Building the Montgomery County High School

In early 1897, a bill to establish a county high school in Independence, Montgomery County, was introduced in the Kansas legislature and quickly received overwhelming public support. After passing both the Senate and House with minimal opposition, it became law on March 12. However, opposition emerged from certain county areas, leading to protests against the school. Despite divided trustee appointments, the board organized and accepted land for the school. They voted on a tax levy for construction, which led to the selection of an architect and subsequent bids for building the school, culminating in a total contract of $23,077.

During the fall and early winter of 1896 there was some talk about the establishment of a county high school at Independence, and mention was made of the matter in the newspapers, as one which might come before the legislature. On the 3d of February, 1897, a bill was introduced in the Senate by Senator Young, providing that a high school for Montgomery county should be established at Independence, to be carried on under the provisions of the general high school law of 1886. The same bill was introduced in the House by Representative Fulton, February 4th, 1897. Immediately on the introduction of this bill in the Senate, the people of the county were notified of the fact through the columns of the Star and Kansan, and invited to express their opinion in regard to it in the following words, which will be found in “The Editor’s Letter,” written from Topeka by the Senator from this county, and published on February 5th, 1897:

A bill to establish a county high school at Independence was introduced in the Senate this morning. I should like to hear a general expression from the people of the county as to the desirability of providing facilities for higher education at home, thus saving a portion of the large sums now paid to send young men and women of our county to distant institutions of learning.

Both the Senator and Representative from this county received a large number of letters urging the passage of this special act, and favoring the establishment of the school, while neither one of them received a communication opposing it. The bill was held up for a time in the Senate committee, but when it became apparent that the people interested were making no opposition to the proposed school, it received a favorable report. It passed the Senate on February 20th, 1897, without a dissenting voice, by a vote of 22 to 0. In the House there was some opposition to the bill in committee of the whole, Representative Weilep, of Cherokee county, speaking against it, but it was recommended for passage February 27th, 1897, and on March 2d, 1897, it passed that body by a vote of 97 to 1, the Senate bill in the meantime having been substituted for the House bill. It was signed by the governor March 5th, 1897, and became a law by publication in the official state paper on March 12th, of the same year.

Just as soon as the bill had been passed, however, considerable opposition to the school was developed in certain sections of the county, notably in Sycamore, Cherry, Drum Creek, Louisburg and Cherokee townships. Meetings were held to protest against the establishment of the school, and petitions were widely circulated requesting the county commissioners to appoint as trustees men known to be hostile to the school, and who would, it was thought, take no action to carry out the provisions of the law.

When the commissioners met in April, 1897, they took the matter up, and it was agreed among them that as there were six trustees to be selected, there should be two appointed from each commissioner district. The board of commissioners at that time consisted of P. S. Moore, of Independence; John Givens, of West Cherry; and David A. Cline, of Parker township. The two latter felt that the sentiment in their districts was against the school, but were unwilling to attempt to nullify the law by making the appointments petitioned for. From the northern district Revilo Newton, a banker of Cherryvale, and M. L. Stephens, a farmer of Louisburg township, were named, neither of whom were thought to heartily favor the school at the time of their appointment. For the middle district William Dunkin, of Independence, a lawyer and capitalist, and Thomas Hayden, a farmer of Liberty township, were selected. From the southern district, J. A. Moore, a farmer of Caney township, and E. A. Osborn, a stockman, of Coffeyville, were chosen. Both Dunkin and Hayden were enthusiastically in favor of the school. Moore also favored it, while Osborn was not only opposed to it, but took little interest in the matter, attended but a few of the meetings, and declined to be a candidate at the following election.

So far as the six trustees were concerned, the Board was equally divided between the friends of the school and those who were less favorably disposed toward it, but the law making the county superintendent a member of the board ex-officio and its chairman, prevented a deadlock at any time. The board met for the first time on April 22d, 1897, and organized by electing Revilo Newton secretary and Wm. Dunkin treasurer.

Under the general high school law, a site for the building was required to be furnished without expense to the county. On May 28th the board accepted the offer of the city of Independence to furnish a piece of ground 300 feet square, comprising a block of land in the southwest corner of out-lot 5 for this purpose. It was also stipulated in the contract with the city, that a sewer connection should be furnished without expense to the county. On the following day it was voted to make to the county commissioners a certified estimate of six mills on the dollar as the amount of tax needed to erect a suitable building. On this proposition the six trustees were tied, three of them, namely: Messrs. Osborn, Newton and Stephens, being in favor of making the levy two mills a year for three years. The six-mill proposition was, however, adopted by the deciding vote of President Dollison. At this meeting H. M. Hadley, of Topeka, was elected architect of the board.

On September 7th the plans and specifications prepared by Mr. Hadley were accepted and the board advertised for bids for the construction of the building in accordance therewith.

At a meeting held on October 28th, ten bids were submitted for the whole or part of the work, and on the following day the bid of M. V. T. Ecret to erect the building for $19,547 was accepted; also the bid of W. A. Myrick, to furnish the heating and ventilating apparatus and to do the plumbing for gas and water, for $3,530. This made the total contract price for the building $23,077.