Saint Charles High School - Charlemo Yearbook (St Charles, MO)

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A. Accessibility to St. Charles from Interstate 70 has caused excessive growth in industry and population. B. St. Charles houses the county seat and functions as the cen- ter of local political activity. C. The old bridge has served the St. Charles area for many years now, and with the building ofthe new Interstate 70 bridge, it may house only one-way traffic. D. In the old section of Main Street the St, Charles .IayCee's rejuvenated and old, run-down house for use as a Spook house at Halloween. E. Sandbars just off of the river bank provided a prime fishing spot for many Sunday-afternoon fishermen. F. The old St. Charles railroad bridge provides the necessary link to St. Louis and Kansas City. G. A recent proposal may cause the vacated railroad station to be moved, to a more convenient spot because ofthe urban re- newal plans. sf I 6 1' f 7 Y lfimfff' lwt wr fa -V11 vnvv 5

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SC- Although St. Charles is thought to be a bore by a few of its many residents, es- pecially high school students, a shallow dwell into its history suggest that itscit- izens have a lot to be proud of. From a quaint little trading post situat- ed on the banks of the Missouri River has sprung our city, one of the fastest growing in the entire Midwest. Since St. Charles was Missouri's first capital, the First State Capitol Building on Main and First Capital has been fully res- tored and is viewed by many, both St. Charles people and outsiders. The histori- cal district on Main, several blocks in length, is definitely the leading tourist at- traction in St. Charles. A stroll down Main on a warm Sunday afternoon proves the large number of tourist attracted by the many shops, primarily being antique stores. Url Since St. Charles people are no different than anyone else, the major topic of con- versation over the past year has been na- tional affairs. Taking into consideration the impact ofinllation, recession, and gov- ernment problems on some parts of the country, St. Charles has taken the crunch with few serious problems. Memories of Louis Blanchette, the founder of St. Charles, Lewis and Clark, and others who have contributed substan- tially to the history of St. Charles ring out annually in the Festival of Little Hills. This three day event has taken place on historical Main Street for the past several years and has been the recipient of great success due possibly to its old time friendly atmosphere. Students of St. Charles have the oppor- tunity to lead an active life, both in and out of school. School activities are numorous, rivertown to bustling cit T as well as those available in the communi- ty. Some activities within the communihy include numerous civic organizations, in- volvement in church, and of course, part- timejobs. With the renovation of the 1950's crus- ing, students have found a new way of en- tertaining themselves on the long awaited weekends. Friday and Saturday nights bring out kids in every type of vehicle im- aginable to ride up and down streets look- ing for some action or perhaps a familiar face. Of course, weekend nights also bring out another type of cruisers in droves, the St. Charles Police, From when St. Charles was founded in 1769 to its present day condition in 1975 it has survived 206 growing years and from all indications, both past and present, it will be around a long, long time.

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Overcrowding splits an old campus The need for a second high school to accomodate crowded conditions at SCHS is hardly a brainstorm ofthe last two or three years. The need was forseen in No- vember, 1969 by St. Charles School Su- perintendent Frank E. Colaw. At that time, he projected the need in his lirst an- nual building report to the Board of Edu- cation. Since then, a number of possible alter- natives have been sought to relieve the crowded conditions. Among them: port- able classrooms, now being used, and split sessions. Space has nearly run out at King- shighway and Waverly, and split sessions are unpopular with parents, students, and teachers. During the early months of 1974, many citizens of St. Charles began realizing the urgent need for another high school. But, not enough voters were convinced, as a S2 million dollar bond issue for first- phase construction faltered April 2, 1974, Av-1344 ..- failing to meet the required two-thirds majority approval by a mere one percent. The linal tally, 3185 votes for the proposi- tion, 65.6 percent of the votej 1,667 against it. However, with the school board's inter- est in education, the bond issue again was put before voters, less than two months later. With their fingers crosses, supporters hoped for a better voter turnout, including 18-year-olds eligible for voting who had recently graduated and knew of the condi- tions at the present high school, On May 21, 1974, students gave a sigh of relief as the need became a nearer reali- ty with approval by a vote of 2.408 fforl and 897 Cagainstj. As for future construction plans, they are still indefinite. SCHS has come along way from when it was relocated to Kingshighway and Waverly in 1918, where it was then the St. Charles Military Academy. It was in 1923 when A building came on to the scene occupying the 6.4 acre site ol' the old academy. Building B was constructed in 1955 to be used as a junior high school. Originally costing around 5400.000 to build. an addi- tional S256,000 was invested in five more classrooms, along with what is now the boy's gymnasium. Perhaps our most modern facility, building was made possible in the spring of 1964. when St. Charles voters approved a S460,000 bond issue for its construction. lt was ready for students to occupy in 1965. D building, which is used primarily as a vocational shop. was built in 1943. The temporary classrooms, buildings E. F, G, and H, have been added individually over recent years to help handle the ever- increasing high school enrollment. new 2 4. l .N is . 4 .g 4 ., -T Jr'