Welcome to Whittier's History Page

Click here to see photos of Whittier's 125th Birthday Celebration on Friday, October 5th. Thanks to Polly MacDonald and all the volunteers that made the event a success.

Click here for information about Whittier's 125th Birthday Celebration, Friday, October 5th, 2007. Email Polly McDonald with your current contact information and memories about Whittier. Here are the staff form and the student form Polly is using to collect information about Whittier alumni contact information and memories.

Below you will find a comprehensive outline of Whittier's history. Also refer to the links below that address other important facts about Whittier's history.

Whittier's History

1858: Gold was discovered in a stream west of Boulder called Gold Run, near today's Gold Hill. Many prospective miners flooded to Colorado. Boulder’s population grew. Those who weren't adept at mining turned to farming, and Boulder steadily grew as a farming supply town and community. (This information is from the Daily Camera.)

1882: Pine Street School was built at 20th and Pine. Third School built in Boulder. On July 4th the cornerstone was laid, and Pine Street School held its first classes in January 1883. The construction cost was $8,000 (plus the cost of the coal furnace). Teacher Salary was $540/year. See First Schools In Boulder for more information.

Above is a photo of the Pine Street School, sometime btn.1882-1895. Photo from the Carnegie Library in Boulder, Colorado.

1883: Bell Tower blew off the school! Probably due to the wind and pigeons weakening the structure.

1886: December 17th - William Casey, Principal/6th Grade Teacher read the John Greenleaf Whittier “Snowbound” poem. Students were so captivated that they decided to write a fan letter to Mr. Whittier on his 79th Birthday, December 17th, 1886. EffieTitus had the best penmanship and was selected to write the note. The whole class accompanied Mr. Casey to the Post Office to mail the letter.

1886: December 29th John Greenleaf wrote back, “To the Pupils of the 6th grade of the Public School, Boulder, Colorado. Dear Young Friends: Take my heartiest thanks for your kind letter of congratulation and my very best wishes for your health, scholarship, and success in life”. (Signed) John G. Whittier.

1902: Twenty years after the Pine street school opened. Boulder Valley School District installed a telephone system between schools and the superintendent’s office. Six schools were connected: Central, Pine Street School, Mapleton, Highland (9th and Arapaho), Washington, and Lincoln (now Naropa).

1903: Pine Street School was renamed to Whittier Elementary School after John Greenleaf Whittier, the poet.

1904: Twenty-two years after it opened, Whittier Elementary finally received indoor plumbing. See Whittier's Construction for more information.

1924-1946: Jessie FitzPatrick, Principal of Whittier Elementary, was very strict with students. All boys had to wear ties and girls had to wear dresses.

1982: School’s 100th anniversary. Bell tower replaced. Photo from the Daily Camera

1982: Time Capsule was put in where the old coal furnace was located in the original part of Whittier Elementary. Time Capsule will be opened in 2032.

1997: Whittier Elementary is designated as a Boulder Landmark. See Whittier's Landmark Designation for more information.

2003: Whittier Elementary was authorized as an International Baccalaureate School. The first elementary school in Boulder to become IB PYP Status. See the International Baccalaureate Organization's Website for more information.

2004: Whittier Elementary name was officially changed to Whittier International School.