Smithville High School, The Searchlight, 1959, Page 30

Description:	SCHOOL HISTORYClear Creek Townships first school was probably taught in 1822, near the old Woodward homestead, a short distance south of Smithville. It was held in a vacated log cabin.By 1836, there were three log schoolhouses in the township and one or two old residences usedfor school. In 1846, there were four school districts with two schools in district two. Each district had a term of three months.In 1856, school houses were located at Smithville, Harrodsburg, Fairfax, and on sections eight,eleven, and twenty-nine. By 1880-81, the township had nine school districts with a total enrollment of three hundred forty-seven pupils.Some of the local citizens of Smithville remember having gone to school over on the Leonardplace. This school was located approximately one half mile south of the Smithville ChristianChurch, on the west side of the Mt. Ebal Road.In 1884, school was held in a one room (later partitioned) brick school, located immediatelysouth of Smithville, several feet north of Jack and Mary Martins present home.In 1902, a new school was built where the high school building now stands. This building was ofbrick, two stories high, and contained four rooms. Later, around 1912, four more rooms wereadded.In 1910, the first freshman class entered Smithville High School. Ralph Wellons was the principal. Three years later(1913) the firstsenior graduated from S.H. S. The boys soon began playingbasketball. Games were played on a cinder court” northwest of the present high school building.In 1915, the town fathers built a gymnasium of frame construction. Those who had trees forlumber, or money, donated one or both; others donated their labor. Before Christmas of 1915,our boys played their first game inside.7In 1924-25, an overflow from the grades was taught in the towns K. of P. Building. Some gradeclasses continued here until the fall of 1927 when the new frame grade building was occupied bythe first six elementary grades, and the home economics and music departments.February 27, 1936, in the early morning hours, both the elementary and high school buildingsburned to the ground. In three days, high school classes began in the gymnasium, the depot,store buildings, and vacant buildings at Indiana University. Most of the grade children went toHarrodsburg.In 1938, school began in the present high school building, with some classes held again in theK. of P. Building. First the junior high and fifth and sixth grades were taught here. After that,this building housed grades three, four, five, and six, until the new elementary building was built.Three weeks before the end of the school term in the spring of 1950 a hot lunch program wasstarted by Clifford Deckard, the township trustee. Hot lunches have been served to the studentbody and teachers ever since.
Source:	http://cdm17129.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/hs-smithville/id/729
Collection:	Smithville High School

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