North High School - Polaris Yearbook (Minneapolis, MN)

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N.H.S. 1891-1966: A Great Tradition Prior to the year 1888, North Side residents desirous of obtaining a high school education were obliged to attend Central High School, although since 1875 North High School had existed in the minds of the more far-seeing residents of the North Side area. The first public suggestion of any change in this condition wasn't made until February 18, 1888. It was on this day that an article by W. J. Abernathy, one of the earliest and most public-spirited citizens of the North Side appeared in the columns of the Minneapolis Chronicle. Mr. Abernathy vigorously advocated the erection of a high school on the North Side. He suggested, First, that a 12-room building be erected—not an elaborate and costly one like the present High School (Central)—but a substantial structure . . . Second, the building being erected, let such rooms as are needed be devoted strictly to high school work ... As for bringing all this about he said, It seems to me that if these facts were properly laid before the Board of Education, backed by a strong petition from the people, the Board would give heed to it. Why cannot the North Side Improvement Association (similar to the present North Side Commercial Club) take hold of this work ? The remodeled Logan School which housed the original North High. North High, the original building. It was erected in 1896. Due to the rapidly increasing enrollment, the accommodations provided the High School department by the old Logan School were found to be inadequate, and for this reason construction of a new building at the present location was begun in 1895. This new North High opened its doors on September 29, 1896, to students enrolled in grades eight through twelve. Soon after its opening, additions were made to the south side for manual training rooms and to the north side for regular classrooms. In answer to this call to arms, the Association circulated and submitted petitions to the School Board which showed evidence of such a hearty endorsement on the part of the North Side public that the Board decided by unanimous decision to proceed at once with the erection of a high school building on the North Side. The total cost of this building was not to exceed $57,000. By the end of 1888, the North High School had been erected on Emerson Avenue between 18th and 19th Avenues North. It opened its doors on January 1, 1889, to a few beginning classes of high school students and about 800 grade school pupils. This building came to be known as the Logan School, and has since been razed. Additions to the 1896 structure brought the original plant to this size.

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Alumni present a NORTH to commemorate OMRfm SCHOOL anniversary of the first graduating class.

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Tragic Fire Ravages North North functioned in this building until 1913, when on June 18 a fire broke out which consumed most of the school, with only the northeast wing escaping serious damage. The source of the fire is believed to have been traced to the wood shop where sawdust was left in containers with oily rags. The blaze started early that day and continued into the afternoon before firemen finally got it under control, and then only after fire fighting equipment had been summoned from all parts of the city. When the fire was finally extinguished, two firemen lay dead and North had incurred such damage that it was clearly unusable. During the years 1913-14 while the building was being reconstructed. North High pupils attended the old Central High School located at 4th Avenue South and 11th Street. The Central High people had vacated this building to move into their new school at 34th Street and 4th Avenue South. The Street Railway ran special cars to take North pupils to the old Central building without transfer; however, the)' charged them the usual fare. In September of 1913 the Board of Education began to rebuild the building with the addition of the auditorium wing. To this has since been added a south wing, including the machine shop, auto shop, botany laboratory and greenhouse. In 1924 the northwest wing containing the library was completed and in 1939 the present greenhouse was completed under the auspices of President Roosevelt's W.P.A. The reconstructed North in 1915. North before the addition of die northwest (library) wing. North High School. 1966.