Pioneer Middle School was known as Pioneer Park Junior High School when it was first opened in 1957. "Park" was soon dropped from the name, and until the 1980s the school was known as Pioneer Junior High School. The following accounts describe the building of the original school and the later addition of a third wing.
History of the Wenatchee Public Schools by Carolyn Sterling
Local Newspaper Stories
Memories
From History of the Wenatchee Public Schools by Carolyn Sterling. Published by The Wenatchee World. Used with permission.
Chapter X. Increased School Enrollment 1950-1960
Pioneer Junior High School--1956-57
Prior to construction of Junior High Schools in the District a great deal of study was always given to the advantages and disadvantages of the various plans of organization. Should plans call for 6-3-3 arrangement or the 8-4 plan?
H.B. Ellison Junior High School had been built as a wing on the Senior High School in 1929. In the early 1950's it was evident that the building could not long continue to house both schools.
Faculty committees began planning months ahead for suitable facilities to be incorporated into the new school. In 1954, Dan W. Wile, then Principal of H.B. Ellison Junior High School, appeared before the Board to present a written report of a study made by a faculty building committee recommending certain facilities they felt should be included.
These reports were always carefully studied by the Board. Special meetings were called and conferences held with PTA members and other interested citizens, including the Advisory Committee.
A site for the new school was being sought. The City offered to make the Apple Bowl available for school and community use if the School District would make certain needed improvements. This, by law, the District was not able to do unless the property belonged to the schools.
A lease agreement was then proposed--the District to pay the City the annual sum of $2,000.00 for use of the Bowl. However, the Board decided to purchase this area and, in January 1955, paid the City $12,000.00 for it.
The firm of Naramore, Brady & Johanson, Architects from Seattle, was employed to provide plans and specifications.
The contractors for the school were: Vandivort Construction Company, General Contractor: Wells & Wade, Mechanical Contractor--both of Wenatchee, and Baldwin & Briggs Electric Company of Spokane did the Electrical work.
Actual construction began in the spring of 1956 and was substantially completed at the end of the 1957 summer. Open House was held at the building October 10, 1957.
Total contract costs, including Architect fees were $1,603,920.00, all local funds--no State matching funds were received for this original construction.
However, in 1962-63, when the Special Education Wing was added to Pioneer at a total cost of $243,301.80, the State participated with a Grant of $81,547.19.
It should be stated also that the Bowl was greatly improved under a contract by John B. Knowles who did necessary field work--grading, tract [sic], etc. Lighting and bleachers were added. All work on the Bowl, 1956-57, including site, field work, bleachers, lighting and necessary engineering services came to $85,977.30 to make it the valuable school and community service area that it is. The maintenance department of the schools, under supervision of John Graybill, put in an underground sprinkler system in the summer of 1964.
Dan W. Wile was transferred from the Principalship at Ellison Junior High to Pioneer when it opened--1957-58 year. he remained in that position until his retirement June 30, 1969.
Lawrence Mead became Principal of Ellison. Books and other school supplies as well as faculty were divided between the two schools on an approximately equal basis.
Chapter XI. The 1960-1970 Decade
Addition--Pioneer Junior High
The Special Education program was growing and added facilities were necessary. The Department at Washington School was crowded and extra rooms were being rented in the Eastmont and Leavenworth Schools to provide for the children in those areas.
An added ten-room wing at Pioneer Junior High would relieve the situation and would allow for increased services such as Industrial Arts and Home Economics to the children.
The Seattle Architectural Firm, Naramore, Bain, Brady and Johanson, which planned Pioneer Junior High School, was employed for this addition. The contractors were: Vandivort Construction--General; Schuster's Modern Plumbing & Heating Company, both of Wenatchee; and Briggs Electric Company of Spokane.
State Matching funds amounted to $81,547.19 as previously stated, of of a total cost of $243,301.80.
From a February
23, 1956 Wenatchee Daily World article titled "Proposed Junior High
Gym Will Be Used For Community Events."
"The new gymnasium is part of the new Junior High School to be built next to the Apple Bowl. The gymnasium is needed for the Junior High School physical education program and it will also serve as the assembly room for the school. Since the new school does not have an auditorium, for economical reasons a combination gymnasium and auditorium is planned. Withoug this facility there would be no place for the school's physical education program and there would be no assembly room provided for the students.
