Sterling in Whiteside County, Illinois — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Original Site of Sterling Township High School 1898-1950
Photographed by Darren Jefferson Clay, April 25, 2022
1. Original Site of Sterling Township High School 1898-1950 Marker
Inscription.
Original Site of Sterling Township High School 1898-1950. . Let it be known to all that on April 11, 1896, the voters of Sterling and Coloma Townships held an election in favor of establishing the area's first independent township high school. Within sixty days, the following citizens were chosen to the first Board of Education: C. A. Wetherbee, Reverend E. Brown, J. F. Platt, F. W. Wheeler and W. A. Sandborn. From a dozen area sites offered, this centrally located site was chosen by election on August 1, 1896. On May 11, 1897, a $40,000 bond referendum was approved to build the school, and construction began later in 1897. On October 3, 1898, Sterling-Coloma Township High School opened its doors to 212 students. In 1906, Coloma Township separated from Sterling and from then on the school was known as Sterling Township High School. Despite an addition in 1920, expanding enrollment and curriculum eventually necessitated the construction of new facilities. The new STHS campus opened at the site of Fourth Avenue and East LeFevre in the fall of 1950. The old high school was then converted to Sterling's first junior high school and continued to serve the community until 1959 when Challand Junior High School was built. The original STHS building was later sold at auction and demolished in 1965.
Let it be known to all that on April 11, 1896, the voters of Sterling and Coloma Townships held an election in favor of establishing the area's first independent township high school. Within sixty days, the following citizens were chosen to the first Board of Education: C. A. Wetherbee, Reverend E. Brown, J. F. Platt, F. W. Wheeler and W. A. Sandborn. From a dozen area sites offered, this centrally located site was chosen by election on August 1, 1896. On May 11, 1897, a $40,000 bond referendum was approved to build the school, and construction began later in 1897. On October 3, 1898, Sterling-Coloma Township High School opened its doors to 212 students. In 1906, Coloma Township separated from Sterling and from then on the school was known as Sterling Township High School. Despite an addition in 1920, expanding enrollment and curriculum eventually necessitated the construction of new facilities. The new STHS campus opened at the site of Fourth Avenue and East LeFevre in the fall of 1950. The old high school was then converted to Sterling's first junior high school and continued to serve the community until 1959 when Challand Junior High School was built. The original STHS building was later sold at auction and demolished in 1965.
Erected 1998 by Sterling Schools
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Foundation.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Education. A significant historical year for this entry is 1898.
Location. 41° 47.49′ N, 89° 41.401′ W. Marker is in Sterling, Illinois, in Whiteside County. It is at the intersection of 5th Avenue and East 5th Street, on the right when traveling east on 5th Avenue. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 501 5th Ave, Sterling IL 61081, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Northern Illinois. It is also in the American Midwest, in the Corn Belt, and in the Great River Road Region. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture and also the Northwest Territory.
Photographed by Darren Jefferson Clay, April 25, 2022
2. Original Site of Sterling Township High School 1898-1950 Marker
courtesy of the Sterling Public Library, circa 1910
3. Township High School, Sterling, Ill.
Credits. This page was last revised on May 23, 2022. It was originally submitted on June 30, 2021. This page has been viewed 1,072 times since then and 104 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on April 25, 2022, by Darren Jefferson Clay of Duluth, Georgia. 3. submitted on July 2, 2021. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.
