The date is January 25, 2016. It’s hard to believe that this same high school has housed over one hundred graduating classes. Thousands of different feet have passed through these halls, all leading in different directions, but leaving their footprint on this little school as it grew into what it is today. Sure, it had a few location changes and even more mascot changes, but it is still Lemont Township High School.

While commonly overlooked, the west wing display cases on the third floor are packed with artifacts from it’s great history. Spanning from the 1920’s until more recent years, students can peer into the past that was high school life.

While this school was officially founded in 1890, the  display case begins with 1912, showing that what is now known as an apartment complex used to be where kids at the turn of the century attended Lemont High School. In this featured year, Arizona became a state, the Titanic sunk, and Lemont High School teachers were paid only $60 a month, which has only grown since then.

Twelve years later, the case displays a teaching certificate from 1924 for a Mary Roebuck that certified her to be a teacher at LHS. All she had to do was prove her credentials with an index card displaying the signature of E J Tobin: the then Cook County Superintendent of Schools. These teaching certificates had to be renewed yearly, whereas now, teaching certificates are valid for five years before needing renewal.

Fast forward to 1946, when senior graduation took place on June 12th, in contrast to this past year when it took place on the 22nd of May. With a 21 day difference, this shows that school did not always get out as early as it does now.

Jump ahead a couple of years and stop at 1953, on January 12th specifically. And on this day 63 years ago, students were buying their yearbooks for only three dollars. Those prices have only risen $24, and now sit at a value of $27- fees included in the initial registration payments. But the true value of the books has gone up, as they are nearly 305 pages- a lot more compared to the 74 pages that filled the 1953 yearbook.

And only one year later, there’s an example of the Tom-Tom magazine from 1954. Back then, their newsroom was busy with the sound of typewriters writing their own timely news. Just replace the typewriters with computers, but leave the passion for writing that has always been present, and you have the current journalism class, living on the Tom-Tom legacy.

Imagine if fundraisers and school events were still as cheap as they were in 1955. Now, the sophomore class sponsors “matchomatics” and MORP, but years ago, they sponsored skating parties that only costed fifty cents for attendance. The trip was to the Electric Park, which was a skating rink that was up and running until 1932, only to be destroyed by a tornado in 1990.

As you can see, in 1966, the Tom-Tom has transformed from a simple newsletter-like piece and started to resemble a real newspaper, similar to how a printed issue looks today. They reported on topics that are similar to current ones, even making the front page story all about the 1966 Homecoming queen.

And in 1979, this school hosted a fundraiser for a worthy cause, that being a Dance Marathon to fight Muscular Dystrophy, which is a muscular disease that causes the inability to use certain muscles. Even the pamphlet shows off their groovy style, bell bottoms and all, as they dance towards ending this brutal disease.

Sadly, in 1990, Lemont lost one of its very best, Marie Glass, who passed away at the age of 67 from cancer, who worked here for 43 years as a teacher specializing in science and mathematics. She was remembered fondly and now has a large mural in the math stairs full of science and math depictions, made by one of her former students. She now has a scholarship offered to a senior each year on Senior Night called the ‘Marie Glass Memorial Scholarship.’ Marie was also inducted into the 2004 Athletic Hall of Fame for starting the girl’s athletic movement, for she was a dedicated coach. 

Mrs. Doornbos, the Chemistry teacher at LHS and member of the 1976 graduating class, had Mrs. Glass for Biology and she described her as “always there, always 100% there.. she gave all of herself, always.” Glass was not only her teacher, but eventually became her department chair when she started working at LHS, filling her first years as an educator with nothing but good memories.

And in 1992, famous country star Dolly Parton stopped by to film the comedy Straight Talk. Much of the movie was filmed in downtown Lemont, right in the front yard of LHS. The next movie to be made on Lemont turf wouldn’t be until 2001 when the cast of Save the Last Dance, featuring Julia Stiles and Kerry Washington- current star of Scandal- stopped by to dance through the streets of Lemont.

Skip ahead nearly 10 years to 1998, the year that most current seniors and juniors were born, and look at the old printed version of the Fanfare, which is the newsletter pertaining to all things band. The Fanfare is still written today, but just emailed to the parents of the band rather than mailed. This newsletter in particular is as old, if not older, than the majority of the current members in band.

And in the following year, when many current juniors and sophomores were born: 1999, there is a  young and wrestlin’ Mr. Hennebry, current Art teacher and Art Club sponsor. He went from being the wrestler to the wrestling coach who has been coaching kids in that sport for several years, sending many of them to State.

In the same year, Lemont hosted the Midwest Music Festival, which still happens at to this day. This year’s 2016 performance marks the 30th annual fest, still using the same logo as they did nearly sixteen years ago.

While it is obvious that much has changed since 1890, Lemont High School still has the same spirit and spunk. Let’s make it a great 126th year.