North Cache

North Cache Middle School, also known as North Cache High School or simply North Cache, began in 1913 as Richmond High School in today's Park Elementary. The current building was built in 1921, and the high school students and staff were moved to its current building the same year and renamed to North Cache High School. North Cache was renamed North Cache Middle School in 2018.

Address: 157 West 600 South • Phone: (435) 258-2452 • Email: northcacheinfo@ccsdut.org

History

Original School

In the early 1900s, schools in Richmond, Hyrum, and Smithfield offered grades 10th-12th while two schools in Wellsville and Lewiston offered ninth-grade work. In 1910, the Cache County School Board decided to combine the schools into two high schools located in Hyrum and Richmond.1 The original building was constructed in 1913 on the northwest corner of 100 S and 100 E., with Louis W. Larsen from Cove serving as principal. It was named Richmond High School. 

New School

In a state-wide high school rating in 1919, South Cache High School was named first in the county, and Richmond High School second. This was enough to stir the high school to build a new building.1 Fred W. Hodgson was hired to draw up the plans and supervise the erection of the new high school. Committees were elected to receive a bond to construct the building, purchase land, and consider a location for the new school. That same year, Richmond City sold a few acres of land to the project, located on the main road that led into Richmond, today Highway 91.6 It was a total of $234,725 for everything, $3.47 million in 2022 inflation. 

The school was finished in the fall of 1921, renamed to North Cache High School, with an enrolment of 57 freshmen, 96 sophomores, 96 juniors, and 42 seniors in a radius of cities from the south, Hyde Park; west, Cache Junction; north to the Utah/Idaho border; and east to the Bear River Mountain Range.1

Additions

After the construction of the building, many additions were made to it and the surrounding campus. In September 1924, a Seminary building of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was erected south of the main building.2 In 1927, the original wooden shop building was replaced with a larger brick building east of the main building.1 In 1935, a basement with two stories above it was added between the main building and the shop.1 In 1937, a football field and track were added north of the main building, with bleachers constructed by Amos W. Bair.1 In 1940, North Cache installed a speaker system in classrooms and outside the campus. The speaker system was used to contact teachers or students in classrooms, important worldwide speeches during World War II, other news events, and educational programs.3 In 1952, light-up letters "N C" were added on the top face of the main building.4 

1962 Earthquake

In the 1962 earthquake, damage was made to the building, but nothing that would bring it down. Classes were canceled that day and the weekend of the quake. Principle Dahle said, 

"Damage to the high school will be repaired enough by Tuesday to start school but it will be several weeks before all the damage is repaired. As people examine their homes, more and more damage is being found as most of the homes suffered some damage."7 

In 1963, repairs were made to multiple buildings after the 1962 earthquake.5

N.C. Hill

On May 16, 1957, the process of adding the letters "N.C." to a hill east of Richmond began, a "gift from the graduating class who donated work clothes and installed the letters themselves."4 Though North Cache is no longer a high school, because of its preservation, it is the only middle school in Utah to have its hill letters. The property that the N.C. rests on is owned by the Christenson family, and they, along with the city, take very close care of the letters.

School Grade Changes and Recent History

In 1964, North Cache became a Jr. High School after the construction of Sky View High School in Smithfield.1 The Jr. High School taught classes 8th-9th grade. The main building was replaced in 1999 after concerns for student safety.

In 2018, the Cache County School District dramatically changed boundaries and classes. Park Elementary would be shut down after 92 years of service, and White Pine Middle School would be the new Elementary School of Richmond teaching K-6th grades. 7th Grade would be moved to North Cache, along with keeping 8th Grade, now naming the school to North Cache Middle School. 9th Grade was sent to Sky View High School in Smithfield.

Due to the new change, the old Seminary building was made vacant. In 2020, Lower Foods purchased the Seminary building along with the football field, transforming the football field into a new parking lot for school buses. The old parking lot for the school buses and the abandoned basketball court and tennis court on the east side of the school were transformed into a new field, with most expenses paid by Lower Foods.

North Cache High School, 1959

North Cache Middle School, 2018