Tell City High School - Sagittarius Yearbook (Tell City, IN)

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Graduates of 1978 became the 50th graduat- ing class from the 1928 T.C.H.S. structure. This graduation took place on the summer's eve of construction of the new mammoth high school building. It was 49 years ago. May 22. 1929. that the first class graduated from the current building. With 33 seniors present, the 1929 commencement contained the largest graduat- ing class from Tell City up to that time. The first high school was built in 1909. known then as the Franklin Street School. The cost for building Franklin was $18,963.00. This cost cov- ered the luxuries of water fountains and indoor commodes, the first such luxuries to be put in a Tell City school. The two classrooms on the second story of Franklin housed the high school students. Prior to the time of Franklin there was no high school; therefore, students from Tell City. An- derson. and Tobm Townships attended school m Cannelton. The first commencement from Tell City turned out three graduates in June. 1905 In 1928 the citizens of Tell City felt a need for a bigger high school, one which would be able to Below is the artist’s conception of the high school complex when con- struction is complete. accomodate the increasing size of enrollment. April proved to be the turning point for the exist- ing high school as contracts were awarded to a Terre Haute. Indiana, firm to build the high school on an entire city block. The estimated cost of construction was $ 180.173. Ground was broken on June 28 of that year and the building of today's “old part of TCHS got underway. Fifty years later the groundbreaking for part of a nine million dollar complex took place. On May 22. 1929. the first class to graduate from the current location held commencement ceremonies Four and one half months later, on October 13. over one thousand persons gath- ered for the dedication of the building The next addition came on 1955. The gymna- sium was built, along with the cafeteria, band room, and Freshman Hall. In 1963. Ramsey Construction Company erected the library and a couple of classrooms on the south side of the school. New administrators took over during the summer of 1976. Those officials were Principal Jerry Stenftenagel and Superintendent William Wilson. With the changes in authority, students began to feel and see changes. The first improvement was the introduction of the a la carte system for the cafeteria. This change created a new attitude among students who began to remain on campus during noon. Students were able to buy restaurant style food at tremendously low prices. During that semester rumors of school ex- pansion began to formulate Details were sketchy but proved to be true as a survey team from Indiana University studied the needs of the school and the wants of the community A year later. November 15. 1977. the plans were final- ized at a public school board meeting The plans called for construction beginning in the summer of 1978 and being completed in September. 1979 The cost of expanding and remodeling the high school and building a new junior high was projected to be over $9 million To com- plete the expansion the school purchased the land from Thirteenth Street up to the alley be- tween Fifteenth and Sixteenth Streets. Shaping from the past to present, from Presi- dent William H. Taft to President James Earl Carter, from students doing the charleston to students doing “the bump , and from an adequate high school facility costing tens of thousands of dollars to a complex costing sev- eral million, the history of Tell City High School has followed the course of the city, the state, and the country-full of pride and growing stronger, with tragic and fruitful memories — Greg Strassell

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ini-th SClUOsJ Wearily students filed back into school after the fire drill which sent them out into the crisp December air. Junior Hall was the headquarters of Sara Wilson who assisted in issuing books at the pre-school registration. Opening 5

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Standing yet today, Tell City’s first high school was built in 1909. This picture of Franklin School was taken a few years after its construction. Meeting with teachers was a major pro- cess in determining the needs of a new high school structure. Above. Randy McGriff meets with engineer Raymond S. Thompson. To the left. Perry County voca- tional director David Archer and McGriff discuss needs with Thompson. ✓ Roots 7