The Mariposa Sentinel, Fall 1973 issue contains the second place Junior Historian's essay Contest Winner- The article is written by a then 18 year old Wendy Pearson, born in Chowchilla later moving and completing school in Mariposa. Her article is titled Segregation...99 years ago. This story tells of a court trial ensuing when a young Indian boy tried to enroll in the Sebastopol School. It is the year 1874, August. James BUTLER takes his son, James BUTLER, Jr... to the Sebastopol School house in the Sebastopol School District. T.S. SHAW, is the teacher in charge, and was approached by Mr. Butler for admission of his son to the school. SHAW refused admission of BUTLER, Jr., into the school and gave as the reason- he was not a white person, being partly o f Indian descent. In response to this, BUTLER filed a complaint, August 19th, 1874 against SHAW. BUTLER, 41, who along with his Indian wife, Catharine, and his children, owned a mining claim in the Sebastopol District on the Chowchilla River near BROWN's house and store. Presently (1973) this would place the Butler residence near what has been known as the Roscoe BOWER place, on Indian Peak Road. BUTLER, a native of Ireland, was naturalized in the Mariposa County Court on August 6, 1866. SHAW was charged by law with the authority and duty, as the teacher , to admit to instruction and all benefits and advantages of the school, equally, all children residents of the district and entitled to admission to the common school of the State of California. California at this time had Reservation Schools for Indian children, however there were no Reservation schools in Mariposa. There was only the one school in the district at this time, Sebastopol, (Bootjack area)and it was an ungraded school. The Court found that: James BUTLER, Jr.., the minor child of the plaintiff was on the 10th day of August 1874, was and still is, entitled to be admitted to the public school of Sebastopol School District and that the refusal of the child as alleged in the complaint, was against the law. SHAW was commanded to admit James BUTLER, Jr.., immediately and to provide him all the rights, benefits and privileges of the public school. Judge CORCORAN's decision resulted in all Indian children in Mariposa County to be admitted to the public schools. ========= Carolyn