Blast from the Past – Do you recognize any names from this Butte McKinley Elementary cookbook?

Last week we told you about the cool new project that they have cooking at the Butte School District as students and teachers from around town are coming together to create a cool new cookbook for an even cooler cause.

The timing couldn't have been even, well, stranger as I just came across a similar project that was put together 44 years ago by the parents, teachers, students and teachers at Butte Montana's Greatest Grade School, the now closed but never forgotten McKinley Elementary on West Park Street.

McKinley, carved out of granite brick by glorious brick out of the mountains of the town she would for decades teach, was home of the immortal McKinley Vikings, whose fearsome image is still available on t-shirts today at Dig City Supply and hard to keep on the shelves.

What is the project I am speaking of?  It's the McKinley School Cookbook put together way back in 1981.  Look at the names of some of the parents and teachers who were responsible.

Do you recognize any of these names?  Don't worry, there are many more, mine included.  I am proud to say that I was not only a McKinley Viking (I mean, I AM a McKinley Viking, you wear it forever like the Marine Corps), but I was a small part of this wonderful project and even found my recipe!

This is funny, not because I know there was no way I was making coconut-pineapple bars in the third grade, but because after deep conversation with my siblings, we don't remember ever having these growing up.  Mom was WAY too busy.  But they sound delicious.  I even found my little sister's recipe which is much more reasonable.

Family memories, or semi-memories, aside, it was not finding our family name in the cookbook, it was the names of some of the kids that submitted recipes.  Greg and Paulie Leetz from up on Granite Street, I'm looking in your direction.

I found my friend Rocko Mulcahy who has had his name consistently misspelled even well before 1981.

I found another brother and sister, one a young girl who is now teaching Butte elementary kids herself in here 2025 and one a young boy who would go on to win multiple State Handball Championships.

I found a young athlete who is now leading all Montana athletes as the Executive Director of the Montana High School Association.

I even found a future star of stage and screen.

And even lasting after all these years is the generosity of the then St. James Community Hospital still is remembered.  (Sponsors for the 2025 cookbook are needed.  CLICK HERE for details.)

Do you recognize some of these McKinley Vikings from 1981?

A big thank you to the lovely Jessica Cash for sharing this cookbook and memories with me.