Page Title

School History

History of the Armour School
Information courtesy of Douglas County: “The Little Giant” by Robert F. Karolevitz;
Armour Community 75th Anniversary Diamond Jubilee Edition: 1886-1961 by Mr.
and Mrs. Maynard H. Goehring; and Douglas County History and Centennial
Observances: 1961 by Argus Printers.

The Armour School was first organized in December of 1886, with
classes held in the Congregational Church. The church had been
moved to Armour from Grandview in November of the same year.
The first teacher at the new school was Miss Lora Stockwell, who
later married H.B. Mead.

An election was held in August of the following year to consider a
$2,000 bond issue to build a school. There were only 39 votes
cast in the election, with 38 favoring the building and one vote
against. This election was later considered invalid due to an
informality but a new election produced the same results.

According to Armour Community 75th Anniversary Diamond
Jubilee Edition: 1886-1961, the board of directors for the school
advertised for sealed bids for four $500 school bonds at seven-
percent interest, payable semi-annually and maturing in 1902. The
Citizen’s Bank received the bid at $2,040.

The building was completed in November of 1887 and accepted
by the school board. E. P. Wanzer was hired as the first teacher in
the new building. Classes were held in the new building beginning
in December of 1887. Later, both Mr. and Mrs. Wanzer taught at
the new school.

The school offered its first complete 12-year course beginning in
1905 when J. W. Jackson was superintendent. The first class to
graduate from the 12-year course was the Class of 1906.
Members of this class included Ruth Booher, Howard F. Cline and
Nellie Taylor. They received their diplomas from James Carlon,
president of the Board of Education, in a ceremony held at the
Opera House on May 18, 1906. Courses taken by this class
included Latin, Physics, English Literature and “Review.”

In 1906, it became evident that a larger school was needed, and
bids were let in January of 1907. The successful bidder was W.
G. Murton of Emerson, Nebraska, who received the bid at
$25,340.

Plans for the new school building included a foundation of “Sioux
Falls granite,” upper floors of “Twin City pressed brick” and
“Kettle River stone facing.” The completion date was set for Sept.
1, 1907.

School dismissed in April of 1906 to give the contractors time to
begin working on the new school. The former school was cut in
two, with half of the building reserved for the Odd Fellows’ Hall
and moved to lots on North Main.

However, the new school was not completed in September as
hoped, and classes that fall had to be held in various locations
throughout town including the half of the building that had been
moved, the Christian Church and the courthouse. The new
building was finished and accepted by the school board in
January of 1908.

The community would not enjoy the new building long, however,
before a problem arose. In May of the same year (1908), a
tornado hit the building and blew down the school’s chimney
which fell through the roof into the basement. Damage to the new
building was estimated at $3,000-$5,000.

The high school was first accredited by the North Central
Association of teachers Colleges and Secondary Schools in 1919
and still operates as an accredited school.

Bids for the present high school were let in July of 1926, with
Peter Kuypers of Platte receiving the contract at $38,150. J.
Raben of Armour receive the contract for plumbing, heating and
ventilation at an additional cost of $8,970.