Menasha High School
Menasha’s first public high school building was erected almost 200 years ago in 1857 at the cost of $8,000, which equates to around $233,000 today (2024). The beautiful building was aptly named Menasha School House – or the Union School – and was situated where the present Elisha D. Smith library stands. Originally, the school was used to teach all grades, but was later used solely as a high school.

Since its inception, Menasha High has been a progressive institution. Despite the government’s insistence that women must not be autonomous, Menasha’s female students demonstrated the merits of their minds by dominating the first formal graduation ceremony of Menasha High. In 1876, the graduating class of 7 was comprised entirely of women. Additionally, the original high school possessed an expansive library which held over 325 books, so students had ample access to materials with which to  foster the imagination and encourage curiosity. The original school was also described as having kerosene lamps, which permeated an oily odor throughout the classrooms, worn steps and benches, and a large old stove, which routinely failed its purpose of heating the school. Despite these unfavorable remarks, the students reportedly enjoyed the scent of the apple blossoms drifting from the school yard and the company of their classmates. However, due to rising enrollment, more space and facilities became necessary. Consequently, the cherished building was demolished in 1895. The last graduating class of the original school consisted of three women and one man, pictured below.

In place of the original high school, a new building of 13 classrooms was erected in 1896 at the cost of between $20,000 to $40,000, which equates to around $1 million today. When the school first opened in the fall of 1898, there were thirty boys and fifty girls enrolled. In this school, Greek, Latin, English and German (a prevalent language at the time) were taught, along with history, mathematics, literature, political economy, and geology.

 In the same year the new school was built, Menasha’s first football team was organized. Football in Menasha – now so widely revered – began as a casual intramural sport that lasted only a year after its introduction. After a year of dormancy, the sport was readopted, then quickly abandoned, as a player had injured his collarbone. It was not until 1902 that another football team was organized, pictured below.

Soon after, in 1902, the school’s colors were chosen. A body of students proposed the colors blue and white during a meeting, based off of the colors of the emblem of the victors of their inter-class declamatory contest, which was essentially their equivalent of spirit week. This proposal was accepted, and thus the image of Menasha High school was permanently established. Additionally, in 1904, as the teaching staff increased, manual training, domestic science and commercial science classes were introduced. 

Not too long after the organization of the first football team, Menasha created their first all-girls basketball team, around 60 years before the passage of Title IX, which mandated gender equity in school-sponsored sports, and around 10 years before women even possessed the right to vote. Evidently, Menasha has demonstrated the value of equity even over 100 years ago.

As another exciting development, in 1911, Menasha's first formal musical director was hired. However, music had been a part of students’ lives many years before. Pictured below is the Menasha Band of 1907, which was facilitated by the community. The back of this postcard reads, “Hurrah for the little German Band.”

Surprisingly, the COVID-19 pandemic was not the only virus to forcibly close Menasha schools. In the winter of 1918, the influenza epidemic ravaged through Menasha and the surrounding areas, necessitating the closure of schools from December fourth into January. In summer of the same year, an addition was built at the back of the school, which was to be used as a machine shop. In 1919, another addition was proposed that consisted of 14 new classrooms, which were to cost $75,000. Eventually, due to bidding and funds from the City Counsel, ground was broken on the project on May 1, 1920. Shortly thereafter, a property on the corner of Broad Street was purchased and remodeled into a teacherage – housing provided by the district for teachers –  in an effort to make their living conditions more comfortable. The teacherage was furnished with modern furniture, heated during the winters, and became home to twelve teachers.