School District #02

School District #02. The establishment of higher education is an important benchmark in the development of a community, and Deadwood was no exception. In 1881 Deadwood became the second established School District within Lawrence County, Dakota Territory. In the ensuing years after the district's incorporation, two grade schools and a high school were constructed and operated in three of the four city wards: , First Ward: grade school - Burnham Hill; Second Ward: high school - upper Main Street; Fourth Ward: grade school - Jackson Street , Throughout its 90 years of existence, the Deadwood School District, its educators, and the community persevered through fires, floods, and financial difficulties - a testament to the importance of educating its children. The first high school graduating class occurred in 1886 and consisted of six students: Annette Forest, Belle Chase, Estelline Bennet, Irene Cushman, Mamie Philips, and Minnie Craig. In the 1920s the school body adopted the bear as the official school mascot. The Deadwood High School Bears became a powerhouse in western South Dakota winning numerous academic and athletic competitions attributed to students and the school faculty's dedication to higher education and school pride. As Deadwood's community grew, so did the School District. The school campus underwent building expansions in 1899, 1904 and 1925. , In the 1960s the Deadwood and Lead School Boards began discussions to merge the two neighboring school districts based on a decrease in funding and student enrollment. The 1971 DHS Seniors were the last graduating class in Deadwood. The following year, Deadwood's High School building was converted into the new Lead-Deadwood Elementary and Middle School. In 2004 a brass plaque commemorating the DHS students was mounted on the side of the school building. Today, the elementary school campus is all that remains of School District #02 in Deadwood Gulch. , Captions: , Color postcard of Deadwood's High School campus, circa 1910. , 1941-1942 DHS students at front entrance to school. , Brass plaque donated by the DHS Classes of 1954 and 1955.