This is the former Central Grade School in the city of Negaunee. (Photo courtesy of the Negaunee Historical Society)

NEGAUNEE — “Miner’s Tales” is a book written by the students of the Negaunee Middle School.

In 1987 the students at the Negaunee Middle School were involved in a history project to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the school and a Michigan Sesquicentennial Project. Students chose a special person to interview that could tell them what they remembered about the school when it was the Central Grade School.

The building was opened and dedicated on February 12, 1937. It was constructed during the Roosevelt presidency through the Federal PWA act. The scholl cost was $260,000 and it replaced the Case Street School which was built on the same site in 1888. So for many years this block has served as a school site for Negaunee residents.

Don Mourand was the principal at that time and the teachers that were involved in the project were, Mrs. Finkbeiner, Mr. Peterson,Mrs. Kemppainen, Mr.Ilnicky, Mr. Boase, Mr. Frisk, Mr. Koski, Mrs. Maki, and Mr. Haines. Lori Hill interviewed Marjorie Kallioinen Hiironen, who attended Rolling Mill School and in the second grade she was bused to Central Grade and she thought the floors looked like a palace compared to the wooden floors at Rolling Mill. In the early 40’s with the war going on they put on a program all about the songs from the army and navy.

She had to wear an air force uniform which she made herself. She wore a Lindy hat that was made of brown leather with flaps that would come over her ears.

It was like a hat that pilots wore. Her uniform consisted of jodphurs, they looked like jockey pants, she wore a leather jacket and a white scarf. With so many men gone to war we all had a feeling of patriotism.

Toni Paris interviewed her grandmother, Allie Jarvi, who was a cook at Central Grade. She said they served class A lunches, pizza, lasagne,chili and pasty. Debbie St. Aubin interviewed Elizabeth Trewhella who remembered how nice it was to go into a brand new school and how bright the classrooms were.

She remembered Nellie McAuliff who was the principal, she said she was strict but she respected her for that. Jana Price, interviewed her father Don Price. Don says, ” It makes me shiver to think about it.

When I was in the first grade in 1940 we had to bring a spoon from home and the teacher would come along and dip it into a jar, get some cod liver and make me swallow it.

We also had to take an iodine pill. The pill wasn’t quite as bad. Don’s father was a janitor at the school when it first opened and worked there for 28 years.

His mother was in the hospital and his dad took him to the school when he went to work. His dad gave him a basketball to shoot in the gym. He remembers that there was only one male teacher, Mr. McDonald.

He liked him because he talked about sports, but another person, Charles Stolnack liked Mr. McDonald because he taught history and he acted out the parts and it made it easier to do our homework.

Mr. Stolnack remembered when his teacher Rico Zenti gave them an assignment to bring their footprint to school and about four of them did not and the teacher told them to get a large sheet of paper and go into the boy’s room and put their foot into the washbowl and put their wet foot on the paper and bring it back to class.

We didn’t get a grade but I often thought how funny we must have looked putting our feet in the washbowl. Rebecca Mattson Thompson attended Central in 1953-1956 and she remembered the fairy tale tiles on the walls (still there) and the stairs going to each level of the school and thought it was unique with benches and cases on each landing.

And the kindergarten class had a slide and a piano. She liked when they circled around the piano to sing. I will add that the school had a dentist’s office and Dr. Sangregret came on a regular basis to check everyone’s teeth.

That dentist chair is at the Negaunee museum. In the Iron Herald February 5, 1937. The kindergarten will be about the most attractive portion of the building.

Surely such an attractive and well designed room will be a factor to children starting on their educational path.

With plenty of light, a beautiful pool( yes it did have a pool with water toys) and all equipment suitable for little folks, kindergarten children will have a happy time.