History of Wyoming Community High School

On July 1, 1992, the doors of Wyoming Community High School closed forever.  The school had seen many changes over the years.  From the building locations, to the sports and clubs, nothing has remained exactly the same since the beginning.

In the forward of the 1949 yearbook, an unknown author takes the reader on a tour of Wyoming Community High Schoo.  It reads: "To our left is the ag room where we learned of soil, crops, and animals.  To the right is the office.  Often we met in joy...and sometimes in fear and shame.  Farther down the hall is the business department where 'it's the duty' and 35 words per minute rule.  At the end of the hall is the Home Ec room.  In there we found that she can bake a cherry pie, sew and preserve.  Next door is the band whence cometh those mighty blasts.

Up the stairs we learned the mysteries of the elements and how to keep awake in class.

Then there was the study hall.  In there the making of paper wads became an art while we were supposed to be preparing tomorrow's lessons.  Outside the other doors are the English rooms.  That's all except for the gym."

An elementary school had begun soon after the founding of Wyoming in 1836, in a one room schoolhouse.  The first teacher was Miss Harriet Marsh.

In 1871, at the cost of $5,000, a larger school was built.  The original South Side School held over 200 students (although it was a little snug).  It was divided into senior, grammar, intermediate, and primary departments with Mr William Nowland and Mattie Stone as teachers.  In 1877, part of the building was destroyed by a fire and great heroism was displayed by the teacher in getting the 224 pupils safely out of the building.  Mr Sandham, principal at the time, was able to save some of the records, which show that there were 71 pupils in the senior room at that time.  The fire left only the outside brick walls in good enough condition to use for the reconstruction.

In 1884, history records the first Wyoming High School.  It was located in the upper level of the South Side Grade School.

In 1886, Mr P K Cross, principal, was responsible for increasing the enrollment in the senior room from 10 to 70 pupils.  Many of the boys who attended lived on the farm, so this was a remarkable achievement.

In 1859, Wyoming had been divided into two districts.  The first building of the North Side Grade School was ereceted on North Seventh Street about 1/2 a block from the second site - at about 1000 N Galena Ave.  School continued here until 1873 hen a new building was erected at a cost of $10,000 at the second site which had been given by Dr Alfred Castles for that purpose.  Classes were opened in the new building in 1874 with Mr S S Wood as Principal and Mis R Ward as Assistant.  The enrollment was large as Mr Wood had 55 pupils and Miss Ward had 90.  The records are incomplete but it is well to know that starting in 1895 and continuing through 1913 high school diplomas were awarded.  Since that time all high school pupils have attended the South Side School or the Community High School.

The reconstructed South Side School building proved useful unil 1919, when the state threatened to remove Wyoming from the accredited list of the University of Illinois because of overcrowded conditions.  The South Side Grade School was destroyed by a fire on April 25, 1928.  Sandahm Grade School was built at the South Side Grade School location, 209 West Elm St and is now an apartment building.

On November 8, 1919 Wyoming Community High School District 71 was created by a close vote of 492 for, 424 against.  It consisted of 54 square miles with eight sections in Toulon Township, seven in Penn, twenty-four in Essex, and fifteen in Valley.  On December 12, 1919 the following WCHS board members were elected: J W Fling Jr, A C Bailey, E V Graves, Harry Francis, and Alvin Rogers.

School started on September 6, 1920 in new quarters downtown in the business district.  The first floor and basement at 109 North Seventh St, the second floor at 111 North Seventh St, and later the second floor at 102 North Seventh St were used.  The enrollment was ninety-nine with six instructors.  In addition to the academic course, a commercial one was added at this time.

Language, bookkeeping and typing were held in the building at 109 North Seventh.  The upper level of the building at 111 North Seventh was the location of the Laboratory, English and History rooms.  The Sewing room was located on the upstairs level of 102 North Seventh, the former Post Herald building.

In 1998, those buildings were occupied by Head Start, Wyoming Hardware and Mike Bigger State Farm Insurance Agency.

Great objections were made as to the legality of forming a high school district and opponents took the matter to court.  However, in December, 1922, the district was declared valid by the State Supreme Court.

In 1924, three elections for issuing bonds for $75,000 to build a new school were defeated.  However, early in 1926, the state declared the present quarters unsafe and threatened to take District 71 from the accreditied list.  Finally in June, 1926, the issue was passed giving the board power to erect a building not to exceed $75,000. Central Park on Galena Avenue was the selected site.  In a mock auction the site was purchased by Mrs C C McMackin, for $10.  She in turn presented itto District 71 as the location for the new high school.  J R McEntee served as Principal for one year as did C E Griffith who was succeeded by George O Barr.  Mr Barr did an excellent job in furthering the dream for an A-1 school.

On November 11, 1926, the cornerstone was laid.  It held a copper box with a Bible, a 1926 Pioneer, a US Flag, the history of District 71 and the history of the Parent-Teachers Association,as its contents.

On August 29, 1927, the new building was dedicated and on the first day of September, 1927, the doors opened to 145 students.

Since then, the students have seen many changes.  In 1936, a farm shop was erected and five acres of the old city "fairgrounds" purchased to be used as an athletic field.  A large addition was added to the school in 1955.  A new gymnasium, two locker rooms, two restrooms and a foyer, a farm shop, a science room and a home economics department, all came into existence.  The old farm shop became the cafeteria.  In 1992, the old farm shop was being used as a band room and industrial arts room.

This building went through many more changes oe the years, such as new lockers, room rearrangements nd new gym foyer doors.

When Wyoming and Toulon-LaFayette consolidated, the buiding remained part of the new school district.  The name was changed to Stark County Community School District #100 Junior High.

In 2006, a reorgnization of where classes were held moved the Junior High students to the building in Toulon, leaving the former Wyoming Community High School vacant, though the newer gymnasium and agriculture bulding are still utilized by the Stark County School District.

In 2010, efforts by a newly formed community organization called the WyHi Stark County Community Center, were started to raise funds to obtain the original school buidling and rehabillitiate it into a community center.

This historical look at Wyoming High School was written in 1992 and updated in 1998 by Anita Wilkinson, Class of 1992, with the help of many WHS graduates, especially alumnus and former teacher, Frances Bailey St John with minor updates by the website admistrator in 2010.