Sports History
Almost all the high school students played in all the sports they could. In the years before 1960 Edison basketball players played on dirt courts. These courts had to have boundary lines and those lines were made by mixing lime powder in with water and filling small trenches.
A memorable sports highlight for many past Edison Eagles was participating in the El Paso County League Tournament. It was considered the biggest sporting event of the year. It was a three-day tournament and the players went into Colorado Springs and spent two nights in a hotel. Edison has many trophies from this tournament. The last year for this tournament was 1967 and after that Edison became part of the Black Forest League.
In the 1920's Edison participated in basketball, baseball and softball. During the 1930's track was added for both boys and girls. The 1940's and 50's Edison continued to excel in athletics playing softball, basketball and participating in track. Volleyball was added in the 1960's. During the 70's football was added to the sports program. Throughout the 1980's Edison combined with Hanover and participated in softball, basketball, football, track and volleyball. In 1989, the girls took 2nd place in State. Throughout the 90's Edison compete in basketball, football, volleyball and track. In the year 2000, Edison began to play boys junior high football with Karval and the past 2 seasons they have participated on their own. In 2003 a new sport was added for the high school students--cross country during the fall.
Another highlight to Edison's sports history is Kim N. being crowned the state champion in 100m hurdles and taking seventh in the 100m dash.
Edison's girls basketball and boys baseball teams from 1953.
Changes Over Time
The original Edison School building cost $30,000 and consisted of one story and a large basement. The basement housed an auditorium that could seat 386 people, a science lab, a kitchen and a boiler room. The upstairs consisted of seven school rooms, a teacher's workroom and a library. The classrooms were made to fit between 30 to 40 students. They could fit that many kids in the room because the desks were screwed into the floor and there were not any computers or other stuff.
- 1960 brought a lot of improvement to Edison School, their was a new gym added, along with a new foyer, science lab, administrative offices, and bathrooms.
- In 1997 a shop section of the school was added for welding and wood shop classes.
- In 2001a upgrade to the computer lab took place with the lab now having 18 computers for student use.
The latest construction project took place over this past summer when the boiler system was replaced with a new heating and cooling system and new lights were added. A new modular was moved in north of the building to accommodate two high school classes. The kitchen was remodeled during the summer as well.
Life at Edison
The original school year was three to six months instead of nine months. They only went three to six months because of how much money it cost to send kids to school and because of farming and cold weather. In 1980 Edison decided to go to a four-day week.
Drama was always a big part of the Edison school year. County play contests and music festivals were held every year. Plays and programs were put on throughout the school year. One play "So Wonderful in White" was broadcasted on KRDO Radio on February 26, 1950 because they had earned a superior rating on the annual one-act play contest in Colorado Springs.
Performers would fill the stage for plays, music performances and band performances. Thanks to Mrs. Whittemore and Mr. Strohmyer today's music and band departments are growing and still giving excellent performances.
| New gym addition in 1960. |
Then and Now!
