Historical Photos

  

Cover of the 1973 graduation announcement

Inside text of the 1973 graduation announcement

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Basketball - Grade 7

 

 

Clifton Advocate, May 3, 1973

Coach Vance, George Backer, Scott Sweeney, Mike Marry, Keith Decker, Rick Taden

 

 

 

 

 

Vince by Quay

Can you see "BQ Kester 71" at the neckline?  Get your glasses and look again.

 

 

 Mr Selig's?

 

Marla Petersen, Marda Blackwood, 1972 Homecoming Queen Cindy Boudreau, Patty Leroy

 

 

 

The following images and storytelling are provided by Steve Emme. Thanks, Steve; what a journey back in time. Great narration.

Chebanse, Elmwood School

This is the hallway at the other end of the hall (directly south when headed out of the history room, and across the main corridor of the school) to the left of this picture would be what is now the Chebanse Library room, and was Mrs. Christensen's room when we went there, and to the right was Mrs. Clausen's 5th grade room, with a janitors' closet to the front of it. At the end of the hall is the entrance to the gym. The sign has been up there since 2004.

The Gym. Notice the north bleachers are still intact, as is the old ticket booth where the outside entrance is. The same clock guard is still over the clock protecting it from basketballs. The curtains were removed a few years ago, remember they were maroon, the Chebanse school color, same as my dads rings' stone. Up the stairs leads to the PE teachers' office, and the ball cage (still intact, but the door was locked), and to the stage. Through the stage right door the exit to the stage passes what was the kitchen when my parents attended the school, but when we attended, the kitchen was in the basement. This view shows the door to the old kitchen. This is used now for the kitchen when events are held at the Civic Center. Also notice the south bleacher were all removed years ago. Remember how all the students would line the bleachers during Christmas singing pageants, and the parents would sit on chairs on the hardwood floor?

As you look to the right, this is the view you see, notice the outside entrance doors on the west end of the gym are the same ones that were there 40 + years ago when we attended. The pad that was on the wall to protect ballplayers from getting hurt if they ran into the wall was removed a few years ago. It looked 50 years old when we went to school, and my guess is it was the original from when the gym was built.

 This is a view looking back up the stairs from the gym floor. Notice in the far distance, the sign I pointed out in earlier photos sent previously is the "History Room" sign at the other end of the hall. This view would be looking directly north.

 
 
Took this photo on Saturday about noon, they were having a sponsored dinner for the homecoming in the gym. Photo taken from on the stage. Looking directly west here.
 

Taken from the stage, this is a view of the ball cage room, and the PE instructors' office, behind each of the doors.

 
 
This is the ticket booth where tickets would be sold by the double door, for basket ball games. My mother has always told stories about selling tickets from this booth for Chebanse High School games. She was in the first group to graduate from Central's new building where we attended high school also, but her Junior year was still in the Chebanse High School building. If you remember, the natural wood finish on this booth was awesome when we attended the school, but probably deteriorated after the school was closed. It still looks good, even though it is painted now.
 
This would be the door leading into Mrs. Latham's room.
 
 
 
 
Looking through the door way into the room.
 
 
Inside Mrs. Latham's room.
 
 
 If you can enlarge the writing on the chalk board, there is a fairly interesting story about the history of the Chebanse schools.
 
 

 

The Cloak Room. (another historical thought: interesting name, CLOAK room, not coat room)

 

Chebanse and Central School History
 by Steve Emme
The first school was a small building 14x16 feet, southeast of the depot on the corner of Locust and South Second Streets. The first teacher was Miss Garlock. The school was used until 1856, when the township was organized. The property was then sold and the schoolhouse moved to Milks Grove where it was used as a shed. The new school was located on the site that now houses the Chebanse Civic Center, which is the building that was also Chebanse High School and later Elmwood Grade School. This structure was 24x36. The schoolmaster name is unknown. The first class graduated from Chebanse High School in 1890. There was only one instructor and Prof. Leachman who was the principal. In 1910 a new brick building was erected on the site of the building to be replaced. The building was occupied in February 1911 with Mr. Ortman as principle. In 1916 the high school was finally accredited. Mr. Orvin was now principal. The gym and 2 more rooms were added in 1936. The last class to graduate from the Chebanse High School was the class of 1949-1950. The 1950-1951 class was in the new consolidated Central High School Unit #4 District, though Chebanse High School students still attended high school in the Chebanse building, and Clifton and Ashkum students attended school at the Ash-Clif School. While the sports teams from all the towns were combined, the students attended school at their schools in the towns where they lived. It took a couple years to build the new Central High School, and in 1953, both schools consolidated finally into the new Central High School building that we attended also.
 
From a Chebanse standpoint, this is the birth of the Central High School. More needs to be found from the Clifton and Ashkum High School, and the Ash-Clif High School angle on this story.
 
Here is a little more history of the old Chebanse High School building which is worth recording, at least for the sake of preserving history.
 
In 1953, the previous Chebanse High School building was now used for the grades 1-8, and this stayed that way until 1957 when grades 1-3 were moved to West Acres Grade School (where Quay and myself attended). In 1969 grade 4-6 then moved to the West Acres School also and the Elmwood Grade School (Old Chebanse High School) was closed. This would have made the Chebanse grade school students that ended up being our 1973 Central Class the last group of 6th graders to come out of the old Chebanse High School (aka Elmwood Grade School) In 1970 the Chebanse Village Board bought the building from the school district and the Elmwood Civic Center (now known as the Chebanse Civic Center) was born.