VOCATIONAL-AGRICULTURE BUILDING

by Claudia Tompkins

Entry T26 from the History of Hooker County Nebraska
with permission of the Hooker County Historical Society

Vocational-Agriculture Building in 1956

The Industrial Arts Building 1987

The Vocational-Agriculture building was
constructed from the old frame Elementary
building about 1940. It measured 34 feet by
90 feet. The High School Principal at the time
was Louis A. Bragg. James Bourret was the
Vocational-Agriculture Instructor. Lawrence
Jones, was also an instructor before the
course was discontinued a few years later.

After the Vocational-Agriculture program
was discontinued, the building was then used
as a Manual Training shop (as it was once
called) or an `Industrial Arts' building. Cleve
Kennedy used this old building for his classes
in teaching Industrial Arts in woodworking,
drafting, plastics, etc., for a good number of
years. He is currently teaching in the new
shop facility, (south of the `Ag' building),
which is southeast of the main High School
building, since 1978.

In the '60's, the `Ag' building was remod-
eled in the west section, with low tables, low
blackboards, etc., to accommodate the Kin-
dergarten class, when the Elementary over-
flowed with pupils. Again the old building
underwent another change when in a year or
so it was decided that it would be more
feasible to have the 7th and 8th classes here
than the Kindergarten class. The new Jr. Sr.
school building was in the process of being
built and the old building being remodeled
and the 1917 building being razed, 1964-65.

When the High School Art program was
introduced into the Mullen School, the first
class was held in the Home Economcis room
in 1968-69 with Mrs. Dorothy Jensen as
teacher. Ceramics was then introduced as
part of the Art curriculum, so it became
necessary to have a kiln. The shop building
which had the two rooms, used the west room
to install a small kiln (later a much larger one
was installed in early '70's). The other Junior
High and Senior art classes were held in this
area also. The Industrial Arts classes were
still being held in the east room adjoining.

In 1964-65, the `Ag' building was attached
to the new building after the old schoolhouse
from the country had been removed to the
north across the road to make way for the new
plans. (This schoolhouse had been Mr.
Barnebey's workshop) Access to the Art area
was to exit from the east hall door to the
outside then to the Art room. It's Hurry! in
cold weather! Currently, the Art classes use
both rooms of the building since the Indus-
trial Arts have the new building.