HURON SCHOOL

[The following information was provided by Janet DeWitt in 1998.]

History of the Huron School

The first school was held in the Beaver Creek Baptist Church which was located on the hill west, where the cemetery is now.

This building was a long house, made of rough hewn logs split in the center and pegs inserted in the ends to make the logs.

This building was used for several years. About 1853 a school was built a mile east of Huron. It was called the Jones School. This building was also a large one-room house also made of logs. The enrollment at one time was 27 grown pupils and a host of smaller ones. The last grade at the time was fifth grade. One of the most important books used was the New Testament. Hugh Burton and Valley Baker were two teachers that taught there. During the Civil War another building was built in town. This was North of the Baptist Church.

In 1883 the trustee, Jesse Conley, built a new school east of Baptist Church. This school was a two-story frame building. This school and church burnt down in 1892.

Another school building in the same place. It was a two-story frame building. It was in this building that the high school originated. Mr. Wiggley was the teacher for this. Latin, Botany, Algebra, and English were taught. This building was used until 1909 when it was replaced by a new building. The old building was moved by John Wilson to be used as a store. Later the store was used by Dennis Pruit. Some of the teachers in this school were Lawrence Mundy, John Wilson, Lizzie Chapman, William McNabb Sherwood.

The next building was erected on the same site as the former. Ollie C. Bryant was the trustee. This was a four-room two story building and cost around $6,000. The top story was the high school. The high school had only one teacher the first year, two the second year. The first to graduate were Lizzie Fortener, Maude Trowbridge and Delores King. This building was condemned and a new modern brick building was built in 1924 at a cost of $35,000. Additions were made over the years and it was used until 1959 when it burned down. A new block using the insurance and donations from many people was built. This was used for a few years.

The High School was sent to Mitchell in 1963. The elementary was sent later. 504 pupils have graduated from the Huron schools.

By Gladys "Tolbert" Tincher
Class of 1931

Graduates of Huron High School, 1911-1948

1911

1912

1913

1914

1915

1916

1917

1918

1919

1920

1921

1922

1923

1924

1925

1926

1927

1928

1929

1930

1931

1932

1933

1934

1935

1936

1937

1938

1939

1940

1941

1942

1943

1944

1945

1946

1947

1948

Watch this space for a table listing the graduates names alphabetically.