Decatur High School - Decanois Yearbook (Decatur, IL)

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1-Church Street School D. H. S. of 1862-1863 , 'nr X , X ff 3 fl , .... fl. Mx - ' - -ff , I . Il W STH' S 1 ll V S? ff, , 9 . . 536. 'H , Hi ,hd IH? ,f U! 7 f ' 5 ZQ. ILT-L 1 5 jffixmffypba-V QI? X f IQ' aw WA , 1 1.-.n k .gf Q ,Q .14 , M iff- ' - 32222 ' V ' A .rl F.-.R H 1 r '?Zx:,Q 5:1 'fail A If lm 5- is im I Q- I ,. -4 ii 9-Q Q. ki i.gf'w 9 Iii Qui QQ-:.-.iKlH : V-Eh' is -XSD l W M75 '-a7z1-- - ,H 1 -T if-f ,f f ed?- ' 4.1-5 TZ311- '+A--..:'--'g . -'V' 25' ' IVA -1-H. S. Bullding after two additions- . Present Dcoarfmcofal School 2-Old Baptist Church - -- ' D' H. S. of 1863-1869 D. H. S. of 1890 1911 A K 'N E if f LNG I si .if ,Q -.Q Ja E, 5-Latest High School Building' D. H. S. of 1911-1915 l9l I . is-2. WD .-T:- 3:14-v:a2i1'J, W 4? 'if--.l f37Nf?: I is , ' Ni' -'ly I2 5, ,f! 'a'.' 5 1 1 2? ' -af ' Luv , ,, , 4'1 ' . -7 ft ,q w -4 . Q- 1 lf. .... ,,,, - ii w ' 1- 1 f1l 'lgl'f'Ulf1 . In J L .. ' g I ' It 2 Y 'mu an If num wmuprwq im I 'Zi 1 ' lill-4' , 'M 1- I 1 ' 1 gf- M - H, vw L 1 1 ,N ' 3 175 -Qlli ' F-1 W f y '- -f f ll jx E'- w: IHl'19i'g?5?wig wif' 3-First Building Erected for a High School D. H. S. of 1869-1892 Ill i ni f l

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A lliztnrg nf Beratur 1-Iigh Srhnnl The first session of the Decatur High School was held in the year 1862-1863. in the lower east room of the Church Street school. At that time the length of the school year was fixed at six months and no regular course of study was adopted. The total membership for the year was sixty-four. Mr. E. A. Gast- man was the first principal. During the summer, 1863, the location of the high school was changed to the basement of the Baptist Church, which was then located on the northeast corner of Vlfilliam and Water streets. Sessions were held there for the following six years. In 1864, the school year was lengthened to nine months, and a short time afterward a three years' course of study was adopted. In August. 1866, three lots on the northwest corner of East North and Broadway streets were bought, to be used as a site for a high school building, but no further action was taken until later. The first .class graduated in june, 1867. The class consisted of four members, all girls. In April, 1868, the first work toward the erection of the new school was begun. The structure was completed in the following year at a cost of twenty-five thousand dollars. The first session in the new high school building was held in September, 1869. Three teachers were employed there, and Mr. Samuel Jack was principal. A class of eight graduated in 1870. In 1871 ,the course of study was lengthened to four years, and consequently, there were no graduates that year. ln 1892. there being a demand for more room, an addition was made to the front of the high school building. Three years later, in 1895, another addition was made. this time at the rear of the building. The school was then fitted with three session rooms, thirteen recitation rooms, two laboratories, a drawing-room, and a library. During the year 1899-1900, there were seven hundred and thirty-one pupils enrolled. The faculty numbered nineteen. The present high school building, on the northeast corner of East North and Franklin streets, was built in 1910 and 1911, and was first used in September. 1911. This building was well fitted, and it furnished eighteen session rooms. thirty-one recitation rooms, three laboratories, four manual training depart- ment rooms, two household arts department rooms, a museum, library, drawing- room, and music room. Mr. J. H. Newlon'became principal in September. 1912, and is with the school at present. In 1875, there were thirteen graduates, five teachers, and an average attend- ance of one hundred and fifty-two. ln 1914, there were one hundred and twenty-nine graduates, forty-two teachers. and an average attendance of seven hundred and eighty-two. During the year of 1914-1915, there were forty-nine teachers and one thousand thirty-five enrolled students. 131

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