When the dog days of summer are drawing to a close, a new school year is ushered in. Pencils are sharpened and computers are charged as teachers prepare to welcome a new class of students to their room. For the city of Kenmare, the current grade school and high school buildings have been staples in the community for decades, educating thousands of students, proud to be called the Kenmare Honkers. But, looking back over the past 120 years, we see many changes in the world of education for this small town.
In the fall of 1897, long before iPads, overhead projectors, electric pencil sharpeners, and even mainstream typewriters, school was in session in Kenmare Township, in a small, modest structure on Main Street. Over the next five years, the school would be moved and rebuilt, but remained a one-room schoolhouse. In 1902, construction began on a new school. The stately brick building was an impressive addition to the prairie town, complete with arched windows and turrets. The new school received students in the fall of 1903, which would sadly be the first and last time. On the evening of February 15, 1904, it was destroyed by a fire. Having no fire department, the community watched helplessly as it burned to the ground. The fire was devastating, but the residents didn’t wallow. Instead, they took action, clearing debris, collecting donations, and finalizing insurance and bonds, in order to erect a new and better building. It was completed in 1908.
Shortly after, another educational opportunity was available in the booming town. Father Anthony Wagner, the first resident pastor of St. Agnes Parish, had already established himself as the “apostle of northwestern North Dakota”, a title he had earned through his dedication to sharing the Good News of the Bible to Kenmare, Bowbells, Portal, Tolley, Donnybrook, and beyond. His great project was a parochial school, a large brick building that became St. Agnes School, which was operated by the Ursuline Sisters from Germany. The school began with 127 students in 1912, an enrollment that would remain relatively steady until the Ursuline Sisters announced they would be withdrawing from their mission following the 1969-1970 school term.
In the meantime, the Kenmare school district had continued to grow and evolve, which required changes in infrastructure. The Kenmare Memorial Grade School welcomed students in 1955. Over a decade later, on June 23, 1969, a ground-breaking ceremony was held, celebrating the beginning of construction for a 1.3 million dollar middle-secondary school, the first of its kind in the nation. The doors opened for students in the fall of 1970. Both buildings continue to serve the community today.
From humble beginnings in one-room schoolhouses to impressive facilities, one thing has remained, and that is a fierce dedication to educate future generations and expose them, not only to academics, but athletics as well.