08/27/2026
Look past the hairstyles, thick-rimmed glasses and fashions in old class photos, and you’ll find familiar faces: the shy freshman, the class clown, the friend who’d keep your secrets. Every picture captures a moment, but together these images trace the history of a city through generations of students. For more than 150 years, Longmont’s schools have helped shape this community.
Longmont’s commitment to education began almost as soon as the City itself. Just months after the Chicago-Colorado Colony was founded in 1871, the community built its first schoolhouse. Byron Carr, a Civil War veteran, and his wife Mary taught about 100 children together in a single room. As Longmont grew, so did its schools. Central Elementary, built in 1878 and now a Longmont Historic Landmark, became the City’s first permanent school building. Longmont High School followed in 1901. Today, these historic schools, along with many others across Longmont, continue a tradition of learning that has shaped our City since its founding.
This month, another generation of Longmont students head back to the classroom. They will smile for school pictures that, one day, will become part the of the City’s history. Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young sang it best: Teach your children well.
Join us every Thursday for the rest of the year as we celebrate the triple anniversary of Longmont turning 155, Colorado turning 150, and America turning 250. We will share stories and photos on specific monthly themes tied to the history of the city we call home. This month, we're shining the spotlight on the history of schools and libraries in Longmont.
Visit LongmontColorado.gov/CO150 and check back every Thursday to learn more.
Image 1: Burlington School and children, 1896.
Image 2: Longmont High, Class of 1908.
Image 3: Russell Stewart, Longmont High Class of 1930 Yearbook Photo.
Image 4: Skyline High School 1983 Homecoming King and Queen.
