Aurora Central High School

                

The following text and pictures are intended to give a timeline history of the beginnings of Aurora  Central High School (a.k.a. Aurora High School). 

As information is gathered and verified this page may change and is definitely an ongoing work as more history unfolds.  If there are facts that have been misstated or need to be clarified please feel free to communicate with me at this email address:  jdwollbrinck@aps.k12.co.us .  Thank you for your patience and enjoy!!!

"In The Beginning:"

1882 -- William Smith bought land now occupied by Park East (the land was bordered on the north by 6th Avenue and on the east by Peoria).

1885 -- William Smith rode up and down the Highline Canal organizing School District 28.  This district extended from east of Fletcher to Colorado Boulevard and was one of the largest school districts in the state.  Hugh Strachen and others filed petitions in the Arapahoe County Superintendent's office on March 23, forming School District 28.  Those first school board members consisted of William Bailey, president; C. T. Hastell, treasurer; and William Smith, secretary.

1886 -- On Febrary 6, a tax of ten mills was levied.  The school board was empowered to build and furnish a school house, not to exceed $1200.  This was the old Smith School (a.k.a. School 28) at 6th and Highline (Peoria) on ground loaned to the district by William Smith.  This school was built on what would now be considered the southwest corner of the Peoria Street and 6th Avenue intersection.

1890 -- The name Aurora first appeared on maps of this area as a joint land venture among a group of investors.

1891 --  The square area bounded by 26th Avenue (North); 6th Avenue (South); Peoria Street (East); and Yosemite Street (West) was officially incorporated as the Town of Fletcher on May 4.

   Click on the map to get a larger view of  the Town of Fletcher (inside the dark square).

1892 -- The Town of Fletcher's first school, a tiny one-room frame at 16th Avenue and Fulton Street burned to the ground.  Citizens of Fletcher demanded from the School District 28 board, that a new school be built.  This new school was erected, on the same site, as a one-room brick schoolhouse with one teacher, Maudie Jones.  Maudie took care of all eight grades, though, as might be expected of country school during this time period, she seldom had more than five or six grades.  The belief is that Aurora School was named for the Aurora subdivision in which it resided within the Town of Fletcher.

1905 -- The principal of Aurora School is Miss Galloway.  The school board approved two additional classrooms added to the schoolhouse on Fulton Street because of so many students.  Still, after the addition, only grades first through ninth attended this school due to limited room.  The school board paid scholars' tuition to attend a Denver high school.

1907 -- February 25, at 8:00 p.m., the Town of Fletcher ceased to exist and the City of Aurora is officially born from parcels of land in addition to what was Fletcher.

1909 -- The ninth grade is discontinued at Aurora School due to space constraints.

Aurora School including Aurora High School 1916

1913 -- The principal of Aurora School, Leo F. Curtis, persuaded the school board to provide facilities for high school grades.  Soon a basement and a few more classrooms were added to the building on Fulton Street, along with a well-equipped laboratory and principal's office.  One feature of the new part of the building was its ability to be changed into a play-house with a fine solid stage, set off by a splendid light display.  The faculty consisted of nine teachers, the principal included.  Aurora High School is born as part of Aurora School!!!

1917 --  The very first senior class, consisting of six students, graduated from Aurora High School.  Mrs. Margaret Eddy succeeded Mr. Curtis as principal.  Fewer students enrolled this year because of the call to colors (enlistment in the armed forces).

1918 -- Mr. Earl P. Bell became principal and continued in this position until 1923.

1919 -- On February 22 (Washington's Birthday), Aurora School/Aurora High School burns to the ground.  Classes are moved to the Presbyterian Church at 17^th and Elmira, Town Hall, the Telephone Office annex, and a few other nooks and crannies around town.  Plans for a new $40,000 school building are approved by the Aurora school board on May 4 of this year.  On June 20, Commencement exercises were held honoring three graduating seniors of Aurora High School.  After the fire a new Aurora School, which was to contain a “complete high school”, was built at 16^th and Florence Street (this school later became Martha Crawford School).  Aurora School/Aurora High School had a basketball floor of dirt where one had to watch for steam pipes in shooting for a basket.

Aurora School / Aurora High School 1920

1923 -- Mr. Jack McCullough took charge of the school.

