Back in my day, we didn’t have cell phones. We had to look everything up in books!” “I walked to school both ways, uphill!” We’ve all heard these claims, but what was life really like at Wood River Rural Schools?
Preserving our past is essential to understanding where we’ve been and how far we’ve come. The Wood River Rural Schools History Preservation Project, a collaborative effort by staff, students and community members over the past few years, aims to digitize our rich history, making it accessible through a touchscreen kiosk.
At the heart of this project are the Wood River yearbooks, with the earliest dating back to 1925. These memories were sent to New York for high-quality scanning, allowing users to flip through digital pages of time. The alumni book, a lesser-known treasure of school history and family information, was carefully digitized by former student Junior Rodriguez.
Other historical pieces include the Aldian (history of Alda school), senior composites, and time capsule documents. Mrs. Hirchert and her library aides played a crucial role in scanning older yearbooks and preparing senior composites for professional digitization in Lincoln, Nebraska.
The kiosk isn’t just about the past; it also showcases current student activities, athletics, and staff bios. Journalism students contributed by photographing school groups and compiling comprehensive lists of organizations.
This project owes its success to many dedicated individuals who maintained our history over the years, including former Wood River historian Maxine Rathman, Alice Fairbanks, Andrea Johnson, Terri Webben, Marlene Wagoner, Sonya Schutz, Nathan Gartner, Kerry Sheeks, and Barb Huxtable. A special thanks goes to the Wood River Centennial Foundation and Wagoner family – – whose generous donation through the Thomas and Cecelia Wagoner family fund made the kiosk project possible.
By digitizing our school district’s history, we ensure that valuable legacies are preserved and accessible, allowing future generations to appreciate their roots. This project isn’t just about old stuff; it creates a connection between our past, present, and future.
The Wood River Community Centennial Foundation was proud to provide the funding for the Kiosk and initial “setting up costs.” The Foundation has awarded over $159,200 in grants back to Wood River Rural Middle and High School and $113,200 back to the Wood River Elementary School since inception 40 years ago. Many of the grants were funded by named funds established by families with the Foundation. The Thomas & Cecelia Wagoner family (four generations of Wood River graduates) was proud to approve this award to preserve the history and traditions of our Alma Mater.
