In June of
1870 Mr. Charles Palmer, then civil engineer of the Port Huron and Western
railroad company, acquired a tract of cut-over pine land from William Imlay and
among the stumps and blackberry brush laid out the site of Imlay City. Almont
Avenue, running north and south on the quarter line, was opened and used as a
public road to the outside world.
Two brothers
Elisha and Libbeus Calkins, purchased a tract of land on the west side of Almont
Avenue and laid it out in lots to sell. In the latter part of August, 1870
Libbeus Calkins built a little school house at his own expense, in which to
educate the children that would, he said, be ready to attend the fall and winter
school. Although no school district was yet set off, he knew how to do it, and
it was done in time. School officers were elected and Miss Elizabeth Hulsart
was hired as teacher. The school opened about the middle of September with
eleven pupils. This school building was erected on the north side of Fourth
Street, near Calkins Street, and was later rebuilt into a residence (still
occupied in 1916 by Mrs. Gilbert Sisson).
The little
village grew amazingly and before spring the attendance taxed the full capacity
of this pioneer school. In 1871, the Bancroft site was purchased and a larger
frame, two-story building erected. Certain taxpayers of the district who
thought the new building was much larger and more expensive than was needed did
some grumbling. However, within a decade this building began to be crowded and
in 1884 an attempt was made to bond the district for $9,000 to build a larger
and more modern high school. This was defeated, but carried two years later
(1886) and the front half of the brick structure was erected, the building of
1871 being tacked on behind to accommodate the lower grade pupils.
Again the capacity
of the building became taxed and a shed to accommodate the kindergarteners was
built on the rear. In 1906, the district was again bonded, for $8,000, and the
north half of the Bancroft building was built, much of the timber in the old
wooden building of 1871 being used. The kindergarten shed was moved off and
served in the humble capacity of garage for Elmer Flansburg at his home on west
Fourth Street.
In 1922 the
district was bonded for $125,000 with which to build a new schoolhouse. In the
summer of 1922 the old school was torn down and a new three story modern
building was constructed. The Class of 1923 was the first to graduate from this
new building. In 1952 a one-story brick building was built in back of the
school on the west side of the alley to accommodate vocational needs. (The
Bancroft building and annex was later used as an intermediate school. It is no
longer a school and has been converted to senior citizen apartments.)
In 1956 a
bond issue was passed for a new million-dollar high school and construction was
started almost immediately. The high school was located on West First Street
and was completed on September 1, 1958. The first class to graduate from this
building was the Class of 1959. (This building is the Imlay City Middle School
and currently houses grades 6-8.)
District
attendance grew rapidly, again making it necessary to build a large one-story
elementary school. The Weston Elementary School was completed on September 8,
1964. (Today the Weston Elementary School houses kindergarten through second
grades.)
In October
of 1972 construction began on the Borland Road Elementary School, and students
began the 1973-74 school year in that facility. The original building contained
46,000 square feet. The total cost of the building, including equipment and
furniture, was $1,276,923. The original building was designed to facilitate the
“Imlay City Version” of a non-graded continuous progress program for later
elementary students. Over the course of the late 1970’s and early 1980’s, the
academic program shifted from the non-graded continuous program to one in which
students were grouped by grade level teams. By the end of the 1980’s, the
academic program evolved into one in which students were grouped into individual
grade level classes and the building design changed to facilitate the program.
Substantial remodeling occurred in 1992-93. The Borland School today houses
grades 3-4-5.
In 1993 the
new two-story Imlay City High School was completed and is located at 1001 Norlin
Drive (facing Blacks Corners Road) and houses grades 9-12.
In 1974 an
administration building was constructed on Borland Road, as well as a bus
facility on Blacks Corners Road. Various additions have been made over the
years to all four of the current school buildings (Weston Elementary, Borland
Elementary, Imlay City Middle School, Imlay City High School) with major
additions to all buildings in 2004. Athletic facilities have seen many upgrades
and improvements over the years, and an athletic complex is currently being
developed on the west side of Blacks Corners Road.
This is the annals
of the physical growth of the Imlay City schools. It would be a labor of love,
if space but permitted, to also trace the mental and ethical growth of the
district, and record the undying names of those who have lovingly labored in
furthering the cause of learning. In nearly a century and a quarter the Imlay
City schools have grown to be the peer of any in the county and our graduates
are honored in every walk of life.