Central School, Thief River Falls, MN

Before we go back and talk about Rosebank in Rosewood, Minnesota, let's take a look at the educational faculties in Thief River Falls.

We do know that school started very early, although no records were kept until 1891, school was in session shortly after the town was founded. The school started with eight students, six of which where the LaBree children. There is information regarding where the school was. It seems everything took place around what we know as the First Street Bridge. Actually First Street was known as Bridge Street.

Think about the area the Regional Hospital covers now. This is where the school was; the pupils sat on boards which sat on nail kegs. The shanty was a little log house. School was three months long.

The newspapers include information regarding East Side School, (Knox) and West Side School, (Central). Previously there was an advertisement stating 12 lots, (in a group), were being sought to build a school. In the beginning the schools were in different districts.

For those of you who lived in Thief River Falls, you may remember ice skating on a out door rink north of Trinity Lutheran Church. This is where Central was located. It was where my mother went to school.

As you can see by the picture, it was a big school. The town mushroomed and grew so quickly it was hard not to have over crowding. The photograph is of Central, which was built in 1893. It started as an eight room school; the east addition was added later. In the one picture one can see the trees which line the sidewalk. The school faced 4th Street. It was between Horace and LaBree Avenue.

The location means that it WAS facing the north side of Trinity Lutheran Church. It means it WAS where the Johnson Funeral Home is today. It was ALL school ground. As a sixty something person, I don't remember the school. Perhaps someone out there in history land remembers it.

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