Features

Despite wrecking ball, memories of old Negaunee school live on

It's been 40 years ago since the wrecking ball struck down the old Negaunee High School building in half of a full block surrounded by Teal Lake Avenue, Peck Street and Pioneer Avenue.

For those who graduated before that time, I'm sure that every class reunion held during Pioneer Week has the former students recalling the days they attended classes there.

Truckloads of memories were carried away when the old high school was torn down and a landmark of the city's history was gone. The first graduating class walked through its halls in 1909.

The students now attend a newer school that was built on the site of the former Mather B mine. The new school was a $6.7 million project that opened in September 1986.

No members of the original class from the old high school were alive at the time of its closure, but memories and stories of that class are recorded in the 1909 yearbook.

The school song was published in the yearbook. It goes as follows:

"N-E-GAU-NEE spells NEGAUNEE. We’re proud of this fine building reared above us.

"We’ll strive to prove our gratitude within us.

"N-E-GAU-NEE, you see, is the name of the school,

"We’re proud to be connected with. Negaunee for me."

More than 6,000 students graduated from the old school during the time its doors were open, according to George Collins, the school's principal. The last graduating class was comprised of 108 students and graduated on May 29, 1986.

Ruth Bell, a longtime Negaunee resident, taught English at the old high school for 25 years. She started teaching eighth-graders how to read in 1927 and later was named head of the English department. Bell was 85 years old when the school was torn down, but she thought it was a beautiful building and everyone loved it.

When you think of the years spent there, the good times and the bad, it makes you feel sad.

Edna and John Sunne both graduated from the school in the 1930s. Edna's class of 1937 was the largest, with 118 graduates, until her son graduated in 1965.

Edna didn't think the building was that old, stressing that in Europe and elsewhere, buildings were left standing for hundreds of years. She didn't want to see it torn down, but instead continue to be repaired.

George Collins, a 1948 graduate, taught there for six years, was assistant principal for 14 years and also served as principal. He was glad to see the old school building go. He felt it had seen better days; it was worn out.

Collins did say the school had many memories within the building, but those memories are with the people and the events that he experienced there, and not the building itself. He praised the qualities of the new school with its spacious classrooms, recreational facilities and a swimming pool.

Becky Hintsala, class secretary and a senior in the 1986 class, thought it was pretty cool to be the last class to graduate from the old school. Her father, Dan Hintsala, also graduated from the old school.

Becky had no sentiments about the old school. She thought it was time for a new school.

Kirk Taskila, a senior and a member of the student council, was proud to be in the class of '86, to go down in history as the last class to graduate. Both of his parents also graduated from the old school.

Today, a parking lot, a playground and a beautiful modern, middle school gymnasium are on the site of the old school. There are still people who look at pictures of their alma mater and wish they could walk the halls. They have memories of classmates, teachers and the lessons they learned.

I guess Mr. Collins was right when he said, "It's the people, it's the events and not the building itself that bring about the memories."

Virginia Paulson has been a trustee with the Negaunee Historical Society for more than two decades, previously having been on the Negaunee Public Schools board of education for 23 years and MARESA board for 17 years.