Centennial School District No. 85

Centennial School District No. 85 ‘s name was derived from the fact that the first day of school held here was on the hundredth year anniversary of the meeting of the United States Constitutional Convention. The one-and-a-half-acre tract of land was deeded from A.H. Martin and Mary Martin on February 9, 1887, to the School Board of District No. 85. The board members were E.S. Clark, John Smith, and Isaac Garst.

The first available records show that J.C. Clark taught the term of 1897-98. There were 39 students enrolled. Only two board members were recorded. They were W.S. Skaggs and E.S. Clark. The next two terms were taught by J.E. Reid and O.A. Bayless. Three board members were recorded for the term ending in 1900. Those board members were W.S. Skaggs, J.J. Wright and William Behrns.

Teaching the next decade were: W.S. Martin, Margaret Cowgill, A.B. Hammond, Nellie DeHeck, Ida Lyons, Camilla Nelson, Cora Coleman, Fred Powers and Lona Talley. The board members for the term ending in 1910 were Arlie Powell, A.M. Rundle and E.E. Enslow. Teachers for the next ten years were: Earl Weimer, Ruth Lillis, Richard Koff, Mayfield Perryman, Ruth Clark, H. C. Forbes, and Kizzie Brubaker. Members of the school board for the term ending in 1920 were A.J. Powell, W. F. Rundle, and Mrs. J. Forth.

Before the summer of the 1911 term, the original building was demolished and replaced with a new structure. Ruth Lillis served as the teacher for the new term. Teaching the decade of the 1920’s were: Ruth Hashay, Olive Lemberger, R.E. Tutcher, Elsie Dodder, and Myrtle Simmons. By the end of this decade, the enrollment had declined to only 15 students. The enrollment ending ten years previous was 39. Board members ending this decade were O.A. Powell, Chris Straub, and Floyd Dodds.

Velma Ward, Charles Montfort, Beatrice Clark, Everett Simmons, and Mabel Price were the teachers for the decade ending in 1940. Mabel Price taught three terms. Those serving on the board were S.W. Owens, O.E. Ikenberry and C.E. Forth.

Mabel Price taught for five more terms, followed by Delta Ikenberry and Viva Clark, teaching for the term ending in 1950. Cecil McArdle, A.E. Flory, and E.M. Huston served on the school board ending in 1950.Lillie Button and Bessie Gruver were the only two teachers for the seven terms that followed. Bessie Gruver taught the last six terms of the school’s history.

Centennial No. 85 and Brubaker No. 46 chose to disorganize in 1958. On April 8 of that year, they consolidated to form the new Brubaker School District No. 96, using the old Brubaker building. Leaving this building to only be used locally for a short time longer as community use before it became abandoned.