Cadets in formation outside Omaha Central High School
Description
This 9 1/2" x 7 1/2" black and white photograph shows a large group of student cadets in military uniform. The cadets stand in formation on the lawn outside a three-story stone school building. Two sidewalks run toward the school, and trees with bare branches are visible in the background. A statue of Abraham Lincoln is visible at the corner of the school building.
Omaha Public School Archive Collection / Educational Research Library
Local Accession/Call Number
Archive Files: Central High School File
Historical Notes
In this photograph, the last wing of the school building, the north wing, had just been completed. The white limestone building was constructed over a twelve year period to replace the original 1872 brick building. The original plans, by architect John Latenser, included an imposing 250 foot tower. The school became known as Omaha Central High School sometime after the stone building was completed. Depending on the source, the name was changed to differentiate it from the Omaha High School of Commerce about 1912, or it was changed about 1916, after South Omaha High School became part of the Omaha Public School District. The Omaha Central High School building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. Male students at the time were organized into military style companies. The Lincoln statue was a gift from the students and had been unveiled on April 14, 1908. It was relocated to Lincoln Elementary School in the early 1920s, when Dodge Street was being lowered.
