Central High School - Zenith Yearbook (Duluth, MN)

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classes in dairying were offered. The greenhouse was replaced by garages for the Board of Education busses and trucks in 1938. The school library consisted of some 2,000 volumes in 1894. Today the library has grown to well over 7,000 volumes and occupies one large room which was enlarged in 1940 by ioining an adiacent study hall to the former library. ln 1923, Central's museum was installed in a room near the tower stairways. Many animals were also mounted in their natural habitat and placed in the glass enclosed cases on the third floor. One of the most memorable events in the school's history was President McKinley's visit to Duluth in 1900 when huge crowds of citizens assembled all over the front lawns of the school and along Second Street. The high school students gathered on the front steps and sang everything from Hot Time in the Old Town Tonight to America as Mr. Custance, the music teacher, played the piano which had been moved from the hall to the front porch. A parade of firemen, soldiers, and the city band preceded the president's beautiful carriage. Then President McKinley delivered a speech from his carriage parked on Second Street in the front of the school to climax this outstanding day. Central's cannon, a trophy of the Spanish-Amer- ican War, was presented to the city by the gov- ernment and accepted by the Board of Education on July 1, 1899. Mounted near the front walk before the main entrance, it was a feature of the school grounds until this school year when it was turned over to the war scrap drive. The Auction, Dress-up Day, and Red and White Day have come down through the years as trad- itional events. However, social customs have seen many changes. During the gay nineties, Central belles and their beaux traveled in big carriages called tally-hos to the class parties at the homes of students or teachers. Now, since classes of around six hundred members have become a trifle too large for homes, parties are held at the Curling Club and the Hotel Duluth ball- room, which is usually the scene of the largest affair, the annual Junior-Senior Prom. The school has seen our country engaged in three wars and its thousands of alumni have traveled to all parts of the world, following many different vocations, yet those high school years spent at Cen- tral and the teachings of its faculty remain an un- forgettable and vital part of their lives. Maxine Houghton

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had long hoped for was the addition in 1926 of a north wing with more classrooms and far greater gymnasium facilities. ln the summer of 1939, the latest modernization took place. The wooden floors of the school were re- placed by hard finish composition ones and built-in lockers were installed in the halls. The following summer the entire school was remodeled. The graduating class of 1894, numbering thirty- two students, published the first yearbook called the Tiger, the title being changed to the Zenith in the following year. In 1894, Central's first newspaper also appeared in the halls. lt was called the Junior Record and was published by the iuniors as an exhibition souvenir to visitors of the Junior Exhibition which was to be held that evening. That paper was the forerunner of the Spectator in the magazine and newspaper form. The Spectator itself was started in 1922-23. The four hundred students enrolled in 1894 were offered five courses: classical, literary, scientific, general, and English, which were taught by the teaching staff of fifteen. The courses in the school curriculum have altered considerably and students now choose from a general academic college prep- aratory, Smith-Hughes trade, or a business course, . taught by a teaching staff of approximately ninety members. Mr. E. F. Lohr was the first principal and R. E. Den- feld, for whom the Denfeld High School built in 1926 was named, was the Superintendent of Schools in 1894. The Board of Education and the superinten- dent's offices were then housed in the new high school. Physical culture was instituted in the high school in 1902, although Mr. Max Alletzhauser had been in charge of physical training in all the schools of the city since 1892. The senior class of 1904 announced that they left a new gymnasium, manual training room and chemistry laboratory. Calisthenics were introduced into the curriculum the next year. In 1905 the school year was shortened to nine months and the school hours were changed. Mr. Young, later Superintendent of Duluth Schools, came to Central as principal in 1911, when the school passed the 1,000 mark with an enrollment of 1129, lincluding freshmenl. A. M. Santee became Central's principal in 1924 and was replaced in 1939 by G. A. Beck, the present principal. Agriculture classes were organized in 1914 with the construction of a greenhouse. The following year

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0 R TROPHIE 5 S S, ,LW, 1 Xe 5 fir N :E: Q ik - 1 -sh., uv I .nl 1910-lnterclass debate cup, presented by the Forum, 1901-1903-Baseball, class trophy, 1911-Head of the Lakes Championship for Baseball, presented by the Northern Hardware Company, 1916-Edmund A. Hanson Trophy, inter-city high school, 240 yards swimming relay, 1916-1920-Debate, presented by Garon Brothers, 1917-Girls' swimming. Q if -NM, 1917-Bagley Eight oared Girls' Championship trophy, 1918-Wilson Trophy, Head of the Lakes High School Association, annual Medley RelayChampions, presented by Kelley Hardware Company, 1919-University of Minnesota lnterscholastic Relay Race, 1918-1919-Wilson Trophy Head of the Lakes High School annual Track and Field Meet, 1922-lnterscholastic basketball, 1922-Central champions, 1920-Wrangler Debate Cup, 1921-Northwestern lnterscholastic 60 yard Relay. 1 if ,,.,i k ,J 3 , ,T W W x as 4, 1922-Minnesota State High School Basketball Champions, 1923-Head of the Lakes Conference Track and Field Meet, 1923-Minnesota State High School Track Meet, Class B, 1924-Fourth District Track Meet, 1924-Relay Meet, 1925-Hamlin Relay, 1926-Typewriting and Short- hand District Contest, Unknown. 10