Arcata High School - Advance Yearbook (Arcata, CA)

Page 18 text:

---1 ig, THE ADVANCE 4 f .-...-- had enrolled up to that time. In August 1897, there were 31 pupils in attendance. In 1900 there were 35. This was in- creased to 38 in 1901. On July 28, 1902, Mr. Tenny resigned as principal of the school, having held the position for seven and one-half years. The records show that Mr. Ray was principal The Old High School the following year. On June 10, 1903, bonds for 36000 were voted for a new building which was located on the half-block at the corner of Sixteenth and G Streets,the one known to the present generation as the old high school. School was conducted on the lower floor of the Pythian Castle in the fall of 1903 until the new building was ready. The new building consisted of three rooms and basement. In the summer of 1910, several years later, another story was put on the building. Mr. J. M. Horten became principal in 1903 and remained in that pos- ition until 1909. In 1904 the number of teachers was increased from two to three, and in 1910 it was increased to five. Mr. F. A. Wright was principal from 1909 to 1913. In the fall of the lat- ter year the faculty was increased to six. The summer of 1915 saw the erection of an assembly hall to accommodate the increasing number of stu- dents, which number had passed the 100 mark in 1912. A seventh teacher was added in 1915, and an eighth in 1917, a ninth in I918, with the tenth teacher in 1919. I Abond elec- Mm ' tion held Oct. 12, 1917, provided 360,000 for a new site and building. The school was lo- cated on the Adams tract , and the main The New High School building erect- ed and made ready for occupancy in February, 1919. In the fall of 1919 the old assembly hall was moved and remodeled to provide a gymnasium and manual training building. The attendance had grown steadily, until the year f1921J,when with evening classes, and part time clases the enrollment had

Page 17 text:

----- t THE ADVANCE -i- History of Arcata Union igh School he Advance published in 1921 contains the following history of Arcata An examination of the records show that an election for the 9 purpose of deciding whether a union high school be established was I held in the Arcata,Janes,Bay,and Jacoby elementary districts on Sat- urday, August 11, 1894. This election resulted in favor of a high school. On September 7 following, J. B. Brown, who was then county superinten- dent, met with representatives of the four districts. At this time directors were appointed, the name was chosen, and the school was located in Arcata, and it was furthermore decided to open the school on the first Monday in Jan- uary, 1895. in what is now the old primary school building, lrecently trans- formed into a moulding mill by the Little River Redwood Companyl. About the same time the County Board of Supervisors levied a tax of 18 cents on the S100 to raise the sum 31600, the amount needed to buy furniture and pay teacher's salary and other expenses for the first half year. In November, the board employed Mr. Alfred D. Tenny, a graduate of the University of California, to open school onlJanuary 7, 1895. Thelissue of the Arcata High School. Hi.?7,fr.QR .,. , . M-r Pythian Castle Union of January 12 gives the rules governing admission to the school. The class starting in January 1895, evidently began their work about the middle of what would be our Sophomore year, to accommodate those who had finished the ten grades of the Grammar school. There is no record available as to the exact number of students at the opening of the school, but the Arcata Union of March 1895 records that approximately 20 students

Page 19 text:

THE ADVANCE 4425441 gone much beyond the 200 mark . Seven years have gone by since the foregoing was written and many changes have taken place in that period. The number of teachers has in- creased to eighteen, the enrollment has passed the 350 mark, additional ground has been purchased, and additional buildings erected. The former high school lot was sold, and at the same time the half block adjoining the tract first purchased for the new high school and bordering on 16th street was purchased. Later the Wible house burned, and last year the ground on which it stood was purchased, bringing the total acreage of the site to sixteen. A heating plant and then a gymnasium were built. Plans are now complete to erect a building the coming summer to take care of the shops. and to furnish additional class rooms for band, agriculture, mechan- ical drawing, etc. The purchase of the Wible property has made it possible to lay out a track one-fourth instead of one-fifth mile in length .When the plans for grading are completed, we can have a baseball diamond and a turf football field both--within the area of the track. An important change has been made also in the boundaries of the -high school district. Fourteen elementary districts were added to the original four that made up the first union. The district now extends from the pen- insula up the coast past Trindad, and eastward to the crest of the mcun- tains this side of Redwood Creek. Transportation is furnished by the Arcata and Mad River R.R. and by the three busses operated by the high school. .Ana A logging train near Arcata Union High School