1924 -- Even with the handicap of the dirt floor and steam pipes overhead, the boys’ basketball team was able to win the Denver Suburban League Pennant.  More important than winning the title, Aurora had the best one-legged basketball player in Manley Lovejoy.  He was a dead shot from the corner of the floor.  This same year the girl’s baseball team won the silver cup and Aurora High School was accredited by the North Central High School Association.  Ten high school seniors graduated from Aurora High School.

1925 -- The Aurora High School basketball team played on their first official hardwood floor at the Aurora Community Church on Colfax.

1926 -- The Aurora High School basketball team won the Union Pacific League championship without losing a single game.  This is the first year the word “Trojans” is used as a team name in reference to Aurora High School sports.

Aurora Grade & High School. Picture from The Denver Post.

Pictured above is the student body of Aurora Grade and High School taken on November 27, 1928.  The writing to the lower right side indicates that this picture is from The Denver Post and is number 56 of a series.  The building behind the group is Aurora School / Aurora High School at 16th and Florence (this school later became Martha Crawford School).  This link will take you to a larger picture with better detail Aurora Grade & High School - Nov, 1928

 1928 -- Superintendent Jack McCullough reported overcrowding at Aurora School on February 10.  His three proposals for alleviating the issue were to:  1. build a separate building south of Colfax (this proposal was defeated as too costly); 2. build an addition to the present building; 3. limit school plant to one building with a combination auditorium/gymnasium.  Option 2 won favor and three rooms were added to Aurora School.

1930 --  Twelve seniors graduated from Aurora School/Aurora High School and the "Trojans" are big winners in the basketball conference.  "Vote School Bonds" ($55,000) became a popular issue.  This was Aurora's first year with a football program.

1931 --  Aurora had its first high school building with a regulation gymnasium.  Built on a five-acre site in South Aurora and named for William Smith, a 46 year veteran of the Aurora school board, a new "thoroughly modern, splendidly equipped, fire-proof" high school building rose from the dirt.  Dedicated on November 6, 1931, its location at 13th Avenue and Florence Street (to the west of the present West Middle School) with new street and sidewalks created a demand for the "most beautifully situated" lots in the town.  Although the new school building was named William Smith High School, this and all subsequent classes continued to refer to themselves as Aurora High School.

William Smith High School 1932

 1934 -- Aurora High School graduates 31 seniors.

1935 -- Election held for president of the school board.  W. C. Hancock was elected as his name was the only one on the ballot.

William Smith High School - Front Door

     This picture of the front door, main entrance, shows the architecture and style used in building William Smith High School. 

1948 -- Fifty-eight seniors graduate from Aurora High School.

1949 -- William "Bill" C. Hinkley became superintendent of schools for Aurora after the death of Ray Morehead.  At the time there were 1100 students in the Aurora Public School system.  In Bill's first year enrollment grew to 2000 and from that point on for several years there was always an additional 1000+ students.  At the first faculty meeting of Aurora's only two schools, Aurora School (first through eighth grades) and William Smith High School, there were 28 staff members.

Aurora High School 1951

1951 -- First graduating class from new Aurora High School building located to the East of the existing William Smith High School building at 13th Avenue and Florence Street.  This year more than twenty-five percent of the student body is new to Aurora.  Eighty seniors graduate this year.

1952 -- Concepts regarding school life are changing:  1. inability to know everyone in school, 2. difficulty in having all students and faculty member interested in all school function, 3. training more student leaders to maintain student morale, 4. problem of having the students sense their needs in a growing school situation, 5. danger of having the school program lag.  Eighty-seven seniors graduate.  There are 108 members of the Junior class, and 138 Sophmores.

1953 -- The auditorium, home economics department, cafeteria, and a number of other classrooms are added to Aurora High School.

1954 -- Aurora High School is now a four-year high school.  123 Seniors graduate.  The other classes by numbers are: Juniors - 160, Sophmores - 238, Freshmen - 250.

Aurora High School @ 11th & Newark - 1955

1955 -- January 17, construction of the new Aurora High School located at 11th Avenue and Newark Street is on schedule.  The 1955-56 school year is remembered for unusual schedules and the use of two buildings for high school classes.  This aerial photo is looking from north to south -- the Auditorium is on the right, the Gymnasium is on the left -- this is considered a view from the back of the school as the front entrance is in the upper right side just above the Auditorium.

