Spud history website launched
July 15, 2019
Moorhead Area Public Schools has launched a digital archives website at https://www.moorheadschools.org/history that features more than 100 years of Spud history, including high school yearbooks, school newspapers, team photos, programs from music and sporting events, and game film dating back to the 1950s. A joint project between the school district and the Moorhead Schools Legacy Foundation, the website contains more than 25,000 images and will be expanded over time.
Dean Haugo, Moorhead High School activities director, met with a firm that builds websites for schools and universities while at a national meeting.
“What impressed me most was the volume of information that alumni and community members could access,” Haugo said.
In addition to the website, there are touch screens with the same information located in the lobbies of the Moorhead High gymnasium and the Horizon Middle School auditorium.
The process of building the website began in the spring of 2018. Once the schematic of how the site would look was finalized, the process of collecting the images began. More than 100 yearbooks, countless Spud newspapers, hundreds of programs, thousands of photos, and a handful of game film canisters were gathered.
A company that converts photos to digital formats scanned and indexed the Moorhead High yearbooks and select Spud newspapers. The digital files were then transferred to the website developer who began uploading the images to the cloud.
“Moorhead High School’s historical archives are some of the best we have seen at TouchPros on any of our TouchWalls,” said Jon Klocek, lead designer. “From yearbooks dating more than 100 years to 35 years of newspapers to vintage video footage, the TouchWall depicts the rich history of the school. The project will only expand as artifacts are submitted and uploaded for permanent access on the touchscreen or in the cloud.”
In addition to the historical components of the site are several features for current students and their families. A daily schedule of school activities is on a continuous scroll, current team photos are on display, and posts from the school’s Twitter accounts cycle through.
“With a quick glance at the site students and community members will have a good grasp of what is taking place in our school,” Haugo said.
An added feature is the inclusion of the Moorhead High School Hall of Honor recipients. Since 2004, the school district has honored alumni, staff members, and community members with induction into the Moorhead High School Hall of Honor. Their photos and biographies are included on the site.
So far feedback from the community has been positive.
Melissa Entzion wrote, “I sent my mother (a 1966 MHS grad) the link to the history website. My mom said she opened it up and didn’t move for two hours!”
Content on the website will continue to be expanded. Future additions will include scans of yearly scrapbooks that the district kept of relevant newspaper articles, junior high yearbooks from the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, and audio recordings of Moorhead High bands, choirs, and orchestras.
If you have items you would like to see scanned and placed on the website please contact Brian Cole at spudhistory@moorheadschools.org.
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