Happy #ThrowbackThursday from Nebraska Memories!
This week’s image features several boys performing different tasks using print shop machinery at the Fort Street Special School for Boys.
In 1914, a new school was opened to accommodate boys who “had no interest in school at all” or were considered to be “mischief makers”, according to OPS documents. This new school provided manual training in printing and agriculture as well as metal and wood working shops. A few boys were selected to attend the new school, located at 30th and Brown Streets. The group then grew to 50 within a short time. This school encouraged the boys to use their creativity. What started as a somewhat punitive program became a sought- after assignment by students in other schools. The program was later moved to the campus of the High School of Commerce.
This image is published and owned by Omaha Public Schools and the Educational Research Library. Historical materials have been located in various departments and school buildings. Many schools still maintain their own collections. In 2003, staff from the Educational Research Library began collecting and organizing these materials in a central location. This collection is a small part of the District’s long history.
If you like history, check out the Nebraska Memories archive!
Nebraska Memories is a cooperative project to digitize Nebraska-related historical and cultural heritage materials and make them available to researchers of all ages via the Internet. The Nebraska Memories archive is brought to you by the Nebraska Library Commission. If your institution is interested in participating in Nebraska Memories, see http://nlc.nebraska.gov/nebraskamemories/participation.aspx for more information
