building that served as a gymnasium, theater and chapel remain from the early 20th century.

The cemetery also still survives. The last student to be buried there died in 1934. There were no markers, but through the efforts of the Rev. Leslie Payne, who was chaplain at Pine Hills in the 1970s, a stone listing all the names of those interred was placed on the fenced-off area.

Some things have changed at Pine Hills Youth Correctional Facility in the long years since it first opened, but some things haven’t. It is still “Pine Hills” to most of us, and it is still a place where young men get a second chance to put their life to right.

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Pine Hills School was established in March of 1893 with the signing of House Bill #184 by the Governor of Montana, the Honorable J.E. Rickards. At the time, the school was some two miles east of Miles City. Now Miles City has grown to include the school as part of it's eastern edge. The school began as the Montana State Reform School, so named because it was beleived that the duty of the school was to "reform" the juveniles sent there. The Superintendent's report to the Governor for the year 1900 notes that "We realize that this institution is not maintained for punishment, restraint, or limitation of privileges; but for reformation and the cultivation and development of the good lying dormant in the boys' and girls' natures."

The State Reform School was the first building and institution built under the newly formed State of Montana. A man from Lewis and Clark county had introduced the bill providing for the State Reform School; but he was so careless in writing it that he forgot to mention a place for it's existence. There were very few sites proposed for the Reform School because most towns were more interested in institutions such as the agricultural college. Miles City representitives put up quite a fight for the agricultural college too, but the other representatives felt that the Miles City area was not suitable for growing anything. This theory was to be disputed not only by farmers of the area, but also by the school itself.

The Yellowstone Journal noted in it's March 15, 1894 issue that the Miles City representatives wanted a state institution so badly, that "...a spasm of generosity swept over the house, and its members, counseling among themselves, said 'Let us throw this Reform School bone to the Miles City dog, who is growling at our heels, and so shut his mouth." Upon passing of the bill giving the Reform School to Miles City, a $25,000 appropriation was passed to allow for the start of the school.

On March 1, 1893, the Governor signed Senate Bill No. 4, commonly known as the Reform School Law, and in four weeks appointed Miles citizens J.W. Strevell, C.R. Middleton, and H.B. Wiley as the first set of trustees of the school. On April 1, the trustees took their offices, and filed a bond of $10,000 each for performance of their duties. Quite a hefty sum for those days.

Over the next year, the board of tustees had spent $24,000 for a building, complete with three floors, wiring and lights, an artesian well with enough pressure to serve the school, a 20X24 foot barn with 14 foot walls, and a contract with the ditch company had been signed for water for irrigating purposes. These expenditures left the board woth only $1,000 to run the school. According to the Yellowstone Journal, loans totaling $12,000 were taken out to support the school until another appropriation could be made by the House of Representatives. The First National Bank of Miles City loaned the state one quarter of the money, and the banks from the Helena area loaned the rest. On January 22, 1894, A.J. Hylton, Assistant Superintendent of the boys' reformatory at Plainfield, Indiana was name Director of the Reform School, and reported for duty some ten days later.

Over the course of the next few months, finishing touches were added to the building, and plans began for the dedication ceremonies that were to take place in March. According to the Yellowstone Journal, the building was drawing attention from passers by, and "People began to point with pride to Montana's first state building..." noting "It (was) not fancy in design, but (was) built for durability, comfort, and convenience."

The governor signed his proclamation formally declaring the Montana Reform School open for inmates on March 14, 1894. And on March 15, the State Reform School was dedicated to the people of the state in grand fashion. The Miles City Chamber of Commerce planned the event, which included such important speakers as the Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Mr. J.W. Strevell, and the Governor himself. Even though the day was anything but nice; having the typical Eastern Montana winter of rain, snow, and mud, about 260 people arrived to take in such talents as the Fort Keogh fourteen piece band and the Billings male quartet. The dedication was well received, and the Journal noted that "Prof. Reichardt's orchestra amused them with dancing until the roosters began to crow - a fitting end to the greatest of Miles City's events."

On April 15, 1894, the first student arrived at the school. It was expected, according to the 1900 Superintendent's report, that the school have no unactive boys and girls because it was felt "The old adage was never more true than now, 'Satan finds some mischief still for idle hands to do.'" It was also noted in the report that the school supplied "for the boys' and girls' tireless energy, a proper channel for it's development and use." To accomplish this goal, the students were employed in various duties to help with the management of the farm, caring for the buildings and grounds, and the "domestic labor" of the school. A large portion of the boys were kept busy during the spring and summer months planting, hoeing, and caring for the crops; also handling and caring for livestock. The boys also got practical work in laundry, boiler house, and kitchen.

The girls were kept busy with the task of making all their own and the boys' clothing and keeping them in repair. The girls did all the cooking for the Director and Matron, lady officers and themselves. The girls' work was changed each month to allow them to learn a wide variety of tasks designed to help them in society after they were released. In March of 1920, a vocational school for girls was started outside Helena. Now named Mountain View School, the school only housed girls, and the last girl was transferred from the Reform School on Fegruary 11, 1921.

In 1900, the school had 100 acres of land, and in the Superintendent's report, the school was asking for the purchase of 40 more acres. The land was put to good use to raise vegetables, fruit, and cattle for meat. The school usually raised enough food for their own consumption during the year. The land also contained an orchard, which the report stated was "In a healthy condition, gooseberry, currant and raspberry bushes enough to furnish goodly supply of fruit."

To keep up with academics, the boys would go to school in the morning hours, and the girls in the afternoon. When not in school during the day, the students would work at their assigned jobs on campus. In 1945, the school joined the Montana High School Association, and membership obtained in the District 4 Class "C" competition. Troop #46 of the Boy Scouts was also started at this time. In the mid 1970's the scholl quit competing in 4-"C" copetition due to problems of having a full team the whole season with boys being released all the time.

Over the years, the school has had many name changes also. Starting out as the Reform School, in 1935 the name was changed to the State Industrial School to reflect the training received there. In the 1950's the name was changed to Pine Hills School.