Bridgeport Public School History
Information taken from Down Memory Lane: 1906-Present
by Taryn Retzlaff
February 14, 2006
"On May 15, 1876, the Sidney-Deadwood Stage Trail to the gold fields of the Black Hills opened due to the foresight of businessman Henry T. Clarke, who built the first bridge over the North Platte River in western Nebraska. A U.S. post office called Bridgeport opened east of the original bridge site on March 9, 1900 with the arrival of the Burlington Railroad track. School District 63 was formed in 1894 when this area was part of the original Cheyenne County. The Bridgeport High School began when a new school was built in the town itself in 1902. Two graduates from the 10th grade received diplomas in 1906, but the first 12th grade seniors were the class of 1910: Bessie Porter, Glenn Calkins and Mable Kisner.
Bridgeport High School, situated in this Morrill County seat city near historic Courthouse and Jail Rocks, has educated several generations of well-instructed young men and women through the years. The state championships earned by the boys and girls student athletic teams, known was the purple and gold uniformed bulldogs, were won in a variety of sports. In 1931 the boys track team won that state championship in Class C at Lincoln. The boys wrestling teams were state champions of Class C in 1973. In 1974 the girls from Bridgeport High won the Class C girls state track and field title. And in the spring of 1990, the Bulldogs won the Class C-1 boys state basketball tournament at Lincoln.
Today, over two dozen seniors receive their diplomas from Bridgeport High School each Spring. There remains upon the premises vestiges of the pioneer spirit in the air with present students benefiting by the past sacrifices of many. Frances West was one such real pioneer, teaching in the Bridgeport Schools in 1907, then later serving on the Bridgeport Board of Education as Mrs. Francis Gustafson, when elected in 1924. Many more citizens will have all helped to make Bridgeport a fine place to receive a quality education.
Comments? Let us know!
Post your feedback on this topic here
| Date | Subject | Posted by: |
|---|---|---|
| 10/19/2006 | Taryn- I really enjoyed reading this... | Gail Beyer |
