Elementary
Do You Remember?
The following article was taken from the Tri-County Museum Facebook Page
DO YOU REMEMBER?
On a bitterly cold day February 21, 1923, fire broke out in the existing grade school building while school was in session.
The building quickly filled with smoke and fire spread rapidly through the wooden hot air ducts.
There may have been fire drills before then, but no alarm sounded that day.
The classes upstairs heard the sounds of children leaving the building at an unusual time - some were tossed from windows by high school boys to others outside - but no one alerted the upstairs.
The Fire Department was on the grounds before the alarm was sounded in the high school building.
Farmers seeing the smoke rushed to town and everyone came to get their children. Many children ran home because they had no coats in the zero weather.
All children and faculty were accounted for with no injuries.
In April 1923, a combined bond issue was approved for $127,500.00. $70,000.00 was for a city water system and $57,500.00 was for a new grade school (pictured).
The grade school was built in 1924 and included a gymnasium and stage.
In 1959, the beautiful grove of trees north of the building was taken out and a newer high school was built costing $425,000.00.
In 2017, the 1924 elementary school building was demolished and replaced with a new structure, and nears completion in the current year of 2018.
