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 Photos cotributed by James Winnett |
The first school
started in Neoga was in
a small one room frame building in the East end of town. There were
eight pupils enrolled
in this first six month term.
This one-room school was in use until 1867 when a two story frame
building was erected. In 3896 this structure
was destroyed by fire and was replaced by an eight-room brick building.
Due to increased enrollment and the demand for
higher educational advantages
The two story eight room grade school building
housed both the high school and grade school
from 1684 until 1909, when the increasing attendance of rural students
made it necessary to organize the high school
district and erect a suitable high school building. The site of the
first building at the east edge of Neoga has
not been changed throughout the years. This marked the beginning of the
Neoga Township High School.
On
A change in School Code in 1947, permitting the
formation of community school units, brought
about a major change in our school system. In 1948 the rural one room
schools were abandoned and the smaller districts
were absorbed in a larger unit, marking the change from the
With the forming of this new school unit came
increased enrollment and need for added
classroom facilities. Four additional classrooms were constructed from
the old study hall in the high school building
to be used as a junior high school, but the junior high school students
were later moved to the new Elementary
school building which was built in 1960. The old gymnasium was changed
to two stories to house the community room,
cafeteria, music rooms, and farm shop.
A modern physical education plant was added to the building and
it was dedicated on
The school enrollment has continued to grow and
classes added as the need arose. In 1973 there
were 315 students in the high school with 15 full time faculty members,
5 part time, a principal, and secretary
and library aide. Many of the students are brought to school in the
fleet of 17 buses.
The largest class to graduate from the high school
was 65 in 1970.
| Class of 1887 | Class of 1889 | Class of 1891 | Class of 1893 |
| Bradman, Alice Hancock, Carrie Hancock, Cora Husband, Elsie Wright, Ada Smith, Minnie |
Joseph, Lorette Kelley, Leni McKay, Oliver Mitchell, Blanche Ragan, Samuel |
Black, Maude Estes, Eva Hancock, Gertrude Ragan, Robert Wallace, Minnie White, Fairelandar White, Mattie |
Comstock, Charles Ewing, Florence Hancock, Maude Jones, Alice Mitchell, Maude Ragan, Belle Singer, Dollie |
| Class of 1895 | Class of 1897 | Class of 1899 | Class of 1901 |
| Dodge, George Ewing, Charles Fisher, Meville Good, Minnie Head, Mae McKinney, James Morrison, Ellen Packer, Herbert |
Clark, George Cullum, Edna DeVore, Thomas Gibson, Walter Good, Charles Hancock, Charles Holloway, Ulva Jones, Lucy Leffler, William Lindley, Walter Ragan, Carroll Voris, Henry Willson, Irene Wright, Robert |
Clark, Charles Dryden, Duff Fulstone, Emily Keller, Lilly Kenworthy, Lee Lacy, Maude Osborne, Clarence Phelps, Anna Phelps, Eva Swengel, Fred B. |
Bingaman, Bertha Good, Verna Kenworthy, Lulu Leffler, Maurice Neighbor, Clarence |
| Class of 1902 | Class of 1903 | Class of 1904 | Class of 1905 |
| Cullum, Mary Good, Grace Husband, Adolph Lindley, Jennie McCormick, Fairy Roberts, Zella Voris, Louis Kirkam Votaw, Inez |
Birch, Fausta Fretts, Florence Fancher, Irma Head, Gertrude McMunn, Stella Short, Clifford |
Carey, Ethel Swengle, Clarence Edwin |
Bassett, Ina Good, blanche Hancock, Faye McCartney, Nettie Peters, Bertha Reid, Ella Votaw, Lilah Wilson, Gertrude |
| Class 1906 | Class 1907 | Class of 1908 | Class of 1909 |
| Burton, Lulu Capps, Beulah Champion, Grace Clay, Nellie Dodds, Belva Lindley, Maye McMunn, Lockie Short, Leon |
Burton, Nellie Brant, Edith Cline, Menzo Crookshank, Leota Curry, Edith Good, Nelson Dougherty, George Hardin, Irene Neighbor, Floy Ragan, Lucia Roberts, Edna |
Burton, Lucille Baker, Grace Capps, Cora Hand, Grace Lacy, Robert Lawson, Fred Voris, Katherine Votaw, Howard Wilson, Lola |
Baker, Richard Coen, Roscoe Dougherty, Xenophen Ewing, Portia Fabcher, Eva Garrett, Leslie Kimery, Horace Lacy, Florence Wakefield, Verna |
| Class
of 1910 First class to graduate from M.E. Church |
