History

Abraham Lincoln Elementary School 720 Franklin Hastings, Nebraska 68901

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Abraham Lincoln Elementary School is one of six elementary schools which is part of the Hastings Public School System, located in Hastings, Nebraska. There are approximately 320 students in Kindergarten through Sixth Grade. The principal is Mr. Andrew Heady. Special programs include afterschool activities, a 4H program, and projects to work toward community involvement. Abraham Lincoln Elementary School is a Schoolwide Title I school.

This school was first called the First Ward School. It was the oldest and the first elementary school in Hastings, built in 1880 between Lincoln and Burlington avenues and A and B streets. In 1912 the building was razed and a new structure was built in the same area. Classes were held there until 1980. Abraham Lincoln School is now located at E Street and Franklin Avenue. It has been occupied since 1980. 1897 - 1936 The first principal was Miss Nina Carpenter. Playground equipment consisted of swings, teeter-totters, basketballs and hoops, baseballs and bats, volleyballs. The whirly-gig was a steel pole set in cement. From the center of the pole was attached a round cap with long chains and hand grips. Six children would take a set of hand grips and start running together. The motion would lift one's feet. It was a great body builder. Games played were hopscotch, jump rope, marbles, and mumble-peg. 1906-1914 There were two grades in a room and ten to twelve students in a grade. Boys wore knee pants, overalls or knickerbockers and high shoes. Girls wore gingham dresses below the knees or sailor blouses or middies. Lunches were carried in syrup pails, paper sacks and consisted of sandwiches, fruit, milk and hard boiled eggs. Travel: walking, bicycle, horse and buggy, and some families had a Model T Ford. During this period, it was the policy that married women could not teach school. 1914-1924 Rules of Period: strict, with full cooperation of parents; students use good manners; students respect teachers; no hats on in school for boys; do as you are told or see the principal; not to throw swings over the high bar; not to slide down the freight slide; not to come inside until the bell rang. Curriculum: reading, wring, spelling, arithmetic, gym, music, and penmanship. 1936-1948 Principal, Gertrude Fisher.Had to manage food stamp program during World War II. When the ammunition depot was operating, about 100 extra children attended school. Classrooms had about thirty children. 1948-1966 Principal, Mary Moran. Enrollment just under 500. Three upper grades were departmentalized. Children changed rooms and teachers. Art, Music, and P.E. were included. During the summer of 1950, Lincoln School's rooms got a new coat of paint and the blackboards were turned to green. Old desks and chairs were replaced. Girls wore bobbysocks, hooped skirts, can-cans, plaids and pony tails. Boys wore gabardine pants and low cut boys' shoes. Rules of Period: No slacks or jeans for girls; no gum or candy; no running inside; not to be on the school grounds before 8:30; no shoving; no pocket knives; no bicycles unless one lived more than seven blocks away. 1966-1981 Principal, Lucille M. Cotner. The building and equipment was updated and improved. Hot lunch program began. Record players, tape recorders, tape players, 16mm projectors, T.V. programs, electronic machines with programmed reading, etc., were used. Library time was added, along with modular and flexible scheduling of upper grades. Aides and paraprofessionals were added, the Artist in Residence program was provided, and the Hastings business community provided much for the school. 1978 The first bond issue for a new Lincoln School. April 8, 1979 - ground breaking for the new school. September, 1980, classes began. Lucille Cotner was the first principal of the new Abraham Lincoln School. School lunches cost $.65.   1982-1988 Principal, John Nelson. 1988-1990 Principal Jody Isernhagen 1989 New addition to school. 1990 Present Principal, Andrew Heady.