April 10, 1956 Wheeler Elementary Building Occupied

The April 12, 1956 Interlaken School District Board meeting minutes have a short paragraph relating to the building project that began in 1953.

The timeline printed in May 1956 as part of the upcoming dedication, notes May 7, 1953, donation of 12 acres of land by William D. Wheeler adjacent to the school site.

Over the next three years Architects would be hired, land cleared, bond issues approved and two major buildings would be added to the Interlaken campus.

It is interesting when reading the official minutes of an organization, such as the school, to find just how little has to be recorded, and how much the board members heard but didn’t have to record.

Such is the case with this building project. Each month the board heard an update on the project, and that is what the minutes note. Not what was said, nor what was happening, unless there was a change order needed. They also approved, and recorded, the bills related to the work.

Sometimes, the work didn’t proceed as hoped. At the beginning of the 1955-56 school year, “Mr. Norton suggested that the opening of school be postponed another week. School to start Monday September 19, 1955.” [September 8, 1955 Board of Education Minutes]

On April 12, 1956, all that changed, occupancy and a need to hire a casher being noted. 

Detail, April 12, 1956 Interlaken Central School Board Meeting Minutes

This was the fourth building project for the school at this site. The first was the 1934-36 project, constructing the main building (cornerstone laying May 6, 1935, a Snippet for next month.) Project number two was the garage in 1942. Project number three was an addition, work dates November 1948 to October 1950.

As the project of a new gymnasium and elementary school progressed the board decided that they should each be named for gentlemen dedicated to the community and education. The elementary building was dedicated to William D. Wheeler, and the gymnasium, to Darwin P. Norton. This was especially fitting as Prof. Norton, as many would call him, was retiring at the end of the school year. 

On Sunday, May 20, 1956, the dedication and celebration of the completed building projects took place.

There have been many more projects since then. Each generation of parents and students have seen changes. Within today’s students there are third and fourth generations of families that have attended school at the Interlaken building, and no doubt the same can be said for the Ovid campus as well.

1960 Interlaken Central School, the new elementary building is on the upper right side.
The D. P. Norton Gymnasium is in front of it.
Interlaken Historical Society photo #2049 

Google Earth looking north, 1956 elementary building is the right side of the white roof area.

Dewitt’s Diary, Tuesday, April 10, 1956
Temperature 28, clear. A beautiful morning. Ground is frozen where it is bare. 
We took the boat down to Sheldrake Point and tried for lake trout. Lake very muddy and high, no fish.
Cleaned out the brooder house this afternoon.