The old Ishpeming High School is pictured. (Photo courtesy of the Ishpeming Historical Society)

ISHPEMING — On the morning of Aug. 25, 1930, Ishpeming High School janitor M.F. Lally was working in the auditorium when he heard a crackling noise, which he went to investigate. “When he entered the auditorium, he discovered fire under the stage. He summoned Melvin Collick, who was close at hand, and the two endeavored to conquer the flames with the aid of a fire line. They soon learned that they were making no headway, so an alarm was sounded.” (Iron Ore, Aug. 30, 1930)

By the time the fire department reached the scene, the fire gained headway and within a short time broke through the roof, aided by a skylight and open windows. A call was put in for aid from Negaunee and together the two departments worked to save the manual training school on the west and the Central building on the east.

“When the flames were finally brought under control the interior of the building had been gutted and the roof destroyed and little more than the walls remained of an edifice which had served this city as a public high school for 22 years.” (Mining Journal, Aug. 26, 1930)

“The people of Ishpeming are grateful to the members of the Negaunee fire department for the gallant service which they performed Monday in fighting the high school blaze.” “Co-operation of this sort between neighboring cities is appreciated. Differences of opinion crop to the surface at times, but when the fire gong sounds everything else is forgotten and assistance is soon at hand. Negaunee has good reason to be proud of its firefighters.” (Op-Ed, Iron Ore, Aug. 30, 1930)

“It was just two years previous to the day that the Nelson Hotel was totally destroyed in a far more spectacular fire. These are the two greatest losses which Ishpeming has suffered through fire in a quarter of a century.” (Iron Ore, Aug. 30, 1930)

The school board sprang into action. School would start in little more than a week and the members were not going to let the fire deter them from educating Ishpeming’s students. On Tuesday the 26th, one day after the fire, the members looked over the city to find suitable quarters to use as classrooms. Since no one structure was big enough to hold everyone, the classrooms would be spread out across the city.

The domestic science department moved to the Grammar school (Corner of First and North Sts.) and the physics and chemistry departments moved to the basement of the manual training school. Also rented were the Sutinen building, corner of Division and First Sts, the first floor of the Swedish Home Society, Cleveland Ave, the basement of the First Methodist Episcopal church, the lodge room of the Knights of Pythias and a portion of the Y.M.C.A. W.F.Rouck and the Odd Fellows offered space in their respective buildings as well.

“The task of organizing the high school class work under such conditions is a trying one, but Superintendent C.L. Phelps believes that there will be little or no delay in getting started next week. All of the schools of the city will be open next Tuesday morning, Sept. 2.” (Iron Ore, Aug. 30, 1930)

Enrollment was up as well, possibly a byproduct of the Depression. Students who normally might have left school early to get a job were choosing to stay in school due to the lack of employment. “Principal O.E. Johnson reports that there are 596 students enrolled in the Ishpeming high school, this being five in excess of the figures of a year ago this week.” “The high school work is moving along smoothly in spite of the many handicaps. Classes are being held in a number of buildings, but there are few delays. Classes commence earlier in the morning and continue a trifle later in the afternoon to compensate for the loss of time between recitations.” (Iron Ore, Sept. 13, 1930)

Once the classroom situation was solved, the board quickly turned its attention to the matter of building a new school. “The loss is estimated at more than $100,00, which is covered by $81,000 insurance, the limit that the board of education was permitted to carry by the underwriters.” “The school was far from being a first-class building. The desire at the time of its erection, in 1908, was to save the taxpayers money and the board went to extremes in this direction. Only the passageways were fire-proof, and much of the interior was of cheap construction. This is the first school building to burn in the history of the city.” (Iron Ore, Aug. 30, 1930)

Seven architects submitted plans. “At a recent meeting of the local board of education a contract was awarded to the Walter S. Holmes company, of Lansing and Chicago, well known architects, to prepare plans for reconstructing the high school building.” “N.A. Nelson, Ironwood architect, will be associated with the Holmes company.”

“The board is to receive about $78,000 from insurance companies, but a bond issue will be necessary to meet the construction costs. A special election of the taxpayers will be held prior to the time of starting actual work.” “It is estimated that the cost of reconstruction will be in the neighborhood of $250,000. If this figure is close to the contract figure, about $175,000 will have to be raised from the sale of bonds.” (Iron Ore, Sept. 20, 1930)

“The firm of architects that has been engaged by the board of education to prepare plans for Ishpeming’s reconstructed high school has submitted preliminary blueprints and a colored sketch of the new high school group. Those who have viewed the sketch are highly pleased with the result and realize that the new group will be a most attractive one.” (Iron Ore, Sept. 27, 1930)

“Not a single vote was cast against the proposal to bond the local school district for $175,000 to aid in the reconstruction of the high school, the Central school and the manual training building. Seventy-two votes, all that were cast, favored the issue. “(Iron Ore, Oct. 25, 1930) Frank Tomlinson of Ashland, Wi, was the general contractor.

“John A. Wuorisalo, 213 Oak street, was instantly killed Wednesday afternoon when he fell from the balcony of the auditorium of the high school to the floor below, a distance of about 12 feet. He suffered a fractured skull. The workman, who was employed by William Trebilcock, who has the contract to tear down a part of the structure, had completed his duties for the moment as was standing at the edge of the balcony looking down, when he lost his balance.” (Iron Ore, Oct. 18, 1930)

The class of 1931 was perhaps the only graduating class to not have their ceremony in the high school auditorium, instead they used the Ishpeming theater.

Work on the high school proceeded on schedule throughout the year. “The local schools, both public and parochial, are to start the school year on Tuesday, Sept. 8, the latest opening in a number of years.

It is not likely that all of the class rooms in the new high school building, one of the finest in the upper peninsula, will be in readiness for the opening, but sufficient of them will be so that class work can get underway immediately. The auditorium is not going to be completed for several weeks.” (Iron Ore, Aug. 29, 1931.)