Central High School - Blackhawk Yearbook (Davenport, IA)

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A History 1907-1932 OR over half a century the grounds on which the High School is situated have been used for educational purposes. In 1854 Iowa College was founded and located here; in 1859 this college was moved elsewhere, and Griswold College pied the ground; in 1886 Kemper Hall was built for a military school. In 1858 what is now known as the High School was organised. During the next seventeen years it was moved from place to place, at one time occupying the building which is now Korn's bakery. In 1876 it moved into a new building all its own at Eighth Street and Pershing Avenue, now the Lincoln School, where it remained for thirty years. Then the necessity for providing more room for the upper grades became inv perative. The Board of Education learned that the old Griswold College property could be purchased. Negotiations were entered into with Bishop Morrison of the diocese of Iowa, and a price agreed upon, $53,000. This proposition was submitted to the voters at the regular school election in March, 1900, and also at a special election in May, and carried. The architects were F. G. Clausen and P. F. Burrows of Davenport. In 1904 the construction of the building was started. On June 19, 1905, the cornerstone was laid, which was the occasion for a large assembly of citizens, especially the school children, who were present en masse and took part in the exercises by singing several appropriate songs. The building, completed on January 14, 1907, was opened for inspection on the nineteenth and twentieth of that month, and was occupied on the twenty-first. It represented an outlay, including all furnishings and equipment, of $345,000. At that time J. B. Young was superintendent of schools, and F. L. Smart was as- sistant superintendent and principal of the High School. In 1907 Mr. Smart became superintendent and George Edward Marshall was elected as principal. Both are still serving in that capacity. When the High School started there was but one course of study of four years' length, and that was very simple. Now seven courses are offered for three years of forty weeks each, a variety sufficient to meet the wants of all students of high school age. In 1907 there were between four and five hundred enrolled; now there are one thousand eight hundred sixty-eight. There were forty in the June graduating class that year; two hundred forty-eight will take their diplomas this June. Later the building which was Kemper Hall became the Home Economics building, and soon after, the Manual Arts building was erected. Just recently, in 1930, the new gymnasium, the heating plant, and the Administration building were constructed. By moving the cafeteria into the old gymnasium extra home room space was acquired. An underground passage now connects the High School with the new gymnasium. Our present buildiing, which was constructed to accommodate 1200 pupils, in now filled beyond its capacity. Page T inc

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The High School