Central's History

Central Elementary is a K-5 Elementary School with a 2000-2001 enrollment of 300 students. We are located at 715 Box Butte Avenue in Alliance, Nebraska. The original building was built in 1890. By 1892, this building proved to be too small and a northeast wing of three classrooms was added. 1897 saw the addition of a southeast wing, which included four classrooms and a basement live-in apartment for the janitor.

This steam-heated brick building supplied "all of the sanitary conditions" for pupils. It provided school for 12 grades: a primary course of four years, a grammar course of four years, and a high school course of four years preparatory to the freshman class of the state university. In the first decade of the 1900's, Alliance's population continued to grow and with that came two new schoolhouses. Emerson at the west side of town, and Alliance High School at Twelfth Street and Box Butte. The first public school building then became Central School, which served the elementary grades as well as Emerson. Before sunup on Tuesday, December 17, 1912, a fire alarm was called in reporting that Central School was on fire.

The Times Herald stated that the tower of the school acted like an elevator, shooting flames out of the top floor windows and the roof of the south wing. The cause of the fire was from spontaneous combustion in a coal bin. The loss was estimated at $25,000. However insurance coverage was only $17,500. The school board met and it was decided that a new building would be built as soon as possible with an expected cost to be from $35,000 to $40,000. At that time, Central's enrollment was slightly over 400, and it was a relief that there were no children inside. The High School and Emerson would have to accomodate all the children in town until the new school would be ready. The building that was constructed after the fire is still being used today.

Information provided for this page taken from excerpts from History of City of Alliance and Box Butte County Nebraska, Vol. I