Washington High School - Little Prexie Yearbook (Washington, PA)

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The Union School was the center of common school education in NVashington for 44 years. When built in 1853, the cost VVRIS 316,000 Q at-v ,ff X . 5pl A ,z Q N111 X . A XM ' ,'!,Y,,,.f- flow could the advancement of XVashington have been possible Without reading, writing, and arithmetic? The earliest records revealed the first school west of the Alleghenies was started in 1778. This was a church school, affiliated with the Protestant religion. Next came the Reverend Thaddeus Doddis select school in 1780 to train young men for the ministry. However, the first information of a school in Washington Was the VVashington Academy, founded in 1787. This building was of logs, with the courthouse and jail located on the Hrst floor and the school on the second. The benches and Writing desks were made of slabs. hewn out of logs with the broad ax. The famous old Red School which stood for many years on the VV 811 College campus, dates back to 1796 and possibly earlier. This building. later moved to a lot now occupied by the First Presbyterian Church, was used as a public school by the local district until the Union School was completed in 1855. Early in the 180014 schools were conducted on a subscription plan. Most of the teaching was done by anyone who knew reading, writing, and ol , msn U pun I I , I Xxokil Xxx X lfcfvlhl , 'W U' 1 . 6,119 . LVN , XVXAAXA 1 5 l X l el-'rw r'f TlUN' nF ' ., '- :IN X Q K 'MK 1 w'rNYV'lll't li .tv X-'Nt' t . 54 gn 5' . X b X ,. x Nts-U' .X . .s l. l k'U,. Birthplace William Holmes MeGuffey, famous author of the Eclectic Readers and Spellers. l 10 fOWned by Henry Ford Musclnnl

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typical gas drilling rig. The oil and gas boom played an iportant part in the economy of Washington prior to 900. Interior view of Jessop Steel Mill under construction in 1902. Atlas, noted for its glass containers. Necessary for glass making are moulds and colors. Two new industries provided these-B. F. Draken- feld furnished the colors and Washington Mould supplied the forms. Tylerdale was named for the Tyler Tube and Pipe Company. Later industries included Ty- gart Valley Glass, jessop Steel, Federal Paper Board, and Washington Steel. The latter plant is the worldis second largest producer of stainless steel and furnishes the steel used in the Atlas missiles. 'There are other industries equal in impor- tance to the ones mentioned, this, however, does give a glimpse of the great strides Washington has made in industry. From the quaint general store to the huge supermarkets, from the mills to the factories, from once having the finest wool in the world to giving the finest of manufactured prod- ucts, Washington can be proud to be able to say we hadi' and now, we havef,

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arritlunetic. for ll compensation fee from the stu- dent. lioys were taught the basic subjects, While girls could Ienrn sewing. cooking, and economics. The District School came into being in 1831 with the passage of the Public School Law of 1853-1. This provided education for all und eliminated the distinction between rich and poor. Books in these curly schools were scarce, and stu- dents seldom were supplied with inzrteriuls. Dr. XVillirun Ilolmes NlcGul'fcy, born in WVashington County und Ql'tlClll1ltt'Cl from YV8z.l. prepared ar series of school renders and spellers that became fzunous. No school building in XVashington cycr had the place in the hearts of the residents that the old Union School which stood at the corner of East Beau and North Lincoln Streets, enjoyed, Before it wus erected. the schools of WVushington were scattered in il number of locations. But for the next 44 years this became the center of com- mon school education in XVQISTITHQTOII. On the uight of Februawy 12, 1899 it was totally de- stroyed by fire. lVith the oil boom in XV2lSl1lIlgt0lil and the increased population. the high school on YVest lieuu Street was erected in 1895 on the site of the old home ol' Dr. :Xllred Creigh, one of Wlashing- tou's most prominent citizens. This was Hrst called the XVcst Side School. The present high school was constructed in 1932. lt contains approximately 60 rooms, three science luborzrtories, an auditorium. 2ll1d21lilJ1't'tl'Y. Education has seen many advancements from the one-room log schoolhouse to the mod- ern YVushiugton High School. Old Bimini, of NVushington und Alciterson College inf The need lor ar sepurute high school brought about the erection of the X'Vcst Side School. This latter beczune Xllishington High School und served als such until 1932. 2