Streator Township High School - Hardscrabble Yearbook (Streator, IL)

Page 17 text:

li The classrooms were so arranged that, generally speaking, space on a given floor belonged to a separate department. On the top floor, for example, were located all the science rooms, including chemistry, physics, biology, and general science. All the science rooms were well equipped, the chemistry and biology divisions having large lecture rooms adjoining spacious laboratories. The second floor was the location of the social science rooms and a large typing room. Provision was made in each department for its own well-stocked library. The metal and wood shops, agriculture study room and laboratory, and the little gymnasium were located on the ground floor. The little gym, well equipped for many forms of indoor activity, played an important part in the extensive physical education program. The auditorium-ninety feet wide. one hundred ten feet deep, and fifty feet high- had a seating capacity of fourteen hundred If . , x thirty in its main floor and balcony. The accommodations included an ample orchestra pit, three dressing rooms and storage rooms under the stage, and excellent lighting facili- ties. Lighting effects and spotlights for the stage, as well as motion pictures from two modern motion picture machines, were oper- ated from a fireproof projection room. In recent years a few alterations have been made in the building. The gym balcony was enlarged: large study halls have been transformed into a library and a cafeteria, and the old cafeteria has become the sack- lunch room. The main office and old library have been combined to accommodate all the administrative oflices. The student body fully realizes how many opportunities are now available to them and gratefully appreciates the important part the citizens and taxpayers of Streator and the surrounding community have played in the development of their high school.

Page 16 text:

B5 1936 the section of the building which erect the long awaited auditorium and new had been added in 1902 had become unsafe classrooms Work was begun on the new for use It was decided to dismantle it and annex in February, 1936, and the formal dedication occurred on March 2. 1937. In this aerial view we see the school as it is today, extending over a complete city block. Only a small portion remains of the large campus on which the original structure occu- pied but the small center portion. Yes, our school has grown.

Page 18 text:

Qff56 TiD6?-T' CLASS OF 1876 Each class has the honor for a wear of bemg the last to be graduated but only one can be first and th1s 18 the prxvllege of the class of 76 Mrs Inez Eades Strlte of the class of 1876 wrote the above l1nes ln a short hlstory of her class whlch was publlshed IH the 1926 Hardscrabble the fiftleth anmver sary vear book The other members of the first class were Oscar B Ryon Cora Ander son fFr1esD Dorothy Baker Ida Fleshman fBar1ckmanJ Myrtle Pllcher and Carrle Ryon all of whom are deceased Thls class 1ects For recreatlon the boys played ball and the glrls play ed one old cat The Llteraxy Soclets furnlshed the other soclal 21ClflN1ty of the school The first commencement exer clses were held m the Orlental Hall whxch was later known as Armory Hall The old structure st1ll stands at the southeast col ner of Bloommgton and Mam streets The followmg year there were but five graduates but from that tlme on the enroll ment steadllx mcreased wlth the 9XC9ptl0l1 of the year 1882 IH whlch only two students were graduated Durlng the years whlch followed our school grew rapldly and 1n 1940 the school enrollment reached 1200 In that year two hundred thlrty three students were graduated A gradually expandmg currlculum a dlverslfled athletlc program clubs muslcal and dramatlc organlzatlons and publlcatlons lllustrate the opportunltles Dunng the 75 years that have elapsed smce that flrst Commencement Dax ln June 1876 approxlmately 6500 students have been graduated from our school Of these the maJor1tx have become a utal part of our own cltx and communltv while others have occupled posltxons of Importance 111 mam helds throughout the state and natlon 14 46 , ,' v V Y 1. ! lf ' Y . - 9 'Y y rs ' ' . ' Y J I , u . K . .H . Y . , . , ' . 1 ' , ' : s . , - . ' ' , y , . y . y. . y . Y . , . S, . . . . N, , V I . .Y 11 I ' . ' K1 ' . 1 of seven students studied a variety of sub- f0I' Student activity Of the DFQSGIW day- 1 ' - r ' ' Y -' . ' - . . ' . . , t , t L L' ' . Y. Y y I V W v ' L - I A' n L1 , v v v ' v ' . V ' ' ' . . v K