New Book Chronicles 150+ Years of Bridgeville’s Beloved School

Press release from the Press at Cal Poly Humboldt:

 Bridgeville Elementary: A Big History of a Small School by Virginia Howard Mullan has just been rereleased by The Press at Cal Poly Humboldt with an all new layout. This sweeping local history preserves the legacy of one of Humboldt County’s most storied schools, covering its journey from a one-room schoolhouse in 1866 to the modern campus of 2023.

Part of The What Remains Series, this richly illustrated volume captures more than a century and a half of teachers, students, families, and community members who shaped the Bridgeville School experience. Howard Mullan, who herself taught at Bridgeville for 31 years, blends meticulous research with vivid storytelling, weaving together school rosters, photographs, personal anecdotes, and archival discoveries into a living portrait of education in rural Northern California.

The book also highlights pivotal events in Bridgeville’s history, such as the devastating 1978 fire that destroyed two-thirds of the school, the resilience of teachers and families who kept classes going on the playground the very next day, and the traditions and awards that defined student life across generations.

“This is not a work of writing that is to be read from the beginning to end,” Howard Mullan explains. “It is for teachers and students bitten by the nostalgia bug that want to revisit the school.”

With over 190 pages of memories and archival material, Bridgeville Elementary: A Big History of a Small School offers a rare window into the enduring spirit of a community where education was and remains a cornerstone of life.

Book Details:

• Author: Virginia Howard Mullan

• Series: The What Remains Series

• Publisher: The Press at Cal Poly Humboldt

• ISBN (Reprint, 2025): 978-1-962081-37-5

• License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0

Availability
Download the digital version                                                                                           Purchase the paperback

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