The first McKinley School was built in 1920 and located on Cottage and South Gay Street, on the same lot that the former Washington School, nee Credence was located.

Yet, it was the Washington School that was built in 1900 that time had taken a toll on the structure. In 1947, the Susanville School District were concerned that it would not pass a number of safety codes. The following year the building was condemned and the district was concerned McKinley, too, would suffer the same fate. The District now had the daunting task to find funds to replace the two schools. The State of California determined that the District was determined “distressed” and was eligible for $341,065 in funds. It was decided to create two neighborhood schools, and McKinley was located to Fourth Street. The new school building opened its doors in May 1950.

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In 1920, voters of the Susanville School District passed a bond measure to build a second school. The trustees indicated, however, that with the accelerated growth another school would be needed. What they had not bargained for was just how quickly the need would arise. On January 14, 1922 the District held another bond election for a new school. The voters approved the $50,000 measure by a vote of 140 to 5. In March, the District purchased a lot on the south side of Main Street at the intersection of Hall Street. In June local contractors Woodward & Grebe were awarded a $35,000 contract to build it. The school was completed and placed in use during the first week of February 1923. The Lincoln School closed at the end of the 1966-67 school year.

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Construction of the high school began in the fall of 1905 and was ready the following year. The school was constructed by Granite Rock Company for $25,670.

The photograph depicted above was taken in 1908, when the school grounds was fenced, not to keep the students in, but to keep roaming livestock off the school property.

Don’t forget you can still get the complete DVD collection of the Lassen High Yearbooks from 1904 to 2013. However, I only have about fifteen left.

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When the Susanville School District was established in 1864, the town had only one school, located on Cottage Street. This remained the status quo for nearly sixty years.

With the arrival and the lumber mills, the town experienced a huge population surge.  In 1920, a second school was needed and it was also constructed on the Cottage Street property. The growing pains of Susanville continued and a third school was built, this time in the Milwood District in 1922. Another three years went by, and yet another school was constructed, this time on Richmond Road.

With four schools in operation the district, decided to give them names, which they honored past United States Presidents. The first school was named Washington; the second McKinley, the third, Lincoln and the fourth school Roosevelt.

In 1967, when it was decided to build a middle school to replace Roosevelt, a more generic name was given–Diamond View.

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