Pictured is the Case Street school. (Photo courtesy of the Negaunee Historical Society)

NEGAUNEE — In 1865, the first school building, known as the “Union School,” was erected on Case Street in the vicinity of today’s Middle School.

It was a wooden structure and it was built at the cost of $6,000. It burned in the first year and was rebuilt at a cost of $10,000. In 1870, the population of Negaunee had grown over 3,000 people, resulting in the construction of the Jackson School on Snow Street in 1871.

The school was a two story building with four classrooms accommodating grades one through eight. Each teacher was responsible for two grades. The school served students until 1941.

After the school closed it was used for a youth center until the 1960s when the west end of the city was vacated. In 1881 there were 760 students attending Negaunee schools, and by 1882 due to overcrowding, most classes were operating on a half day schedule to accommodate more students.

At that time, there were 1,500 students in the district. There was little action taken at that time because the parochial school would soon be open and that would take some of the pressure off of the public school; system.

By 1886, overcrowding was so severe that classes were often held outside of the school building and at the town hall. The school board worked toward raising money for a new school building and purchased additional lots adjacent to the Union School, but two bond issues failed before a third bond issue passed.

The Union School was now sold to the Finnish church and was moved to Mitchell Avenue where it was used for a church until 1922. In the spring of 1888, a new brick Case Street school was built at the cost of $40,000. When the school was opened it served all grades. In the 1894-95 school year the school received accreditation by the University of Michigan and an athletics program was started.

After the opening of several neighborhood schools, Park Street, Rolling Mill, Queen Mine, Buffalo Mine, Mary Charlotte and Lincoln schools, the Case Street school served as Negaunee’s first high school.

A bond proposal of $125,000 was passed in 1907 to build a new high school. The new High School was built in 1909 on the corner which faced Pioneer Avenue, Peck Street and Teal Lake Avenue.

The Case Street school continued serving students at various levels until 1935. During the Depression years a trend toward consolidation began and the two room schools in remote areas were closed because it was cheaper to bus students than to maintain the buildings.

The Case Street school was razed and it was replaced by the Central Grade school which now is Negaunee’s Middle school.

The Jackson school and the Park Street school were closed in 1945. After World War II, the population continued to grow and the Central school was overcrowded.

Houses were being moved into the Suess addition and new homes were being built and in the fall of 1949 a $650,000 bond proposal was approved and Lakeview school was built and occupied in 1951.