Princeton High School - Tiger Yearbook (Princeton, IL)

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.3 52 fcLcw:'2.15fErg5E'i3i C jigisiggiwrtim X.. ship is the golden thread that ties the hearts of all the world, and books are our greatest friends. After the world war an election was held to decide upon a S250,000 community house, which was to consist of a large gymnaisum for school pur- poses and other occasions, but the bill was defeated. ln spite of the fact that there was a need for more room, everything was going along nicely when on Monday evening, December l 5, l924, fire broke out in the library, which soon spread throughout the entire building. The fire had gained such progress be- fore the arrival of the firemen that nothing was removed from the burning building. The next day, Dr. O. J. Flint, President of the Board of Education, reported that insurance policies aggregating 572,000 partially covered the loss. lt was the greatest fire loss sustained by any single blaze during the his- tory of Princeton, and its origin still remains a mystery. The loss of the old building fell upon the community as a public calamity. The next year and a half school was held in the City Hall, Postoffice, and the Swedish Mission and Christian churches. Every student and every member of the faculty gave the best sort of co-operation. This fact explains the fact that the school carried on successfully in spite of its great handicap. immediately, after the destruction of the old building, the plans were laid for the construction of the new one. At this time the members of the Board of Education wereg Guy A. Bryant, Richard M. Skinner, Dr. O. J. Flint, Camilla Ferris, and David Pamp. The contract was finally given to Anton Zwack of Dubuque, lowa, and soon the new building was in its first stage of development. Days that seemed like years rolled byg when, at last, on September 27, I926, the doors of the new building were opened to the eager students. The old red school house is gone and in its place has come a great, modern educa- tional building. The cost of the building including the furniture was approxi- mately S400,000. It is 300 feet long and l00 feet wide, providing accommo- dations for twenty class rooms, and a well-equipped gym, which is 80 feet by 40 feet in size. There are also showers and lockers for the gymnasium classes. The auditorium will seat one thousand people, the large stage is in- closed in gray, with a gorgeous curtain of blue and gold. Although we can never replace some of the wonderful editions of the old library, we know that the new library, which has been started, will far surpass the former, in value and in comfort. There are chemical, physics- and botanical laboratories. On the third floor there is a general science lecture room, which is fitted for pro- jecting pictures. The new school is a beautiful structure and Princeton resi- dents are quite proud of this new temple of learning. Every boy and girl by this modern plan of education is challenged to attain leadership in study, in athletics, and in school activities. There is scarcely a single youthful ambi- tion that is not incited to real accomplishment. Boys and girls respect it be- cause it grips their lives. So to the tradition of the old is added the vision of the new. -Laura Clark, '27 Page Sixteen