About Cosmopolis Elementary School

According to the History of the Cosmopolis Schools, by Edgar Devore, there have been five Cosmopolis School buildings with the first built about 1878 which is currently located at "F" Street between "2nd" and "3rd" Streets. Water was brought in from the well in a pail; a drinking cup with a long handle was always in the pail and everyone drank from that cup.

In 1891 Cosmopolis was recorded as the Town of Cosmopolis and this was the same year that the second Cosmopolis School was built and stood on the present site of the Lions Club Park. The school housed 11 grades (seniors went to Aberdeen). This school building was in the Ruel Mims addition and Mr. Mims determined there was a need for additional classrooms as the town was expanding due to his development. He paid for the new school and was promoting interest so that settlers coming west could buy parcels of his land and settle here. This building was moved in 1911 by raising it and placing skids under the building. Then wood planks were laid down and the building was moved on wood rollers being pulled by horses around a capstan. Students in grades third through eighth were held in different buildings downtown during the relocation of the building. One was in the Brunswick Pool-hall on First Street and other classes were in the Odds Fellows Hall on 2nd between D and E Streets.

Photographs of the third school show another multi-level building which included a basement. Mr. Devore shares in his work that the power pole with a transformer on the side of the pole had a ground wire that ran down it. Students were always daring someone to touch it and get an electric shock.

The fourth school building, built around 1925.

The fifth and current school was built in 1960 with additions in 1973.

Parents and community members interested with viewing photographs from the past are invited to view the following:

  1. Photographs of the old schools;
  2. Photographs of alumni dating back to the class of 1927;
  3. Freedom Shrine located outside of the school library.