School History
THE HISTORY OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN HIGH SCHOOL
As Council Bluffs experienced growth, it became obvious that the city was large enough to add a second high school. In 1921, students in the West end of Council Bluffs moved to a new high school building to be named Thomas Jefferson High School. The students in the East end of Council Bluffs remained in the Council Bluffs High School, but renamed the school after former president Abraham Lincoln. The high school remained at its location until the fall of 1967, when it traded places with the newer Eastside Junior High, 1205 Bonham Avenue, built in 1960.
(When Eastside moved to the old A.L., it was renamed Kirn Jr. High after Gerald Kirn. Gerald W. Kirn had been Principal and so continued on at Abraham Lincoln High School.
It was while Robert Capel was Principal in the year of 1976 that tragedy struck. Mischievous boys burned the old building of A.L. or Kirn Jr. High. A lot of history went up in smoke that night. Memories were all that was left. It was a sad time for all.
With the year of 1985-86 A.L. became a four-year high school. Grades 9 through 12th were housed in A.L.
In the fall of 1997 another spectacular first happened at A.L. We had our first woman Principal.
Abraham Lincoln High School has seen many students come and go with a vast amount of knowledge. We are the home of some very noted former students. We created a Hall of Fame in 1985 to honor some of them.
Principals
Gerald W. Kirn: 1921-1946
John Steinbaugh: 1947 through 1948
Theron Stuelke: 1940-1958
W.W. Owen: 1959-1967
Kenneth Kuester: 1968 through 1974.
Robert Capel: 1975-1981
James Gaffney: 1982-1985
Dr. Fred Frick: 1985-1990
Jerry Wilks: 1990-1991
Jim Lake: 1992-1997
Melanie Fullmer Shellberg: 1997- 2009
Patrick Mullen: 2009-2011
Todd Barnett: 2011- 2015
Bridgette Bellows: 2015-present