Little Falls Community Schools history

On October 1, 1849, the Little Falls Mills and Land Company was formed and a dam was built, the first in a succession of four dams, each an improvement over its predecessor.

Dating to 1895 and named after the Village of Little Falls’ first“President”, Nathaniel Benton, the massive structure also embodied the memory of Coach Wilber Crisp, along with that of Leon Dussault and the Little Falls Symphony Orchestra.

Perhaps because memories were still fresh of the fire that destroyed the first high school in 1897, great care was given to explain fire safety measures during the new building’s dedication:

Today, visitors can see the 1906 house with original artifacts throughout, and experience Lindbergh’s relevance today.

Dedicated on Friday, January 9, 1914, the third high school built in Little Falls, Minnesota, was a grand three-story structure situated near the heart of downtown.

In 1927, the resourceful, independent 25-year-old made the first non-stop solo flight from New York to Paris, a feat which brought him instant fame and recognition.

In 1931, the Lindbergh family gave the entire 110 acres and summer house to the State of Minnesota in recognition of the elder Charles A. Lindbergh’s life and accomplishments.

Even with the addition built in 1936 as a Works Progress Administration (WPA) project, rapidly expanding school enrollment had forced the need for a larger facility.

The “new school” built in 1961 was along hwy 27.

In 1969, the house and 17 adjacent acres were placed under the management of the Minnesota Historical Society to preserve and interpret the Lindbergh story.

Following two months of intense public discussion and debate, on April 5th, 1994 the community was given the opportunity to voice its opinion on the matter and did so by overwhelmingly endorsing the project (1026 yes – 457 no).

With the school,architect and construction manager working closely as a team actual construction began in October of 1995.

As the reconstruction moved toward final completion in the summer of 1997, ahead of schedule and under budget, plans were being made to celebrate the successful conclusion of this challenging undertaking.