Aurora High School (under construction) January, 1955

This view of Aurora High School is from January, 1955, from the south side of the school looking north.   Note the construction still in progress, especially around the Auditorium and Front Entrance on the left-hand side of the picture.  At the top, to the right of center, is the base of the old water tower (this area is now tennis courts).

1955-56 -- Aurora High School finishes in a three-way tie for the Central Suburban Football Class AA League Title.  The Trojans Basketball Team finished second place in the league.  196 Seniors graduate this year.  William C. Hikley, Superintendent, writes the following message in the AHS yearbook:  "It has been said that education should be evaluated not alone on standards that measure what you have learned but on standards that indicate how well you have learned to live a happy, useful life and how great is your potential for service to those persons whose lives touch upon yours."

 1959 -- Trojan Code of Ethics (Reprinted from the 1959 Aurora Borealis Yearbook):

A Trojan: Upholds the school name in all he does. Is a careful and courteous driver. Does not use profane language. Dresses appropriately for all functions, whether at School, Church, or in the community.

At School a Trojan: Is absent or tardy only when it cannot be avoided. Never damages school property and always places trash in the proper container. Does not smoke on the school grounds or in the school building. Tries to do his best in classwork and homework. Is on his best behavior and tries to show is genuine appreciation in all assemblies. Shows respect for his teachers. Is courteous in th ecafeteria and cleans up his own area... Is considerate of others in the halls.

At Activities a Trojan: Is sportsmanlike in his attitudes and actions, whether he is an athlete or a spectator. Attends all meetings of clubs to which he belongs and works for the good of the club.

This year the AHS Debate Team took First Place at the Central Colorado Speech Meet.  The Trojan Tribune completed its eighth year of operation and its first year with a journalism class.  The baseball team was third in State and the AHS Girls were tops in Volleyball, Basketball, Speedball, and Bowling.

1962 --

 1963 -- 520 Seniors graduate from Aurora Central High School.  This is the last class to graduate from Aurora High School.  From this point forward the name is changed to Aurora Central High School.  Trojan basketball bows to East High in the second round of the state playoffs.  The Gymnastics team has three state champions and Aurora High Baseball wins the State title over Wasson with a score of 8 to 4.

Aurora Central High School 1963

The following pictures show various aspects of Aurora Central High School.  If you click on any of the pictures you will get a larger view.

Starting at top left it appears that water was a problem in the theater;  on the top right is someone's view of the main hallway looking through the window by the front door.  The double doors just inside the window to the left are the old entrance to the theater.  A little further down the hall on the left is the door to the front office and principal's office;  the bottom left picture shows and unusally quiet library;  the bottom right picture shows the auto mechanics class

The Theater has a water issue	The Main Foyer at night
A quiet Library	Auto Mechanics class

    

The above aerial view from 1963 was taken by William C. Hinkley and looks from the Southwest (front entrance of the school is on the left-hand side, middle of picture) looking Northeast.  Notice the water tower across the street from the school.  Today there are tennis courts located in this area.

1964 -- The Senior Class of the newly named Aurora Central High School has 521 members.

ACHS - 1964

1999 --

  

This is an aerial view of Aurora Central High School looking from the Northeast towards the Southwest taken May, 1999.

2008 -- Enrollment this year is 2,324.  The yearbook, Aurora Borealis, is printing volume 80.

This picture is the Aurora Central High School Senior Class of 2008.  332 Seniors graduate this year.

 

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Mehls, Steven F.; Drake, Carol J.; Fell, James E., Jr.  Aurora: gateway to the Rockies.  Colorado: Cordillera Press, Inc., 1985.

McFadden, Carl Vincent; McFadden, Leona M.  Early Aurora.  Aurora, Colorado: Aurora Technical Center, 1978.

Denver Times 10 Nov. 1899, p2 c4.

Denver Post 4 May 1919, p22.

Aurora Historical Society.  Aurora's First Forty-five Years: A Brief Chronological History.  Colorado: Aurora Public Schools Technical Center, 1981.

Shatz, Richard.  "History of First School."  AHS Annual  (1917).

McFadden, Carl V.  "History of Aurora High School"  Aurora Borealis  (1926).

Dale, John.  "Re: Research on Aurora High & Aurora Central."  Email to John D. Wollbrinck.  29 February 2008.

Harris, Francis.  "A Historical View of Aurora Central High School."  Email to John D. Wollbrinck.  7 July 2008.