Building on the future

Powdery particles of soil sifted through the air Friday afternoon, as school officials broke ground on the Summerland school project.

Summerland Board Committee members, along with original boards of education from Clearwater, Ewing and Orchard, each tossed a shovel full of earth to commemorate the occasion, while practicing social distancing measures throughout the ceremony.

Dirt work on the site, situated at the intersection of 513 Avenue and Summerland Road, began nearly six weeks ago.

History of the land

It's entirely possible Wilbert Napier experienced similar conditions - bouts of severe dust and strong, whipping winds - when he farmed the same piece of land during the Dust Bowl.

His father, John M. Napier, homesteaded part of the land, and on April 9, 1923, Wilbert, purchased the ground.

He and his wife, Bessie (Carson), built a home there and raised five children: Ila (Napier) Harpster, Alfred, John, Richard and Russell.

The five siblings attended Frenchtown country school, situated approximately one and one-half miles south of the current Summerland site. They attended high school in Ewing.

Eventually, Wilbert's son, John, joined the family business, raising cattle and hogs, until Wilbert decided to retire in the 1960s.

John continued to the run the farm - dubbed Napier Acres - and was joined by his son, Bob and his wife, Marie.

They lived in the 1930s original farm house until 2016, when they constructed a new home a short distance down Summerland Road.

Their son, Josh, now resides on the farmstead.

"It's cool," said Russell, who resides in Lincoln. "The land and home have been passed down for four generations."

Russell said he never intended to sell any of the property.

And then, the Summerland project gained traction, after more than 60 years of chatter.

Russell said Superintendent Dale Martin approached him about potential purchase of the land.

Three of the four corner lots at the intersection were appraised and the potential location was narrowed to two spots.

Napier said he and his family made the decision to sell the property to the Summerland district for construction of a new school, which passed in a November 2019 bond issue.

"Our kids - all of them - thought it would be a great idea," he said. "It was the right cause."

Three of the family members are educators and supported the decision.

"We felt it was something my parents would have liked and been supportive of," Russell said. "It will provide a better education and offer a wider curriculum."

Members of the Napier family have served on the Ewing school board over the last 50 years.

Several of those family members were part of talks about the formation of a cornfield school district.

"We were just all glad it happened," he said.

Members of Russell's immediate family were not able to attend Friday's groundbreaking ceremony, but three members of Bob's family viewed the event.

Russell said he keeps abreast of the progress via media and social media posts.

Still, it's not like seeing it in person.

He, along with family members, try to visit Ewing whenever possible.

Once the school building is complete, the urgency to return to his roots may take a different meaning.

"We'll certainly try to (get back)," he said. "Seeing the completed school is on our bucket list."