Willow Creek School, 1874

Henry Melendy helped build the school on his ranch 15 miles south of Tres Pinos. Redwood timbers were hauled by horse cart from Santa Cruz in the early 1870s. In the early days, there were many children from the small homesteads who attended Willow Creek School. During the 1880s and by 1890 there were up to 20 children in average daily attendance.

Charlotte and Lila Melendy attended Willow Creek School as young girls and were able to provide the Historical Society with its history. Children who lived more than five miles form school came by horseback or by buggy. Children within three miles usually walked. The Melendy sisters walked the San Andreas Fault line, the shortest way.

Lila Melendy Elliott often rode "old Daisey" to school, and being too small to mount the horse in the usual manner, would kick off her shoes and "shinny" up the horses front legs. "She used the mane to pull herself up with, after stepping on the horses knee to giver her leverage. Lila was always in trouble at home, because she never knew where her shoes had been left.