Officials Make Historic Find At Emerson High School

<p>Construction crews renovating Emerson High School in downtown Oklahoma City made a historical discovery. They found chalkboards dating back 100 years ago with school lessons still written on them in chalk.</p>

Friday, January 8th 2016, 7:00 pm

By: News 9


Construction crews renovating Emerson High School in downtown Oklahoma City made a historical discovery. They found chalkboards dating back 100 years ago with school lessons still written on them in chalk.

“It was like I had stepped through a time warp,” said Principal, Sherry Kishore.

One of the messages reads, “Miss Walker's class December 10, 1917.”

The class lessons, colorful artwork and early Oklahoma maps are all preserved in chalk on blackboards at least 100 years old.

“It's the intricate little artwork that's in it and when you think someone did that with chalk just for a daily lesson, I think it's gorgeous,” Kishore told News 9.

Construction crews uncovered the chalkboards the first week of 2016.

“I think this is a snapshot of what we were in Oklahoma 100 years ago. It's a piece of history,” Kishore explained.

Emerson is one of the oldest schools in Oklahoma City that is still standing. The third floor discovery comes about six months after crews discovered historical artwork on the second floor.

“I have been in anticipation waiting for them to come to the third floor,” Kishore beamed.

The renovation work has to be done by March so students can start using the classrooms. So the school is working quickly to decide which pieces to preserve.

Kishore hopes the discovery shows current students that knowledge is eternal.

“I think it's good for students to see that what they are learning today is the same thing they learned back then. The teachers just had to work a little differently to present it by spending hours on the artwork,” Kishore said.

Preserving art found on the second floor of Emerson cost $25,000.

The district said saving the art found on the third floor will be significantly less since there were not as many drawings.

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