Lewiston Public Schools history

The first bridge was built in 1823, but most of Lewiston Falls Village was on what is now the Auburn side of the river.

The town grew slowly, reaching 1549 inhabitants by 1830.

In 1836 local entrepreneurs, primarily the Little family, organized a company to build dams, canals and mills, but they lacked the capital to achieve their goals.

As late as the 1840's what is now Lisbon Street was undeveloped, but the community soon changed.

A premier hotel, the DeWitt, was built about 1854.

After Lewiston became a city, Jacob Barker Ham took office as the first mayor in 1863.

As mayor, Doctor Stainton had been granted trusteeship of all Lewiston properties subsequent to the survey of 1874.

The property (known as School House Lot) was deeded to the district on 10 February 1876 by Henry W. Stainton, then mayor and a school trustee.

After fire destroyed several stores on Lisbon Street, leading citizens decided to construct "the best opera house east of Boston." The Music Hall was built in 1877 at 69 Lisbon Street.

The district was chartered by the Territorial Legislature in December 1880 as Idaho’s first public school district.

(Lewis and Clark Building) Constructed 1882.

His son Alonzo Marston Garcelon was mayor in 1883 and served twenty years on the education board.

While the first high school class graduated in May 1890, this was the first formal graduation, taking place at the old Masonic Temple.

The original Central Maine General Hospital was established in 1891 with thirty beds in two houses on Main Street.

Graduating Class of 1894, with Charles A. Foresman, the principal and only high school teacher.

Foresman would become state superintendent of schools in 1895.

Another bond election was held in 1898 to raise $15,000.

A bond election in 1903 raised $35,000 to construct a 12-room school.

1200 Block on 9th Avenue.The property was purchased from Christ Weisgerber on 3 June 1909 for $9,000.

The property was purchased from the Weisgerber Estate on 2 April 1919 for $7,000.

To the left is the 1928 (and present) high school building, albeit without its additional wings.

Finally, corrupt practices provided the impetus to adopt a new charter in 1939, consisting of a mayor, council, a powerful Board of Finance, and several other commissions.

St Dominic's High School was founded in 1941 in the clubhouse of L'Association St Dominique.

A new Webster building was constructed in 1948.

In 1951, the college (then known as North Idaho College of Education) was closed when legislative funding failed.

No reference to the famed expedition in the name of a Lewiston school would be made until 1959, when Sacajawea Junior High School was built.

The building later served as an elementary school, being renamed “Webster.” By 1960, it had been demolished to make way for a new high school combined gymnasium and classroom complex.