Opera House

The first Opera House built in 1888 on the Southside of Delta Avenue between 8th & 9th Streets.  It burnt down on May 8, 1901.  Construction on a new Opera House began with a year and was built on the corner of 7th Street and Delta Avenue (pictured).  It burnt down in January of 1922.

High School 1906

Central School/High School

The Central School was completed in 1899.  An addition was added in 1906 and it became the high school (pictured).  It was located on 11th Street and Michigan Avenue.  The bond for the school, pre-addition, was $8,000 with an additional $5,000 through a tax levy.  The Old Central School/High School was demolished in 1967 for the construction of new school gymnasium.

New First Ward School

First Ward School

On September 5, 1887 a school district was organized for Gladstone.  A school was contracted for construction on October 3, 1887.  It was 20' x 30' and located on northeast corner of 10th Street and Wisconsin Avenue.  School began on November 19, 1887 with 55 students.  By the beginning of the school year in 1888 there were 282 students.  At that time, the older students used the fire station hall for their school and the younger students remained at the schoolhouse.  In 1892 the small school house was moved to 4th Street and Wisconsin and replaced by the two-story school house (pictured) in 1899.  The last day of school for this school was in 1942 and it was torn down in 1956.

Post Office

The first post office was described as a tumble-down shack located between 3rd and 4th Streets on Delta Avenue and in September of 1887 was reported by the postmaster to have had 46 registered letters mailed from the office.  Richard Mertz was the first postmaster and resided at the back of the post office.  Stories go that the post office had so many cracks in the walls and roof that it was hard to keep the mail dry on rainy days and that grass sprouted through the crevices in the floor.  The post office pictured is the one built in 1888.

Fire Hall

Harbor

Installing Trolley Lines

Delta Avenue 1910

Delta Avenue

Delta Avenue

Delta Avenue 1915

Labor Day Parade 1911

Yacht Harbor