The Bighorn Academy
In Cowley

The Latter-Day Saints have always believed in the importance of education. Wherever they have settled they made building of schools a first priority. The Mormons had hardly finished putting up their own log cabins when they started planning for their schools. They built a large stone grade school dedicated in 1909, then began construction of a high school building. It was to be church-supported and called The Bighorn Acadamy. The first classes of this academy-to-be met in the grade school building while construction proceeded.

Though the Mormon Church supplied the actual money required to build and equip the facility, by far the major portion of the project was accomplished with donated labor, expertise, aqnd machines which were quite primitive by modern standards. The building was completed in 1916.

Its program was essentially that of a high school although in the context of that time, it was thought of, almost, as a college. Students came to the Academy from a wide area to live and board, somewhat as students leave home today for higher education.

The Academy was operated as a church school until 1924 when its facilities and responsibilities were transferred to the Cowley School District thereafter known as the Cowley High School.

During its life as the Big Horn Academy 178 students graduated from the school.