Oshkosh High School History

The first officially recorded action for establishing a public school in the Village of Oshkosh occurred on September 27, 1847.

Two acres of land were purchased in 1855 on Algoma Street for a high school building.

The first Oshkosh Board of Education meeting was held in April of 1856.

A partial organization of high school education was in operation as early as 1856.

Oshkosh held high school classes in the "Old Congregational Church" on Main Street near Church Street from 1860-1867.

Classes met in a building that now houses Satori Imports at 411 N. Main Street from 1867-1869.

The first High School building was completed and occupied in 1869 designed with a capacity of 450 students.

Music was first introduced in the Oshkosh schools in 1889.

The first Oshkosh High School building was destroyed by fire on Thursday, May 2, 1901.

City Hall served as a temporary school quarters while the new school building was being built.

The second Oshkosh High School building was formally opened on January 21, 1903 and was referred to as the "Red Brick School" with a capacity of 550-700 students.

The third Oshkosh High School building, also known as the Algoma Street addition, was built in 1914-1915 or 1915-1916 in front of the "Red Brick School" to expand the High School to accommodate 1200 students.

The fourth Oshkosh High School building was dedicated in December of 1961 on Eagle Street and Southland Avenue with a capacity of 2500 students and was near the geographical center of the Oshkosh Area School District.

The new Civic Auditorium attached to OHS was completed and opened in 1963.

In 1972, another public high school opened and was named Oshkosh North High School, OHS was renamed Oshkosh West High School.