On May 17, 1921 a number of Rockcreek citizens, tired of the delay, filed a suit seeking orders from the court for work to proceed on the new Rockcreek school. The Rockcreek trustee and board members felt that a new grade school in Uniondale was needed first, as there were fifty grade school children in the town itself and if the central consolidated high school were built first there would be no funds available for the school in Uniondale. They were ready, they said, to build the Rockcreek consolidated central school at the proper time, but due to the high price of labor and materials felt that they should wait until conditions were "normal" and they could build the two buildings for the cost of one at that present time. Denying that there was an urgent need for a new High School, they stated that there were available high schools at Bluffton, Liberty Center, Markle and Union Center. Anyway, they said, it would be an extravagant expenditure of funds to transport pupils to the proposed centrally located school and besides that, there were only two bridges spanning the Wabash within the township.

In October, 1921, the citizens of Uniondale again petitioned for a grade school in Uniondale, but it was found that the new high school building and repair of Union Center would have precedence over a new grade school at Uniondale. In early 1922 the idea of a new grade school at Uniondale was abandoned. We can only wonder if the present school situation would be different if the Uniondale school had been constructed. The estimated price at that time was $20,000 for a three room school.

So it came about that during the summer of 1922 the youngsters of Rockcreek Township watched with mixed emotions as the new central consolidated school construction progressed. Not a few of them were lamenting that the good old days of the intimate small schools were gone forever. No longer would they walk to the one room schools which had been their source of education, but they would ride five buses, better known to them as "hacks", to a large, many roomed building which would house grades one to twelve. Two of these hacks made two trips each day, the pupils from in and around Rockford and Uniondale going early in the morning and waiting for the second trip in the evening. The roads in the early days of Rockcreek were extremely trying to the bus drivers, at times impassible. Byrl Miller, a freshman, drove a horse and buggy, as no hack passed his house. One member of the faculty, Russell Stinson, doubled (or should I say tripled?) as 5th and 6th grade teacher, coach and bus driver. Talk about versatility!

When   the   other   schools   opened   in   September, Rockcreek was still under construction, so a few of the students started to school in Markle until the new school was completed. When Rockcreek opened in the middle of October the members of the high school consisted of students who had left Bluffton, Markle, Liberty Center and Murray to enter the

All the rooms now used for the first five grades were not necessary the first few years and the room now used for the first grade was then a clock room. The 4th grade room was used that first winter as an apartment for the principal and his family. Later this room was the sales room for school supplies and candy bars.

Rockcreek has always been proud of the musical honors bestowed upon her students, but never more so than when that first orchestra was formed under the direction of Frank Young, a violinist and merchant of Uniondale and Lewis Sawyer, principal and trombonist.

In 1924 "The Limit", Rockcreek's first newspaper was Published.

Mr. Lewis Sawyer was responsible for our school song. A contest was held to decide upon the words to be put to the tune of Illinois Loyalty and it was won by Cressie McAfee Falk, who wrote the words for the first part which are still used today.

Of course, no history of Rockcreek would be complete without mentioning the 1927 basketball team which won the sectional tourney, the first and this year we can state with certainity [sic] - the last time Rockcreek attained this honor. Rockcreek has had a very good record in good sportsmanship and in 1962 was presented with a trophy for the same by the Northeastern Indiana Officials Association.
Many of you will remember the "Victory Brick" and the "Milk Bottle" trophies awarded the first and second teams who won the first county games of the season. Any team thereafter defeating those winners then won these trophies. And the girls basketball teams (the bloomer girls?) were awarded a rolling pin.

That first day of school in October, 1922, there were three seniors, seven juniors, ten sophomores and twenty freshman. The first grade numbered 15. This year 1964 there were 31 first graders, 26 freshman, 34 sophomores, 23 juniors and 15 seniors.

And now history seems to be repeating itself. Once again the schools of Lancaster, Union, Ossian and Rockcreek are becoming outgrown or outdated. As a result, we have banded together to become northern Wells Community Schools. To make better use of the facilities available, Rockcreek students of grades 10, 11 and 12 will be transferred next fall to Lancaster High School and Rockcreek will house only grades 1 through 9. This of course, means that 15 seniors who are honored guests tonight will be the last graduating class at Rockcreek High.

This does not mean the final chapter in the history of Rockcreek but - from this moment on, the beginning of a new and possibly even better era for a school which has contributed many good citizens to her community, her country and the world.