The first graduating class from Rock Falls Township High School (the class of 1880) contained six students. These six; Elizabeth Coe, Ella E. Dickson, John B. Brown, Charles parks, Ella Dickson and Angie Adair had attended classes in the city hall building.

B.F. Hendricks was the principal of the school at that time and other members of the board included; W.W. Brown, E.L. Walson and J.W. Nims. In 1878 it was decided to establish a high school in Rock Falls by adding only two years to the first eight grades.

In 1888, the high school moved from the city hall into the Merrill school building and then, in 1894 into a smaller building east of the main Merrill chool building. The two buildings were connected by a fire escape on which the students traveled from building to building to classes. Sessions were held in both buildings. The Rock Falls High School was established in 1918 when i moved to the Christian Church building from the Merrill School.

The new high school building on W. 2nd St. was completed in 1920. Bonds were voted by the district for $120,000 to build the school and later a levy was made to raise the amount to $160,000, which was the approximate cost of the building. On June 24, 1916 the first board of education was elected for Rock Falls Township High School. Included among that select group of educators were F.H. Geyer, president; Dr. F.J. Scott, secretary; Lawrence Church, Joseph Geoffroy, Ross Smith, Curtis Mine and Louis Oltmans.

The faculty, which numbered five, taught first in the old Christian Church. It was composed of Charles R. Holsinger, principal; Clara Young, English; Katheryn Geiger, mathematics; Etta Downey, language and history and Frances Angell, music. On October 8, 1941, just a month before the United States was brought into the second World War, a dedication program was held in honor of the the completion of the first new addition to the high school.

The overall dimension of this new addition was 107 feet 8 inches by 162 feet. The building was two stories high, with basement. Gilbert A. Johnson, who designed the Daily Gazette building, the grandon Civic Center and several other prominent building in the area during that period was the architect.

Some 330 patrons of the school had filed a petition on March 6, 1940 with the board of education asking that an election be called to vote on the question of issuing bonds for the construction of the addition. On March 30 of the same year, voters approved aproposition to authorize the board to issue bonds in the amount of $145,000 to provide funds for the erection of an addition to the high school building. The bonds were sold to John Nuveen & Company, Chicago, at 2 3/4 per cent interest per annum, and a premium of $2,200. This was considered an exceptionally good price at the time. Lindquist Construction Company, Dixon, received the contract for a bid of $108,734. The heating contract went to Nelson Piping Co., Rockford, for $13,502; the same company getting the contract for plumbing at $6,700. The electric wiring, etc., went to Broadway Electric Company of Rockford.

The total cost of the addition, equipment, extras, etc. amounted to approximately $160,000. The construction ws fireproof throughout, with the exterior walls made of solid masonry with face bricka nd stone trim to match that of the original building. Further carrying out the fireproof construction, all interior partitions were made of fireproof materials. All floors were mad eof reinforced concrete, as were wallwearings and interior columns. The "news organ" for Rock Falls Township High School in 1941 was the Arrow, which had been in print for eight years by the time the new addition was completed. The monthly paper had repeatedly received awards from the Society of the Quill and Scroll, the second highest literary award possible for high school papers at that time.

The first paper ever to be published by students from Rock Falls high School was the Owl, published in 1923, Helen Castle was editor-in-chief; Dorothy Wilson, literary editor; Grace Johnson, joke editor; William Sowles, assistant joke editor and C.K. Wallett, cartoon editor. Velma Calligan was the news editor and Robert Brainerd, sports editor. The enrollment at Rock Falls High School in 1941 was 357 students.

The Rock Falls High School board board of education, seeing the need for additional space approved a million dollar second addition to the high school in 1953. The board employed Raymond Orput and Associates of Rockford to draw up plans for the new addition with a target date of Aug. 1954. The new addition contained 15 new classrooms in the academic wing with four additional classroom in the science wing, in addition to wood, metal, electrical and agriculture shops. There were additional band and vocal music rooms and storage areas. Individual and group band practice rooms and storage rooms for instruments and uniforms were included in the new addition.

A new gymnasium was constructed to seat 3,000 people and would handle four physical education classes simultaneously. Also in the revision was a new cafeterial that could handle 350 students. The area also doubles as a study hall. The home economics department was completely remodeled and enlarged and a new entry foyer, office space, and guidance rooms included.

The Daily Gazette - July 25, 1967

Illinois - "Our Way"