The Plains High School - Yearbook (The Plains, OH)

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Plains voters who believed such a building would be too small, and cast 125 votes for and 101 against. On June 25, 1915, a $16,000’bond issue was lost by 41 votes. On July 22, 1916, the Board of Education decided to submit the question to the voters a fifth time on the issu- ance of $16,000 of bonds. The board, by vote of three to one, decided on giving this “last chance” to The Plains, the members being Joseph Evans, Harry A. Tipton, Homer Graves, John T. Hope, and Fred Bougher. The voters on Aug. 21, 1916, voting for the fifth time in a little over two years, decided in favor of the issue by a majority of 12 votes. The present, modern, tight-room brick structure with base- ment was erected by Contractor Chas. P. Kircher in 1917. This building is semi-fireproof construction, with excellent work- manship throughout. The rooms are fully up to legal requirements in size, lighting, ventilation and heating. Two hot-air Staunton Heater Company furnaces supply heat, which is forced to all parts of the buildings by a motor-driven fan. Every rooms and corridor of the structure is electrically lighted. This 'highly desirable feature was secured through the efforts of Prin. Pearly Gaskill, who showed the board the necessity of a lighting system to make the building useful for social center work and visual aids for class instruction and for entertainment purposes. For the first two years the basement was left unfinished, but need for more room led the board to have practically all basement finishing completed this school vear. Cement block closets and cement walks have been added this year. An audi- torium, stage, office, cloak rooms, apparatus room, etc., add to the usefulness of the building for school and social purposes. Irene Gabriel and Mildred Poling. JOKES. Victor Howard—“If I should kiss you would you call your pa- rents?” Maude Thorne—“Will it be necessary to kiss the whole family?” Andrew Hamus, sitting with his feet in the aisle and chewing gum. Mrs. Tompkins—“Andrew, take that gum out of your mouth and put your feet in.” Mr. Bryson—“Gerald, why haven’t you your lesson?” Gerald—“It wasn’t hard to learn, but awfully easy to forget. Maude Thorne—“What makes your hands so warm. Ellis?” Ellis—“There’s is a little spark of love still burning.” Clara—“Ethel, can you name some things that are dangerous and have horns?” Ethel—“Automobiles.” Miss Brohard, in English Class—“I will run over the list of names, and if anyone is absent just hold up your hand.”

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SCHOOL BUILDINGS. PAST AND I RE?ENT. On the site of what is now the Courtney home there stood in 186? a log schoolhouse, surrounded by primitive forests. This was lighted by three windows on two sides and with eight small panes in each. The door was small and the blackboard consisted of slates standing on the floor along the wall. An old-fashioned stove with four lids warmed the school, which was attended bv about sixty pupi's. When but few scattered settlers lived at The Plains, fortmrW known as Wolf’s Plains, a small school building stood on the farm now owned by Levi Ha'e. A log school house was later erected near the mound bv the cement-block residence owned bv Joseph Evans. This was replaced by a small frame school building on the mound. When the mines were opened many years later, the increase of population made another building necessary. The frame building on Hocking hill was next added. Next the two-story, two-room frame school house near Mine No. 10 was built. Increase of population caused the renting of the Lyon’s building, the Mathenv building, the Webb building, and finally, the temporary use of the M. E. Church, pending the completion of our present brick school building. The Lyons, Mathenv and Webb buildings were all store rooms and very unsuitable for school purposes. For some vear«, The Plains member of Athens Township Board of Education. Mr. Joseph Evans, had waged a tire’ess fight for proper school facilities for The Plains. The people becoming aroused b” repeated defeat of his proposals for reb'ef elected a second member of the board. The struggle for a building continued against strong opposition from other narts of the township. The intensity of this struggle is shown by official records. An election to bond the town- ship for $15,000 for a building was defeated March 11, 1014, bv 18 votes. Following this, on August 15, 1914. a vote was taken on a $16,000 bond issue which wa«= lost by a tic vHc. The board next proposed a $7,000 issue which was defeated bv opposition of The

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SUPERINTENDENT PEARLEY GASKILL Founder and first principal of The Plains Junior High School, the first chartered Junior High School in Ohio. Mr. Gaskill was born near McArthur, Vinton County, Ohio. His elementary schooling was obtained in the rural schools of Elk 'town- ship. Some High School work in the McArthur High School was followed by advanced work in various normals, including one term at Antioch College. Private study and reading enabled Mr. Gaskill to procure professional elementary and high school certificate. A successful career as educator and excellent grades from the State Board of School Examiners procured for Mr. Gaskill both Common School and High School state life certificates. After his marriage, Mr. Gaskill pursued collegiate work at Ohio University till rewarded in 1915 with the degree of B. of S. in Ed. Mr. Gaskill has taught nearly a quarter of a century in rural, graded, and High Schools, and as school principal and superintendent in both city and rural schools. This page is donated by Principal J. A. Hines, in honor of former Principal and present Superintendent Pearly Gaskill.