An excerpt from the first Pot of Gold

An excerpt from the first Pot of Gold - 1933.

Provided by David G. Wise, DHS '60,whose mother was in
the first class ever to spend 4 years at DeVilbiss.

    "The history of DeVilbiss High School has been very short. There is little to be said about it's past. We shall probably write a book about its future, but it is very difficult to tell about its history.

    The 1933 graduation class from DeVilbiss was cared for as freshmen at McKinley Junior High School. ON May 26, 1930 the student body of McKinley conducted the ground breaking ceremonies for the construction of DeVilbiss High School. A very fine program had been planned by the students and the secretary of the Council acted as mistress of ceremonies. She presented the speakers among whom were Mr. Charles Meek, Superintendent of Schools. Mrs. Thomas A. DeVilbiss turned the first spade of earth. The program was concluded by a very fine talk by the president of the Student Council, Lee Miller. Harriette Keeling, presided and numerous souvenir handfuls from the first shovelful were collected by the pupils.
    Several boys from the student body had visited the offices of the architectural department of the Board of Education and learned all about the new building. These boys reported back to the school at an assembly program to build an anticipation of what good things were in store for those who would attend the new school. These reports were discussed fully in Student Council meetings and reported back to the home rooms. The students then began to plan participation in the activities of the new school being built for them.
    It is appropriate at this time to go a little further back into the history of our campus and the history of the ground on which our school now stands. Pontiac, Antokee, Tecumseh, and Little Turtle, famed chiefs of the history of this section, roamed over what is now the campus of DeVilbiss High School. The first two were born and lived within a few miles of here. Several decisive Indian battles were fought but a few miles of here. Mad Anthony Wayne reclaimed it for the new nation, the United States of America, at the Battle of Fallen Timbers. Then came General Harrison and Commodore Perry, who drove out both British and Indians and open the way to settlement by the white people.
    It is hard for us to realize that less than a hundred years ago this whole section was covered by dense woods, with only here and there a pioneer of the white race. IN fact, Indians still lived in this territory.
    A few white people in the point near West Toledo, called Tremainsville, and a few more at the foot of Monroe Street, called Port Lawrence, were struggling for existence in the swamps. Toledo was unknown. Inhabitants of Port Lawrence had to travel to Tremainsville for their mail.
    Slowly pioneers came to occupy this swamp land near the Maumee River, now named Toledo. Gradually the land was cleared and farms took the place of forests. Roads were laid out and Monroe Street became a highway to the northwest.
    Less than thirteen years ago Upton Avenue was merely a mud road with very few houses near it. About ten or fifteen years before that the city of Toledo had acquired a location for a contagious disease hospital and selected the site which is now the present campus of our school. People supposed it would be many years before this district would be built up. However, it wasn't long till trees were planted, drives were made, buildings were erected. Little did people realize that someday the trees they were planting would beautify the campus of the largest school in Ohio. This ground has been consecrated to the aid of humanity not only physically, but mentally as well.

    Within the memory of the fathers and mothers of children now pupils at DeVilbiss High School, Monroe Street and Central Avenue were mere sand roads bordered by scrub oak "Openings." Shacks occupied barren lands on the almost barren farms. The people were poor - the farms were poorer. Many thought it hardly worthwhile to stay on the land, despairing of ever making even a good living. However, the people were determined and worked hard. Slowly Toledo grew out toward the country. The demand for food made the farms profitable and at last the farms were platted into homesites. Slowly homes were built on these plats and at last the increased population made it imperative that new schools be built. McKinley School and DeVilbiss High School are the results, occupying land that was farms only a few years ago."