The new gymnasium will be located next to the Apple Bowl on vacant land in the rear of the Yerxa greenhouses. The school district is acquiring one and one-tenth acres of land through condemnation proceedings for the gymnasium site. The court will determine the amount of compensation that the school district will pay for this property. The greenhouses are not disturbed.
All the schools of Wenatchee will benefit from the new gymnasium. At the present time only one gymnasium is available to over 5,000 students in the Wenatchee schools. The present gymnasium must be used by the junior high school, senior high school, junior college, and six elementary schools.
Conditions are so crowded now that some gym classes exceed 50 in enrollment. Facilities do not permit offering physicl education classes to juniors and seniors as most high schools do.
The present gymnasium is in continuous use from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. The only opportunity that the elementary schools have for its use is on Saturdays when the gymnasium is shared with the senior high school for its intra-mural program. Dressing rooms, showers and lockers are inadequate to take care of the large number of students who must use the gym.
In addition, the gymnasium is used for school and community events since it is the largest meeting place in the city. It is used for junior high school and senior high school graduation, band concerts, and for the Christmas Cantata. The present gymnasium seats only 1500 and is not nearly large enough for the number of people who want to attend these school events. The gymnasium is also used for community meetings including conventions, road show attractions and the Queen's Ball..."
From a March 8, 1956 Wenatchee Daily World article titled
"Bonds to Provide Needed New Gym."
"The new gymnasium will be located next to the new junior high school and Apple Bowl, in order to provide needed facilities for the school and the athletic field.
The new gymnasium is designed throughout as a multi-purpose facility for school and community use. It will serve for both a gymnasium and auditorium for the new junior high school.
Maximum use of floor space is provided by using folding bleachers.
Bleacher seating will be provided for 3,000 and an additional 500 chairs can be set up on the floor for stage performances.
Other new school gymnasiums, recently built, by comparison will seat the following: Yakima 7,000; Sunnyside 3,000; Toppenish 2,800; Ellensburg 2,400; Grandview 2,200.
A foyer at the entrance to the new gymnasium is designed to facilitate large crowds. Ticket offices, concessions space and lavatories for the public use are provided for in this section of the new gymnasium.
The addition of the outdoor features, which include the curved concrete roof and press box, will cost $19,651, according to the estimate of a local contractor. This would include construction, architects' fees and sales tax...
The concrete floor of the stage provides the roof for showers and dressing rooms that are beneath it. At the present time athletic teams must return to the high school for showers.
During the football season this outdoor stage will hold a section of bleachers for Apple Bowl spectators.
The new gymnasium is designed as a separate building so that it can be used at nights and week-ends without opening the whole school plant as is the situation at the H.B. Ellison gymnasium...
If this new gymnasium-auditorium is constructed, Wenatchee will have one of the finest school and community facilities of this kind in the state.
From an October 2, 1956 Wenatchee Daily World article titled "Citizens Group Inspects New School Improvements."
"...The group [Citizen's Advisory Committee] toured the new junior high school, which is rapidly taking shape across from Pioneer Park. The unique curving roof of the classroom wings gives the new building a distinctive look.
Ferguson [superintend of schools] told the Advisory Committee that this building will be the first Class One school for fire ratings built here. It is all concrete, with a slightly higher first cost, but less maintenance and upkeep.
The new building will cost about $15.50 per square foot.
The classroom wings are almost completely roofed now. But the gymnasium roof is not expected to be completed before wintertime..."
From an August 15, 1957 Wenatchee Daily World article titled "Students Return to School September 4."
"...Opening its doors Sept. 4 will be the new junior high school.
Principal Dan Wile announced that the new campus type school has 26 teaching stations.
The modernistic "roller coaster" look of the exterior of the classroom wings, takes on a different appearance when viewed from the inside.
'The acoustics of the rooms are almost perfect,' said Wile who is equally enthusiastic about the natural lighting of the corridors through the ceilings.
Adding color to the classrooms are the new solid plastic desks in pastel colors with modernistic chrome book racks."