History of Columbia City High School
Columbia City High School is 135 years old in 2016 and every year has been alive with education, people and change. Before today's blue jeans and t-shirts, CCHS saw long skirts and bustles; crinolines, pony tails, and saddle shoes; and mini-skirts and go-go boots. It has taught readin' and writin' as well as computer science and driver training. Discipline began with the willow stick and evolved to psychology and suspensions.
Organized in 1877 by W. C. Barnhart, CCHS first held school in 1880 in the first West Ward building, erected in 1869 one-half block north of West Van Buren Street between Elm and Walnut streets. Mr. Barnhart was superintendent and J. E. McDonald was its principal. The two students in this class were awarded diplomas in 1881, those being Miss Nathalie (Mason) Mullon and David S. Linvill, who became one of the town's leading physicians. This building was demolished and in 1905 a new high school was erected on the site.
Until 1909 the faculty consisted of a principal and five assistants. In the beginning CCHS taught the studies required for a four year course but later introduced new ones. By 1909 the school had 225 students enrolled and subjects included Latin (elementary Latin, Caesar, Cicero and Virgil), history (Ancient, Modern, English and U.S.), English (rhetoric, literature, word-study, grammar and composition), mathematics (algebra, plane & solid geometry and arithmetic), science (botany, physics, zoology, commercial & physical geography), music, physiology and civics.
Trivia Question: What year was the school yearbook first published? Answer & More History
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Trivia Question: What year was the first yearbook published? Answer: 1909. It was called "The Columbia City High School Annual" and in 1910 "The Senior." In 1911 the yearbook committee decided the name should be more representative of the entire high school and renamed it "Columbian." They requested that this name be given due consideration the next year before adopting another. . |
In 1905 a new high school building was erected beside the second West Ward School, one-half block north of West Van Buren Street between Elm and Walnut streets. Two and one-half stories tall, the brick structure was considered one of the best constructed buildings in northern Indiana at the time. It contained an assembly room, classrooms, two offices, two laboratories with equipment, library, gymnasium and several other rooms. Located south of West Ward School, rebuilt in 1889, the high school completed the school block, which now stood ready to educate generations of local children from 1st to 12th grade. Kindergarten was added in the 1940s.
The second West Ward School was built in 1889:
Even in the early 1900s athletics were an important part of high school, with girls participating as well as boys. Sports included baseball, football, basketball and tennis. The tennis courts were at the rear (west side) of the building. In 1903 the Athletic Association was organized to oversee the sports programs.
Trivia Question: Before being named the "Eagles," what were the CCHS athletic teams called? Answer & More History