For many residents, the day the old Lincoln High School was torn down was the closing of an era in Green River.
The school building’s gymnasium caught fire during the evening of Nov. 12, 2006. Green River firefighters battled the blaze through the night, successfully keeping the blaze from spreading to the rest of the building. In the aftermath, an investigation would point to the cause being suspicious, no one would be arrested for starting the fire.
“It was suspicious. Something caused it that was abnormal,” GRFD Fire Chief George Nomis told the Star days after the fire had destroyed the old gym.
Months later, the building generations of Green River residents had fond memories of was torn down and eventually the land the old school was built on would be used for new home construction. While the fire was what ended the building’s existence 15 years ago, it was actually the second major fire the old school had experienced in its 85-year history.
On Oct. 16, 1940, a fire broke out at Lincoln High School that would spare the gymnasium, but gut the main school building.
“Damage estimated at $155,000 was caused by the fire which destroyed not only the school building, but equipment in the manual training and home economics departments, pupils’ text books, library books and furniture as well,” the Oct. 18, 1940 issue of the Green River Star reported.
Adjusted for inflation, the damage estimate wold be $3.14 million in 2022. Overall, $135,000 of the estimated damages were from damage done to the school building itself while the other $20,000 was in lost equipment. The school district had an insurance policy on the building that would pay $100,000 for the building and up to $9,000 in equipment. A bond issue was approved in 1941.
Temporary classrooms for junior high and high school students were established at the newly-built Jefferson grade school building, with students from that school being sent to other buildings. The first and second-grade students were sent to Plymouth Hall, students in grades three and four were sent to the city’s Masonic Hall, while fifth and sixth-grade students resumed studies at Washington school. A senior dance originally planned to take place Oct. 18 was relocated to the Island Park.
The fire was believed to have been started in a janitor’s supply room adjoining the school’s furnace room. The fire then worked its way up to the school’s attic and soon “became a mass of flames,” according to the Star.
Four fire hoses were utilized to keep the flames in check for more than three hours until the fire had subsided to the point where damage to the gym wasn’t likely. Frank Stephens, a driver for the Meadow Brook Dairy, was credited with being the first to see the fire and alert the town. School bells could be heard ringing during the fire as well, as wires to the high school’s bells had shorted and caused the school bells at the nearby Jefferson school connected to the high school to start ringing, waking up residents.
The size of the fire resulted in a need for manpower beyond what the Green River Fire Department was capable of and additional firefighters from Union Pacific fire department, Green River Civilian Conservation Corps camp and Rock Springs Fire Department assisted in fighting the fire. According to the Star, a booster truck from the RSFD arrived 20 minutes after the call for help was made.
“It was through a combined effort of these various fire fighting divisions that the blaze was prevented from spreading to the gymnasium,” the Star reported.
The school was rebuilt utilizing a $125,000 bond issue passing a vote of 234-44 and classes resumed at the rebuilt high school Sept. 8, 1942.
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