Owasso High School - Trails End Yearbook (Owasso, OK)

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 Although Owasso city limits contain only about 5,000 people, the many surrounding housing additions jump the current popula- tion of our school district to ap- proximately 13,000. The develop- ment of the 72-acre Three Lakes housing addition near the high school is illustrative of rapid growth. Because of Owasso's proximity to Tulsa, the business district has not grown in accordance with the area. However, improvements in the business district include both the new city hall complex which consolidated the fire and police departments, the municipal court, and city management offices, and a new Sonic drive-in which has be- come one of our favorite spots to hang out. Still under construction are a new skating rink, a pizza par- lor and a convenience store. fhree lakes Homes

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From farming community to suburban sprawl, our community has progressed at an unbelievable pace. Owasso, a Cherokee word mean- ing end of the trail, specifically referred to the terminus of the Santa Fe Railroad. The depot, which has since been tom down, served as the transport center of the area. One of the first businesses was Finch's Millinery, presently the Owasso Feed Store on Broadway. Another early business was the Bank of Owasso, which records show to have been robbed for the first time in 1903 by bandits who then escaped on the railroad hand car. Around 1900 the first Owasso school was consolidated. Students were brought by horse-drawn buses to a wooden building later converted to the I.O.O.F. Lodge. In 1909, a $15,000 school bond built a larger structure on the grounds of Barnes Elementary Owasso changes face School. The school complex ex- panded on this site until 1965 when a $328,000 school bond pro- vided funds for a new school at 86th and Main. Due to the rapid growth of our school district, Owasso voters went to the polls in 1974 and passed another bond for the con- struction of the ultra-modem high school at 86th Street and 129th East Avenue where we are now housed.

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Elections highlight year Promises of improvement for Owasso and the nation caused citi- zens to return to the polls to effect changes on a community and a nation-wide basis. Based upon the rapid growth projected in the next five years, citizens voted a school bond for $725,000. The construc- tion will include 23,000 square feet allocated to ten classrooms, a stu- dent commons area and a food ser- vice area at the high school. more interested than usual in this Presidential election because of the key issues of inflation and un- employment. We found it was get- ting harder to obtain jobs after school and that our spending money was going more quickly. For the first time in 14 years, the candidates discussed national is- sues in televised debates. Most of us knew little more after the de- bates than before due to statistical owasso SCHOOLS STUDENT GROWTH U.S. Congressman James R. Jones was re-elected shortly after his presentation of an American flag which had flown over the na- tion's capitol to Waynett and Sherrie Menefee, representatives of the band. A highly controversial Presiden- tial election revolved around in- cumbent President Gerald Ford and the Democratic candidate. Governor Jimmy Carter. We were word games and a general lack of specificity. A school-wide poll before the election which showed President Ford as our choice candidate proved at election time to be reflec- tive of views in the general Tulsa area. Oklahoma as a whole did not follow the rest of the nation who chose Carter as the number one man.