Washington and Lincoln schools, Thief River Falls, MN

The top picture was taken in 1904 during the land sale. The side where the horses are faces north.

The second picture is of old Washington, now Washington Grade School and Lincoln. See how far back from the street Lincoln sits? In the middle of the picture, just behind Lincoln is a railroad car. This is the Great Northern track.

Between Washington and Lincoln, there was a sidewalk.







Thief River Falls had two Washington Schools; one that was the old high school and a new one, built on Third Street, which became a church. The first Washington School was the high school first and a grade school second. For those of us who attended Lincoln, we know it had additions. We know that some of the floors were granite and other parts were creaky wooded floors.





In 1892 we learn....


Annual school meeting was held on both sides of the river Saturday evening and considerable business transacted. The matter of consolidating the two districts was not taken up and it would seem that such a scheme is not practical, at least at the present time. On the East Side, $2500 bonds were voted for the purpose of increasing the building accommodations and the directors were instructed to take steps to bring the grades up to the standard which will put the school on the high school list. It was decided to employ the best teachers obtainable and to that end other present salaries were greatly increased.





We know that in 1895, five people graduated from high school.





We do know the high school was a building in 1904. The 93,000 land sale took place there.





We know that talk of a new high school was on the docket in 1910. (This would be Lincoln High School, 'part one').





SEPTEMBER 1911
HIGH SCHOOL BUILDING OPENS FOR FIRST SEMESTER





The children of the former Masonic Block School will start going to school at the old high school building. No picture available, and no idea were this was. This is the time line that shows the older students starting at Lincoln. January, 1911





FEBRUARY 1911
Governor Eberhart to deliver dedication address of Lincoln High School on February 20. Later: Date changed to the 27th of February





MARCH 1911
The dedication of Lincoln High School 1,500 people attended





JUNE 1911
Commencement exercises for Lincoln High School’s 35 graduates will be held in the auditorium, no admission will be charged.





1920
Library at high school converted to class rooms





1922
72 to graduate from Lincoln High School. Only one boy on the honor roll.





SEPTEMBER 1922
Boys drink moon and say farmer sold it to them. The boys appeared at Lincoln High School on Friday while intoxicated and were placed in jail by the police.





1926
High School Commencement Friday night
One hundred students graduate from High School and Normal School
Normal school graduated teachers, for example.

More pictures to follow.

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