Prior to 1895, Lincoln School was an elementary school. Realizing a need for higher education for Black children in Paducah, a few interested patrons petitioned the Board of Education for higher education classes. The board reviewed the needs and added additional classes in algebra, botany, English, and several others. Professor Edward Walton Benton became the first principal of the new Lincoln High School, serving until 1906. Another first at Lincoln High School was Mrs. Myrtle R. Phillips, the only woman principal, serving from 1924 through 1927. She later became a professor at Harvard University. This collection features early photographs and yearbooks from the school.
