Washburn High School - History

History

Washburn High School was built in 1925 to meet the demands of the growing South Minneapolis neighborhood. Construction for the new three-story building began in 1924 after the Minneapolis Board of Education purchased unused land in Washburn Park. Land next to the school was occupied by the Washburn Memorial Orphan Asylum, now torn down and replaced with what is now Ramsey International Fine Arts Center. Washburn is located in the Tangletown neighborhood of southern Minneapolis at 201 West 49th Street.

Washburn opened on September 8, 1925 to 1,031 students. When the school opened, it served 7–10 grades and added one year each year for the next two years. It served middle school and high school students until 1929. The school became very popular and by 1931, 2,370 students attended the school built for 1,500. The school has been expanded several times to meet the demands of high enrollment.

The school is conventionally named after Cadwallader C. Washburn. When the school was presented to the school board it was called "William D. Washburn High School", in reference to the brother of Cadwallader C. Washburn, however naming the school after William D. Washburn is thought to be an error. The school has been heavily influenced by Minneapolis' milling empire. The school's newspaper, The Grist, involves milling terminology, the school's colors, blue and orange, were those of Gold Medal Flour, a company partly run by the Washburn family and a predecessor to General Mills and the athletic teams' nickname are the "Millers".

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