Explore Amache High School and its vibrant student life as well as the important role that sports played at Amache.
Stop 4 Audio
Transcript
When we first arrived at Amache, the elementary, junior high, and high schools were placed in the residential barracks of Block 8H. New schools were planned and building of the Amache High School started in December 1942. As soon as construction began, people in the communities outside of Amache, politicians, and the news media started to protest.
They claimed that we were being coddled and treated with preference since Amache High School was the biggest and most modern school in the area. It was the biggest building in Amache, with a main building that had 21 classrooms and a large combination gym and auditorium. It was constructed with the same beige colored temporary wall materials of the residential barracks, and was quite flimsy.
That did not matter to the public, because they looked good from a distance. In addition, the population of Amache was by far larger than any surrounding towns and needed a large school. Prowers County’s seat in its largest city, Lamar, had only 2, 500 residents in comparison to the 7, 318 in Amache. A new elementary school was supposed to be built across the road in Block 9 G and a new junior high school in 10 K.
But because of the protests over the high school, the WRA decided to abandon building them and leave the elementary school and 7th and 8th grade of the junior high at its Block 8 H location. The high school from 9th to the 12th grade was completed, and the first classes started in September of 1943. If we weren’t confined behind barbed wires and garden towers, Amache High School activities would have been like any other high school in America.
We had student government, organizations like Glee Club, Honor Society, Service Clubs, Spanish Club, Future Farmers of America Club, dances, proms, a yearbook, band, orchestra, choir, singing trio, theater productions, cheerleading, and athletics. Sports were a big deal at Amache, especially baseball, basketball, and football.
The Amache high school teams would play teams from other local schools that were bigger and taller than us, but we had a much larger student body than our rivals. We sometimes were underdogs, but we managed to win most of our games anyway.
Across the street is a large open field. No buildings were ever built there but instead it was used as the camp’s athletic field. Hundreds of people would come out to watch the football and baseball games that were played there. Can you see the raised area on the corner of the block? This is where the baseball backstop was.
DRIVING DIRECTIONS: To continue to Stop #5, continue south on this road. On the right side of the road, a little over 300 feet in front of you, you will see the restored 11F recreation hall.