History:

In 1849 when approximately 20 boys and girls trudged to the log cabin schoolhouse in Samuel Dodd's orchard, there was keen disappointment in store for them. Their benches and desks were not all built. It took another day to equip this first schoolhouse. They walked home and came back the next day. Their teacher was Maria Pickard. The school served the farm as well as the local children and operated for a year. This building still stands and is known as the Sarah Hudson residence. A second log schoolhouse on Franklin Street was used from 1850-1854. Many interesting things happened during these years. The Illinois Central railroad was given its right of way, tracks were laid and trains began to run from Freeport to Warren. Samuel Dodds, who owned 80 acres of land, bought 80 acres more and laid out the site of the settlement in the southeastern corner of West Point Township. There were about a dozen families here. However, with people now coming by stagecoach from Chicago to Galena, by the railroad, or by their ordinary mode of travel, the covered wagon, many came and scattered throughout the area. The settlement had been called Alida and Terra Haute, then officially Lena.

A new school known as the little stone school house had been erected in 1854 at the corner of Lena and Franklin streets, but by 1859 it gave way to the big stone school house, built on the south side of the railroad tracks. It was two stories high, had four rooms, employed more teachers and cost all of $1000.00. It was used as a community center for spelling bees and other meetings. When the Civil War broke out, this building was the recruiting center for volunteers. When one realizes that men from this area helped form the llth, the 15th, the 45th, the 46th, the 92nd regiments of Volunteer Infantry and the l4th Regiment of Cavalry of Illinois, some idea can be formed of the growth of population. This building is now used as the Kishrock Poultry House, but some Alumni with nostalgic feelings for Lena, wish the chickens could be shooed out and the public library moved in.
After the Civil War was over, in fact in 1866, Lena was incorporated as a town. Again a big problem faced the community another new school building was needed. This one doesn't need to be described to Alumni before 1934 because it was their schoolhouse. It may be worthwhile to hear how the Stephenson County Atlas of 1871 describes it: "Lena boasts of one of the finest school buildings in the county. It is 50 x 55 ft, four stories high, with all modern improvement in seating, furnishings etc., and when entirely completed will well and comfortably accommodate 500 pupils. The school is graded, having five departments. Number of scholars enrolled is 4l5 with average attendance of 350. The building was erected in 1868 and cost $20,000.00.

By 1921 there was a change made whereby the rural area within convenient shopping distance of Lena paid taxes toward the support of the Lena High School and many of its teen-agers took advantage of this to carry their schooling beyond the 8th grade. The new organization was called Lena Community High School District #300. It operated until its own school board and the Lena Grade School District #73 had a separate board. The building became so crowded that a residence next to the schoolhouse was purchased and converted into classrooms. This was known as the Annex.

The United States was involved from early 1917 to late 1918 in World War I. Many Lena boys fought. During the 1930's when a serious depression developed, the United States government came up with a plan to furnish jobs for men out of work, by extending aid for the construction of public buildings. Lena took quick advantage of this project. The school board had gradually accumulated about $18,000,00 in view of building expansion. The government furnished around $20,000.00 and $31,000.00 of bonds were purchased by the First National Bank of Freeport. This made the total cost of building the new school house approximately $70,000.00. It was constructed upon the site of the tall schoolhouse.