Volume 11 , Issue 5

Logan County High School - 1903-1911

Accordiing to the Chronicles of Oklahoma, Vol. 37, pg 199, -- Logan County High School was the first of the five to organize, at Guthrie, where there was already a good school in the Territorial capitol city.

It was a continuation and expansion of Guthrie High School, enlarged to provide for all of Logan County and with county-wide financial support.

It was soon after the Territorial Legislature passed the county high school law, the Guthrie Commercial Club appointed a committee to work with County Superintendent W. S. Calvert to formulate plans to establish a school there.

there was an election November, 1902, voters of the county gave more than a 500 majority in favor of the proposal. Trustees Stafford and Calvert were sent to towns in Kansas and Missouri to study similar schools there and to suggest plans for building.

School opened in the fall of 1903, using the Christian Church to supplement the room provided by the guthrie High School building. The new building of 23 rooms was occupied, December 17, 1904 and dedicated February 18, 1905.

This larger structure sufficed for the county school during its eight years of existence. In 1911, Logan County High School was discontinued and the title to the building was transferred to the Guthrie District and the work of Guthrie High School resumed in it.

In 1925-26, the senior high school was moved to its new home near the masonic Temple, and what had been Logan County High School building was then used by Fogarty Junior High School. This building was i North Guthrie and just east of US Hwy 77, was later razed to give way to the more modern home for Fogarty High School.

Logan County High School actually served the entire county, not only the local area. Enrollment the first year was 316, with 390 the second year and 422 the third year, and with only 185 living in Guthrie. In 1908, it was 508 and later passed 600, with every township represented.

The first graduating class of 15 had doubled by 1906, and they continued to grow. W. S. Calvert was the first principal, and followed by Snowdon Parlette and then by Chas. H. Roberts. They were supported by staffs of able teachers, trained in good colleges. The last years the faculty exceeded 2o instructors.

The Logan County High School offered a high grade of work. Its large enrollment in the earlier years many included those who could not otherwise have secured a high school education.

The Farmers Institute of Logan county adopted a resolution in 1908, calling for repeal of the county high school law which, "taxed the whole county for the education of the children where the school was located." As the little high schools grew, more tax payers felt the burden of supporting two high school programs.

By 1911, the need of the county high school had decreased to the extent that, by agreement of those concerned, it was discontinued. In 1959 there were six high schools in Logan County with five or more teachers each, providing good facilities within easy reach of all logan county youth.
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