History of Reardan School Buildings

Reardan has gone through a set of buildings and remodelings over the years. This leads some confusion as to what was there and when. Hopefully this time line will help to clarify this. Dates are approximate until better information can be found.

1881-1893 School House

The first school house in Reardan was actually built in Fairweather before Reardan was platted (in 1888). It was a frame structure with only one classroom.

The location of this school house is hard to confirm. It is supposed to be "on the road to the cemetery." That would indicate the present day "Central Street." Some accounts have it on Broadway Ave, others seem to indicate that is is closer to the cemetery. One account says it is across the gulch from the present school>" Most of the references are to homes of owners who have long ago passed. The most left hand building in the 1905 photo on the right almost matches the above photographs. This would put the school house on Broadway Avenue.

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  Fairweather school sometime between 1881 and 1893. (Photo held by the Lincoln County Historic Society.)

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  Fairweather school nearer to 1890 with teacher identified at Mr. Beck. (Photo held by the Lincoln County Historic Society.)

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  1905 Possible location of Fairweather school on Broadway as left most white building. (Photo held by the Lincoln County Historic Society.)

1892-1930 Elementary School

The elementary school house was erected in 1892. The first floor had four classrooms and the second floor was all one room.

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  Elementary school and student body 1898. (Photo held by the Reardan School District.)

1906-1953 High School

The high school was built in 1906. There was a lunch room in the basement of this building.

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  1906 high school under construction. (Photo held by the Reardan School District.)

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  This smudged view shows the wood shed and other structures out back as well as the native grasses in the lawn and street. (Photo by Otto Mahrt)

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  Elementary and high schools side by side close to the completion of the high school in 1907 judging by the lack of trees and grass. (Photo held by the Reardan School District.)

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  Grade school, high school and wood pile. (Photo by Otto Mahrt.)

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  This is a similar view but dated 1910. Trees and grass are planted, side walk has moved, Spokane Avenue is still primitive. It is possible that the structure partially visable on the right hand edge is the gymnasium.

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  Reardan teachers and back door of high school 1912. (Photo by Otto Mahrt.)

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  1916 view of the assembly room on top floor. (Photo held by the Reardan School District.)

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  1916 view of domestic science room. (Photo held by the Reardan School District.)

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  1916 view of the chemistry and physics lab. (Photo held by the Reardan School District.)

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  1911 view of physics classroom. (Photo by Otto Mahrt.)

1907 student body photograph showing many of the first graduates of Reardan High School.
Front Row: Clifford Solverson (1913), Otto Mahrt (1912), John Brommer, James Dueber (1912), Norman Raymer (1913), Ray(mond) Smith, Will King (1912), Stanley Rinker (or Albert Riha), Bruno Franke, Albert Kelso, ?
Second row: Bertha Leck, Irma Koeller, Iva Davidson (1910), Blanche Kelso (1912), Margaret Fitzgerald (1912), Ella Moriarty (1910), Josephine Lacy (1910), Myrtle Brown?, Charles Zeimantz (1909), Albert Ryder (1909), Will(ie) Shoemaker,
Back Row: Zoe (or Vona) Shoemaker, Grace Sullivan, Mary Schultz, Eva Chillis, Iva Lyle, Lulu Bentley (1911), Charlotte (Lotta) Dueber (1911), W.H. Padley (principal), Thea Bender (teacher), Mr. Stringer (teacher), Walter Ryder, Ernest Davidson (1909), Walter Hinkle (to become a long time and beloved janitor of the school.
(Photo held by Kirk Carlson.)

1911-ish Gymnasium and Auditorium

As the school offered high school subjects, a separate wood frame building was constructed south of the high school to house a gymnasium and a stage for theatrical productions and presentations. The gymnasium was heated with wood stoves which had to be avoided. This was build some time between 1911 and 1915.

There are several photographs of the stage. Some of these photographs are labeled as being on the second floor the Stevenson building, but they all appear to be the same stage. Reportedly there was a stage in the Stevenson building. Otto Mahrt's graduation ceremonies in 1912 were in the Stevenson building, so that indicates there was some school use of that building. One of the photographs shows roof rafters which indicate it was the gynasium and not the flat roofed Stevenson building.

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  Basketball players outside of gym some time between 1915 and 1930. (Photo held by the Reardan Memorial Library.)

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  Aerial view of Reardan in 1921 including view of first gymnasium and the stage extending out on the north side. (Photo from Dan Plaster collection.)

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  The right side of the background of a student body photograph shows the gym. (Original photo held by the Reardan Memorial Library.)

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  This 1911 shot of the stage shows roof rafters angling toward the stage which indicates that the audience would be seated in the court of the gym and the stage extended out the side. (Original photo held by the Reardan Memorial Library.)

1920ish Bus Garage

A bus garage was built to accommodate and service the growing bus fleet south of the high school building. It is possible that the wood frame gymnasium was used for this purpose after the 1930 school was built. Little is known about this structure.

This was torn down in 1939 to make way for the Vocational Agriculture building.

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  portion of 1930 Sanford insurance map showing the bus garage under the map key. East is up, north is to the left.

1925ish Football Field and Tennis Courts

Reardan started a football team in 1925 and of course it required a field to play on. Initially they probably played on the lawn in front of the two schools. By the late 1940s, three tennis courts were built immediately south of the elementary school and south of that, on a rise, was the football field.

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  This was Reardan's first football team. They likely played on the front lawn of the two schools (hence the sidewalks.)

