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History
boxcar
Temporary housing for Wanamaker School after a fire took the first school building.
Wanamaker School has been at its present site since 1889. 
It was named for John Wanamaker, the postmaster of the community at that time.  Fire destroyed the school and a new school was built.  While it was being built an old railroad car was Wanamaker School.

Information from April 13th, 2001, Friday Papers & from a former student Mr. Robert Boykin.

bolder
The boulder in front of the school was unveiled and dedicated
on the Wanamaker School Grounds, by the Topeka Chapter of the
D.A.R., October 21, 1932, commemorating the
Baptist Mission to the Pottawatomie Indians. 


Wanamaker Elementary School
Completed in 1941
Dedicated by Alf Landon

original school bell
Wanamaker Elementary's
Original School Bell
Returned & Dedicated
in the fall of 2002, by the
Charles J. Myers family in
memory of Marguerite Myers.
Charles J. Myers was the director of the Wanamaker school board at the time of the construction of the building (pictured - left). He served 25 years and was also on the Auburn Washburn Board after unification of the rural district.
Mr. Myers died at age 95 in 2005.

     Upon completion the new Wanamaker Elementary School  had a capacity of 100 students.  It held four classrooms, an office, auditorium with stage, and bathrooms.  In 1952, an addition and some remodeling was completed to deal with the increased enrollment.  Further additions were completed in 1984 and 1987 which included classrooms for each class from Kindergarten through the sixth grade, lunch and other utility rooms.  Again in the year 2002 more additions and remodeling took place. A new gym was added to the north end of the building. The remodeling also involved expanding the media center and the teachers' lounge and rearranging the nurse's office. A new computer lab was constructed within the former gym space as well as adding two classrooms where the former stage had been. The music department classrooms were remodeled, too. Finally new restrooms were added at the end of the music/gymnasium hall. The building now has 34 classrooms, 3 sets of student restrooms, a media center, a computer lab, a gymnasium, a lunchroom/multipurpose room, a kitchen, and an office.

school days
1952

More in the Photo Album of old pictures that Mr. Gary Johnson from Washington brought in on Oct. 11, 2006, to show us.
sketch
Architect's Rendering of Wanamaker with the Building's Additions of 1987
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Site Last Updated: 1/24/08
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