Class
of 1911 First class to graduate from the New High School Building |
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| Bosley, Pearl Caldwell, Lloyd Curry, Elizabeth McMannigel, Clara McMannigel, William Swengel, Blanche |
Buchanan, Blanche Buchanan, lelia Coen, Stanley Dow, Julien Everhart, Philip Ewing, Dorothy Ewing, Everett McAllister, Mabel Whitten, Leslie Wilson, Jennie Young, Ferne Young, Minnie |
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| Class
of 1940 Class Roll Graduating May 29, 1940 |
Class
Officers President- Majorie Young Vice President- John Jacobson Sec.-Treasure- Margaret Wente |
Board Of Education President- Dr. S.E. Bigler Secretary- Mr.O.E. Young - Mr. E. G. Brick Mr. W.H. Bingham - Mr. R.E. Strohm |
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| Lloyd Zimmer Aileen Burge John Jacobson Wandalee Taylor Norman Peyton Marjorie Young Addison Hill Elwanda Drennan Joseph Swinchart Marcella Boldt Dean McAllister Dennis Young |
Lewis Claybaugh Mary Alice Brown Thomas Buress Margaret Norton Thomas Holladay Virginia Wagner Harold Walk Daisy Bell Greeson Gene Barber Harvey Watkins Eugene Albin |
Nelle Farris margaret Anderson Robert McKinney Donald Miller Helen Snodgrass William Drennan Chole White Robert Swanson Margaret Wente Charles Albin Mary Alice Ralston |
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By
Evelyn Alexander and Pat Williamson This is the first of three feature
articles about Neoga schools and educators.
during the last 50 years.
In 1948 voters in and around Neoga approved the formation of Neoga
Community Unit #3. Numerous area one-room school
houses were closed and bussing of students to central locations began.
Students were housed at Etna, Trowbridge,
Pioneer School on Rt.121 and Neoga Elementary and High Schools.
Eventually the schools at Etna and : Trowbridge
were closed and grades one through eight were taught at Pioneer' School
and Neoga Elementary. In the 1949-1950
school year, junior high school for grades 7-8 was formed in the high
school building. In 1959, by a vote of 547
to 709, approval was given to sell $350,000 in bonds to build Neoga
Elementary and Junior High School on West Sixth
St. Junior high school student were then moved from the high school to
the new building. The elementary students
in Pioneer Elementary School and Neoga Elementary School were combined
with the configuration of 'the grade levels
in each building changing as needed. In 1954 a new gymnasium was built
for Neoga High School, and the old gym was
converted to a cafeteria, band room and farm shop, On March 12, 1977
ground was broken for Neoga Junior-Senior
High School on East Seventh St. The building was built around] the
existing gymnasium and the old high school building
was demolished. Junior high: students were then moved to the new
building. In 2003 Neoga Middle School, housing
grades for four through six was opened in the new building behind the
high school, and Pioneer Elementary School
was closed. Presently. grades preschool through three attend
Neoga Elementary
School, grades four through six attend Neoga Middle School and grades
seven through twelve attend Neoga Junior-Senior
High School.
"Vintage
base ball is a gentlemen's and gentle ladies' I game," said Lee Slider,
a . semi-retired cultural
in. interpreter with the Macon County Conservation District, in his
1860 persona as Joseph Trobaugh, "owner"
of the Ground Squirrels. "The game is played for fun, friendship and
education. While teams try their very
best to win, the real purpose of
the game is to give spectators a glimpse , into our past and the
origins l of our national pastime."
Vintage base ball is on the schedule for Friday night
during Neoga's Sesquicentennial in September.
Carol Walk and the Sesqui committee are looking for players. Anyone
interested - in playing should contact her
at 895-3286. "We would like to have between 16 and 20
players of various ages, but if we have
more than that, it would. be great, Walk said. No special equipment is
required, though players might want to wear
rubber cleats. Players do
not need gloves. The only thing they are asking is that players
purchase a Sesquicentennial t-shirt and come up
with nicknames for themselves.
(contributed by Bob Young)