Excerpts from “Highland Park History”

A book by The Shawnee County History Society

 

HIGHLAND PARK HAS FINE SCHOOLS

By Carolyn V. Reed and Clarice V. Zirkle

 

                “The district number 35 was organized March 7^th 1862 under the direction of Peter McVicar who was then county superintendent.  The district was firs called “Flanders” but later was changed to Highland Park.  At the time of its organization the district comprised five and three-fourth square miles.”

            “On June 25, 1863, at the school meeting a committee of five members was appointed to find a site for a school house.  On account of postponement of school meetings, objection to location and inability to raise funds for the purchase of bonds, the first school house, built of stone, at what is now Twenty-seventh and Indiana streets, was not built until 1868.  The cost was $1,000.00.” It was sold at public auction for $81.00 in 1889.

 

Stone from the original Highland Park School on display in the Media Center at HPHS

 

“The first teacher, Mrs. Mary Paulson, had been holding school in a rented house.”

“The new school house was a spacious two-story structure made of bricks.  It contained six rooms, only two being used for the school.” 

 

            “ In 1909 a two-year high school course was added.  Classes were held in the grade building until the completion of the first high school building, a two-story brick located just south of the grade building, in 1916.”

            On April 18, 1926 the grade school building was destroyed by fire and was replaced by a ten-room, one-story brick building…”

 

            “In 1935 District Number 30 built a building on the site of the original stone building...” 

”In 1939 Rural High School District Number 10 was organized and it continued using this building until the completion of the present building on California Avenue in 1951.”