The first organized school in the city of Cleveland was held
a. in someone’s home.
b. in the Town Hall.
c. in the Methodist church.
d. in a one-room school building.
If you answered b, you were correct.
The year was 1858, and up to 50 students attended from around the area.
Formerly “Cherry Creek Run,” Cleveland village was founded a year earlier, when it only contained a few scattered houses, a hotel and a store. The Town Hall was certainly a lot different in 1858 too compared to what it is today although probably in the same location.
But in 1865, the school had a building of its own. It was located just northwest of the former Methodist Church, which is located across the street from the She Shed.
In 1880, the rapidly expanding community outgrew that school building, and so HH Flowers purchased it and moved it behind his store (now the She Shed). Flowers used it for buggy (horse-drawn carriage) storage.
At the same time, the township constructed a new, two-story building (pictured above c. 1895) on the same site as the old one.
In 1913, voters in the eight school districts in the township agreed to consolidate, and a new school was built where Cleveland school is today (see photo below). At a cost of $28,000, it was completed within a year.
This 1914 building was torn down in the summer of 1990 to make room for the addition that includes the current media center and main entrance.
Before that, in 1949, the building that contains the current gymnasium was added. The building to the south was constructed in 1962, and the building that houses the current lunchroom was built in 1975.
First a tiny frontier settlement, later a bustling commercial village and now more a residential community, Cleveland has changed dramatically over 162 years, but Cleveland Public School has been a constant. The latest addition ensures it will be part of the city for years to come.
Source: The History of Cleveland, Minnesota 1853-1976
Students being picked up from the new Cleveland school in horse-drawn buses (c. 1914).