1930-1953 Grade School and 1953-1980 High School

In 1930 a larger grade school was built. This building has a gymnasium in the basement and an auditorium on the second floor both of which were used by the high school. This building was used as an elementary school until 1953 when it began life as a high school. In 1960 the gynasium was closed in and three classrooms were added on the first floor. The basement because a recreation room for dances, carnivals and other activities. In the 1970s, a portion of this room was used for band and chorus.

The older elementary school is demolished to make room for this building.

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  By 1937 football was played on a field south of the grade school. Here one can see the large supply of wood required to heat the two buildings through a winter.

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  This is the earliest know photo of the front side school. This is a 1939 third and fourth grade class, but it shows the school and the lettering on it.

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  This shows the grade school beside the high school between 1930 and 1955. This particular photo was after 1939 because the vocational agriculture building is visable on the right.

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  1955-1980 High school and east side of what became known as the Smith Gym.

1939 Vocational Agriculture Building

In 1939 a vocational agriculture building is built to house the Smith-Hughes vocational agriculture program. This was built on the site of the 1920ish bus garage, which was dismantled.

This building was remodeled in 1952 to add more shop space especially for teaching welding.

About 1972 an addition was built on the west side of the building to accommodate a greenhouse to add horticulture to the curriculum.

In 1980 at least part of the building was converted into a steam plant used to heat all of the buildings on the campus. A new vocational agriculture building was built at this time.

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  In the background of this shot is the vocational agriculture building, the high school, a corner of the grade school and the tennis courts.

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  1966 shot of the classroom.

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  1966 shot of a shop project for park trash barrels.

1939 Bus Garage

The first bus garage was dismantled and a new larger bus garage was built south of the east side of the 1930 grade school to accommodate and service the growing bus fleet.

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  In this 1950 shot, the football team is playing on its field. In the background is the grade school, tennis courts and bus garage. By this time the bus garage had been expanded on the south end to accommodate more buses. The original north end was the mechanics shop for working on the buses.

1940s Tennis Courts

Three outdoor tennis courts are built with an asphalt surface immediately south of the 1930 building some time during the 1940s.

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  In the background of this shot is the vocational agriculture building, the high school, and the tennis courts.

There was a tennis program in the 1910s. It is not known where they played...in the gymnasium or on outdoor courts. It is also not known if the tennis program was offered every year as there is some evidence that the Girl's League got to vote on which sports would be offered in the following year.

1953 Grade School

Building 1953 was built to be used as a grade school. During this period, the vocational agriculture building 1939 is expanded to have more shop space. The grade school was built on the existing football field.

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north face of grade school building.

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south face of grade school building.

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interior classroom.

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interior multi-purpose room.

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The 1930 grade school is converted to be used as the high school. At the same time, the vocational agriculture building was extended with additional shop spacw. At some point the basement classroom was changed to be a home ec classroom and the room above that was converted into a chemistry/physics/biology lab and classroom.

1954 Football Field

The second football field is built south of Summit Street and the 1953 Grade School building playground. This field included a baseball diamond with a backstop and two dugouts and a second practice baseball backstop. A wooden bleacher was built to accommodate football spectators. About 1970 a house was moved from the lot across Street and east of the high school beside the field to serve as storage and concession stand.

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football team on field around 1955.

1960 Gymnasium and High School Remodel

A new stand alone gymnasium was built. It had larger bleachers to accommodate more spectators. It was used primarily for high school basketball, altough it found service in middle school and high school physical education.

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  The north end and main entrance of what became known as the Smith Gym.

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  The Aspen Street side of the school looking south at the west side of the Smith Gym, greenhoouse, ag shop and grade school. This was taken after the 1972 addition of the greenhouse to the vocational agriculture building and the 1974 construction of the tennis courts on the Joe Johnson Playground.

The Gymnasium was renamed the Smith Gymnasium in 1990 to honor long time coach Gene Smith.

Building 1930 was remodeled to add three class rooms over the old gymnasium, now used as recreation room.

Aerial view of school around 1960

Note: - Gym [now Smith Gym] is present - shop part of ag building is present - tennis courts next to 1930 building are present - bus garage on east side of block is present with seven buses - baseball dugout and bleachers present on athletic field - tether ball poles are present on grade school playground - barely visible are swings, slide and merry-go-round on primary playground - near top center is the town library (near where post office is now (c1970-2020)

1974 Football Field, Track, and Tennis Courts

{{<figure src="1980-aerial-view-playground-and-tennis-courts.png" comment="Areial view of grade school expansion (1980) playground, tennis courts, storage/restrooms/concession building and part of track (1974)">}} In the summer of 1974 the football field is expanded to accommodate five tennis courts, a track and a baseball field (which conflict with track and football field). This is now known as the J. B. Johnson Playfield.

1979 High School

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  1980 aerial view of the two high schools and two gyms looking north

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  1980 aerial view of high schools and gyms looking south

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  1980 aerial view of the Joe Johnson playground, remodeled grade school and

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  1988 aerial view of the school

Buildings in pictures

1. Bus shop 1981
2. Vocational Agriculture 1980
3. Gymnasium 1980
4. High School 1980
5. Elementary addition 1979 to Elementary 1953
6. Elementary 1953 remodeled to remove window walls.
7. Playground
8. Heating Plant (1980?)
9. Ag Shop (1939 and 1953) and Greenhouse (1971)
10. Elementary (1930-1953) and high school (1953-1980)
11. Smith Gymnasium 1960
12. Tennis Courts 1974
13. J. B. Johnson playfield 1974

2001 Baseball Fields

Two baseball fields are built east of town.

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baseball fields.

Around 2019 Remodeling

A Commons is added between the grade school and the high school. The Smith Gymnasium is remodeled. Names are added to the buildings to assist visitors in finding the right place.