18
The Civil War naturally affected the public schools, Many boys
apparently quit school to enter the arzy as there were no pupils graduated
in 1861 or 1865. Principal Lockwoo4, accompanied by a goup of high school
boys., responded to the last call for volunteers. Five of the boys were
members of the gradtating class and were avarded their diplomas with the
class of June 1864.
As the city population grew in the late 60's and 70'., and greater
interest was taken in education the ned for more schools bewm  urgent.
A letter in the C   tt of Febrzry 4, 1876 written by J. B. Whiting, Clerk
of the Board, gives a picture of the conditions,
"The City has now 1,352 sittils, not counting the sittings
in the Hinh School. It has enrolled as mbers for the current
year 1,63 , of which'number 109 are membrs of the High School
proper, leaving 1,527 to be accommodated by 1,362 seats.....
It is true that the entire enrollment are never present at any
given day. But it is true that the capacity has compelled the
Board of Education to divide all the priry departnts on
the vest side into sections, thus instructing one half of the
school in the morning, and the other half in the afternoon,"
Kr. Whitney goes on to say that parents were very dissatisfled with the
existing setvp, and felt that promotions had been necessary before the.
pupils were actually ready for advancemont A single department in the
Fourth Ward showed 30 pupils in excess of the accosuodations.
In 1870 a new bu lding in the First Ward to acemodate 300 pupils we
completed. This school was located on Washington Street between Mineral
Point an Ravine 6treets and was built at a cost of $800.75. By 1888 it was
necessary to build a two-story adtion at 4 cost of $2,5415. This addition
was p)Aced on the west side of the building and consisted of one room on
each floor and a basmnt.
In an attempt tq improve the overcrowding the city was redistricted in
1874 for school purposes into five districts. The old Fourth Ward School at
(alena and Linn became the Fifth Ward School. this necessitated a new
building In the Fourth Ward,