It is the end of the school year. You are a high school senior. And your yearbook has just arrived. Everyone is looking at it—this chronicle of the year—and a keepsake that you will save and carry from place to place for decades. Your yearbook captures your friendships, activities, community experiences and more in words and pictures. Really, your yearbook is the story of your school throughout every year. And once the books are distributed, the signing begins—and your yearbook will be filled with notes from your friends and teachers that you will look back on with affection, savoring the memories and connections you made all those years ago.
“The Tattler” was the Williamsburg High School’s special yearbook. While Williamsburg’s high school program was established in the 1850s, a high school yearbook was not introduced until 1916. The early 20th-century was the golden age of yearbooks. With the introduction of new printing technology and design, and the direct contributions from students themselves with stories, poems, artwork and then photographs, yearbooks became a true reflection of the students’ school life. Some students have life-long vivid memories of working on their high school yearbooks—all the effort and the fun too.
“The Unquomonk”, that first Williamsburg High School yearbook, was produced for one year only, in 1916. Students had recently moved into the newly constructed Helen E James School (dedicated on September 4, 1914). The first graduating class had 5 members; the last graduating class (1971) had 61 graduates. The yearbook, the “Tattler”, started in 1923 and continued until the high school closed in 1971. Forty-eight volumes were produced, each with its unique personality. At first the yearbooks were thin volumes full of text with simple covers. Soon they evolved to thick tombs full of artwork, photographs (in black and white and color too), creative covers and more.
The “Tattlers” hold a special place in the story of Williamsburg High School.
You can come to the Meekins to browse copies of the “Tattler”, preserved in the Library’s Local History Collection or connect to the “Tattlers” via Meekins digitized collections.
Enjoy visiting with every class and reading about their activities reported in the “Tattler” over the years. Daria D’Arienzo, Meekins Archivist. #throwbackthursday; #tbt.
Posted to Facebook 3/20/2025
