The Little Outfit Schoolhouse

The Little Outfit Schoolhouse is a school building on a ranch in San Rafael Valley, about ten miles southeast of Patagonia in southern Arizona. The building served mixed groups of boys and girls together in grades three through eight and later housed only boys.

The schoolhouse was founded in 1940 by Buel and Katharine Hutchinson to serve children on the remote ranch. It reflects how education was organized in rural areas during the early twentieth century.

The school mixed classroom lessons with ranch work, showing how western schools shaped education around practical skills. Today you can see how closely learning and ranch life were connected.

The location sits about ten miles from the nearest town and requires a car or arranged tour to visit. Plan for basic rural conditions and limited facilities on site.

The nearest telephone was ten kilometers away during the school's operation, showing how cut off life was on the ranch. Despite this isolation, the school maintained a steady group of about twenty to twenty-five students.