Welcome to Manatee High School's Class of
1973 Web site. We hope that this site can be used as a focal
point for those members of our class wishing to contact fellow members, share
life experiences or simply would like to see old friends in our photos.
Manatee High School can trace
back its roots to a donation of land by Dr. Charles Ballard, a local
businessman, legislator and philanthropist. According to the History of
Ballard Elementary School website, the land was located where the present
Manatee County School Board Administration Building now stands. Dr. Ballard
died in 1901, "leaving behind both educational and religious legacies for the
community."
The Bradenton Herald
reports that the school, then known as Manatee County High School, won the state
football championship in 1915. In 1921, its first yearbook was published. In the
early years of the school, the yearbook was called the Macohi. Later,
the yearbook's name was changed to the 'Cane Echo, and the student
newspaper became the Macohi.
The 1970 'Cane Echo
yearbook had this to say about the history of Manatee High:
"A half century ago, Manatee
High School was called Manatee County High School and was located where the
school administration building is now. Later, Manatee County High School moved
to our present location and was named Bradenton High School. In 1947, we
merged with Palmetto High School and became Manatee County High School again.
In 1959, Palmetto went back across the river and we became Manatee High School."
The 1970 yearbook compared the
population of 1921 "Bradentown" (5,986) with the 1970 MHS enrollment of 2,580.
Travel to St. Petersburg for football games was done by boat in 1921, and the
yearbook recounted the story of a bad storm causing the team to stay overnight
on the boat.
By 1932, the new high school
building, at the school's present location, was in use. It would later be named
the Davis Building, in honor of principal Paul F. Davis.
The 1969-70 school year was a
time of substantial change at MHS. With what the 1970 yearbook described as the
"full desegregation" of the school that year and its conversion from a 3-year to
a 4-year institution, MHS suddenly became much larger and more diverse.
Part of the transformation of
MHS was the annexation of the old Walker Junior High campus, which was located
across 11th Avenue West from the Davis Building. It became the South Campus,
and the Walker building was eventually razed as part of the major reconstruction
of the campus that took place in the late 1990's.
Contact Information
General
Information
Betsy Keaton Powers
Betz311@aol.com
Webmaster
Mason Pratt
mpratt@madscape.com
