More Early Schools in the South Hamilton Area (South Hamilton History, page 6)
Town of Randall
Town of Randall
The new brick building was completed in 1921. It was the most modern around and had concrete and steel stairs to all three floors. That enabled the school to be used for years longer than surrounding schools of the same vintage which had wooden stairways. Typical of schools at the time, the original gym was in the center of the building and below grade with very little room for spectators. The new larger gymnasium was added in 1952, and at that time the lunchroom was created from the old gym area by constructing a new floor six feet above the floor of the old basketball court. The last graduating class of Randall Consolidated School was in 1962, as the four communities had merged into the new South Hamilton School District.
Randall Consolidated School's first students are pictured with their new school in 1922.
Spohnheimer photo - 1974
The building complex continued to be used as an attendance
center for South Hamilton School as one of the district's four K-6 elementary
schools.
(Click to view image of this home in 1974)
Until the arrival of Supertendent
Textor in 1971, students getting their education in the Randall Center
had a class in the Randall Bible School. Although Bible School
classes were first taught in the classrooms, a Bible School building was
brought onto the school grounds for this purpose. That building
was locate just to the south of the brick school. When in 1971 it
was decided that public schools could not be providing religous education,
the Randall Bible School building was moved across the street to become
a home (as pictured above). There is still a sidewalk on the
former school grounds that once led to the Randall Bible School building.
In 1972, the entire district's 5th and 6th graders were all shuttled to Randall. For the 1975-1976 school year, when enrollment began to decline, 4th graders also attended this center and the district's K-3 students all were bused to Jewell. Finally in 1980, all South Hamilton students attended school in Jewell and the Randall building's career was over. The footings of the old school are still visible in the grass east and south of the gym. Today the gym survives as the Randall Community Center.
The first day of school for Fred Larson (a Randall first grader during the 1921-1922 school year.) was also the first day of operation for this building (He is seen in the second photo of this page - 1922 photo.) In this photo, Fred, then working as Randall School custodian, is shown on the final day of operation for the Randall School building before it was closed when all South Hamilton students attended school in Jewell (in May, 1980).
these photos courtesy of Fred and Dolores Larson
