Our Past Is Present August 15, 2018

August 15, 2018

            This is “Our Past Is Present” from the Geary County Historical Society.

            As the school year begins again, we thought it would be timely to share some information about Junction City’s first schools.  This information comes from an article written by Gaylynn Childs and may be found on page 174 of the book Set In Stone, which is available for purchase at our Museum at the corner of Sixth and Adams Streets.

            Gaylynn wrote that “The 1903 Junction City High School yearbook contains a brief 'Educational History of Junction City' written by Mrs. A.C. Pierce, one the first women elected to the school board here in 1878.  Mrs. Pierce wrote that 'early in its history, Junction City was especially favored by having among its citizens those who appreciated intellectual culture.'  Thus, 'select' or private schools were started by interested parents as early as the winter of 1858-59.  There were three select schools being conducted in Davis (now Geary County).  There was one near the settlement of Batchelder (now Milford); another was in Junction City and the third was about four miles northeast of town.  These schools were conducted in the homes of the instructors and the number of students enrolled was limited."          

            Mrs. Charlotte McFarland has been credited with teaching the first “public” school, although the term “public” may be up for dispute.  Her classes were also held at her home where she instructed fourteen students for about four hours a day.  Her house was located on the McFarland homestead, which is now just west of the 5^th Street Park.

            As the town grew the first schoolroom outside of people’s residences was above the jail.  There is some confusion about whether this building was located on East 8^th Street near the location of the current courthouse or whether it was the little one room stone structure built as the city jail that was located on Jefferson between 7^th and 8^th Streets. 

            Wherever it was located, Charlotte McFarland stated that "It answered the purpose, which was to have a free school for the early settler’s children." It was quite a common diversion for the inmates of the lower story to listen and when the teacher above pronounced the words to her spelling class the inmates would interject the spelling before the students could do so. There was another incident when one of the inmates had somehow made a hole through the ceiling, reached up through the floor and grabbed a barefooted boy by the foot causing a panic in the classroom.

            Well… we have come a long way with our education system and our buildings in our school district. We want to wish the entire staff and students of USD 475 and St. Xavier’s Catholic Schools the very best in learning this school year. 

            And… that’s today’s story on “Our Past Is Present” from the Geary County Historical Society.