About Myers

About Our School

At the time of the first dedication, Winn A. Myers School was the 7th of Rialto's 19 elementary schools. Classes first occupied their rooms with the opening of the school year in September 1959. It was then in its third year of operation the original School Plant considered a multi-use building which served as a cafeteria and Auditorium and four classroom wings. A library was also housed in the multi-use building.

In 1960 an additional wing of the classroom was completed. There were two more classes added within the next few months that brought the school up to its complete plant facility with a total of 18 regular classrooms, two kindergarten rooms, and one special education room. The plant was situated on approximately 12 acres located on the east side of Meridian Avenue between Etiwanda and Baseline just inside the city limits of Rialto and housed about 580 students.

The beautiful school was named in honor of Winn Myers who came to Rialto from Troy, New York on a rainy day in February, 1888.

Mr. Myers worked for a year after his arrival in California on a farm which was located where the San Bernardino County hospital now stands. His next job was the old Chris and snow Nursery which is known as the Ferry Morris Seed Company.

It was upon the advice of Mr. Morris that Mr. Myers acquired 10 acres of land on North Pepper just below Baseline, cleared it of sage brush and cactus and started his own Orange Grove. This Grove became one of the best in this area and the Envy of many others growers nearby

When he was married, Mr. Myers moved his bride to a new two-room house he built in one corner of the new Grove. This house later burned and he built the well-known Myers family home at 7404 North Pepper. Five generations of the family have lived in this home.

Besides being an orchidist, Mr. Myers loved to grow flowers.  His home used to be known as “The Flower Place”. In his earlier days in Rialto, there were no pay streets in either Rialto or San Bernardino and the few sidewalks were made of boards. Water for irrigating his girl was attained from Little Creek and flowed through the wooden flumes.

Mr. Myers always worked to improve the community. He served for 20 years as a clerk of the Rialto School Board of Trustees after having been elected to the board in 1908. He also served for many years as a secretary of the mutual land and water development company. Later he was affiliated with the Rialto extermination company, a fruit tree spring company.

For many years Mr. Myers served on the board of directors of the little creek water and improvement company and was connected with the Rialto fruit company. During this time he made many contributions to the development of water in this area though he was always modest and humble about it all.