Central High School - Maroon and White Yearbook (Sioux City, IA)

Page 16 text:

THE OLD BANK BUILDING '6The Brick Centralv had finished its term of usefulness by the year 1376. The little building was deserted at the time for a new and larger structure which stood on the corner of Fifth and Pierce Streets and was known as 'gThe Old Bank Building. This small wooden structure was made of shingles which were painted in two tones of gray. Its appearance derived for it the popular nickname of The Old Plaid, which seemed more suited to the building than the more impressive title of 4'The Old Bank Building? Its more formal name came from the fact that the building had once housed a bank. Although the change in location was supposed to be an improvement, the environ- ment was, in some ways, even less advantageous for study than that of the first building. Handicapped by lack of apparatus, the scientific department, as well as many others, struggled along as well as they could. It was a rare and long re- membered day when the teacher carried out an experiment with combustibles for the benefit of the students who stood by in awe. In those days the students hoped for blizzards, for when one struck Sioux City the 6fRound House whistle was blown. Then the pupils rejoiced in the fact that there would be no more school until the storm, which often lasted three days, subsided. The picture above is a drawing of this building, copied from the original photo- graph, which was impossible to obtain in a form that could be printed. In this little building, the luxuries' and the ease that fill our lives today were missing, but in spite of that fact, education pushed slowly on toward its goal.

Page 15 text:

THE BRICKC CENTRAL The evolution of Central High School had its beginning in the Cassidy Building, located on Fourth and Virginia Streets. This structure housed the first high school classes sometime between 1859 and 1869. However, the building was not devoted to school purposes alone. The School Board rented the rooms for the classes until they were able to build a school building. The hopes of the Board were realized in 1869, when they erected Wfhe Brick Centralw on the corner of Fourth and Jackson Streets. This school house may well be called the cornerstone of our structure of education. Naturally, the little building with its one room and teacher was ham- pered by the limitations of the day. To the eyes of later generations the structure, which was still in existence in 1913, looked insignificant, but, for the days of 1869, it was thought quite pretentious. The men who started this system had been educated at the finest colleges, and it was according to their high ideals that the school was successfully established. This school system was the beginning of a new era of education for Sioux City. During the last few years of its existence, this school was called '6The Hunt Schoolf' after one of the members of the early School Board. ln the memory of the people of Sioux City, however, it is still fondly remembered as 'cThe Brick Central. We, of this generation, should still remember and revere the little pioneer building that led the way to the high school of today.

Page 17 text:

THE ARMSTRONG SCI-IOSL It was a great day in High School history when uThe Old Bank Building was abandoned and the students, whose ranks had grown considerably, migrated to the Armstrong School. This building, with its three recitation rooms and assembly, seemed so spacious when it was constructed in 1383 that permanency of location was anticipated. Everyone seemed to agree that the corner of Eighth and Pierce Streets was an ideal place for the new Sioux City High School. ln this school, however, High School classes shared honors with the Grammar School classes. Professor C. A. Armstrong and Mrs. Armstrong, after whom the school was named, were placed in charge of the school, while Mrs. Del Foss was the one and only language instructor. Athletics of all types were scorned by the faculty, which consisted ofithree ladies and a gentleman with a wooden leg. Regardless of this fact, however, the boys convened at a vacant lot on Fifteenth and Pierce Streets, and, on this field, some of the college athletes of the future were developd. Many modern improvements were presented to the Armstrong School. A short while after it was built, the latest design in airpumps was installed, and the science department received a skeleton with which to teach anatomy. The greatest acquire- ment, however, was the school library, which was founded in 1387, and boasted 130 volumes on its shelves. Thus, gathering apparatus, and yearly adding to its student body, the Armstrong School formed a strong link in the chain of progress.