Austin High School - Austinian Yearbook (Austin, MN)

Page 9 text:

ZDHAT does he plant who plants a tree? He plants the friend of sun and sky: He plants the flag of breezes free: The shaft of beauty, towering high: He plants a home to heaven anigh For song and mother-croon of bird ln hushed and happy twilight heard--Q The treble of heaven's harmony- These things he plants who plants a tree. -Henry Cuyler Banner Y' Q'

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ti. Q-A ,ni , I am nearer the great Giver, Where His Handiwork is crude: Friend am I of peak and river, Comrade of old Solitude. Not for me the city's riot! Not for me the towers of Trade! I would seek the house of Quiet, That the Master Workman made. Y -Herbert Bashford VP P iff.. .. 5, -if vhs. . Y t'fw-ees - r v

Page 10 text:

THE UYUSTINIAN 1935 OTHING is so difficult to write as the history of a school. One may give the history of the build- ings, their size, cost, and construction: but the real history of any school, its influence, its work of enlightenment, its cultural results, must always re- main unwritten. ln 1856, a school was organized in a log structure and taught by Miss Maria Vaughn. lt stood just east of the present city laundry. The follow- ing winter, school was held in a frame building on Maple Street. Miss Sarah Bemis was the teacher. The third term was taught in the summer of 1857 by Miss Kate Conkey. ln 1857 Austin township hired for school and church purposes the two story build- ing, Old Headquarters on Main street. Herman R, Davidson taught here in the fall and winter of 1857- l858, Mrs. Allen taught the follow- ing summer and Rev. Gurney, the Baptist minister, had charge of the school in 1859. When Old Headquarters was leased as a store, school was held dur- ing 1859 and 1860 in a building on Chatham street. The store was closed and school moved back to Old Head- quarters where Lyman A. Sherwood was teacher. Mr. Witford taught the spring term. Then the Civil War occupied the public mind and support of schools lapsed. For two years chil- dren attended a parish school taught by Rev. Peak. Children were taught at home and in private schools until 1865 when the first schoolhouse was erected. lt was a one-story, two-room brick building and was built on the site of the present Carnegie library. lt cost 82,750 For five years it was the center of educational and religious thought. W, T. Mandeville taught the first school in the new building. He was follow- ed by Mr. Otis and his daughter, Lib- bie who were succeeded by Mr. Pike, and he in turn by Mrs. Abbie Crane. ln 1869 in order to provide more school room, a three-story brick struc- Pi ture was erected on the block now oc- cupied by the Franklin building, lt cost 835,000 and was completed Sep- tember 12, 1870. The first teachers to take up work in the new building were: Supt. Strong, Miss Eastman, Eva Sherbonda, Julia Hobart, Ella Cook, and Lois Cook. On April 28, 1890, it burned to the ground. The fire broke out at 8 o'c1ock in the morn- ing before teachers and pupils had ar- rived. lt was here that the first high school was organized by Supt. Bigelow. The present Franklin school was built on the site of the old schoolhouse and was ready for occupancy in March, 1891. lt was remodeled in 1907. The present high school building was erected in 1920 and dedicated in 1921. The building, which cost 81,000,000 combines Gothic and modern architecture. lt is large enough to afford ample accommodations for its 1,373 students enrolled this year. lf in the future, as the enrollment in- creases, there is need for more room, the west corridor on the third floor which has not been finished may be opened. There are several outstanding fea- tures in the building. The beautifully decorated auditorium has a large stage for different presentations. A fine gym- nasium and swimming pool are con- tained in the building. There is a li- brary which contains a fine collection of books, both Hction and non-fiction. There are eight reading tables for the students. The large cafeteria is used by hundreds of students daily. ln ad- dition to the service rendered to the student body, it also provides practi- cal experience for the Home Economic classes. ln tracing the history of the de- velopment of the Austin schools, one may find woven in it, the history of the development of the Austin people and community. Schools never pay dividends in dollars: but they yield splendid returns in citizenship, char- acter, and intelligence.