The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-05-07
KANSAS NEWS.
FOrty-fOur Years Ago This May
the First School
Was Opened in Kansas by Regent
Stanley of EmpOria.
HELD IN A LOG CABIN
On the Banks of Fall Greek, in
LeaVenwOrth County.
Furniture and Desks We're of a
Primitive Nature.
HELD IN A LOG CABIN

Kiekapoo, Kan, May 7.-Forty-four
years ago this spring the first white
school in Kansas was taught in Leaven-
worth county, by V K. Stanley, now q
well known citizen of Emporia- Mr. Stan
ley in an interesting letter, says that the
school house was situated on the banks
of Fall Creek, about one and one-half
miles south of where Springdale now
STANDS II was originally built for a
dwelling for B. W. Hiatt, one of the early
settlers and he occupied it during the win
Yer OF 1890; subsequent survey showed
that Mr. Hiatt and w. H. Coffin occupied
the same claim, hence the former vacat-
ca IN the spring Of 1896 ana built q
cabin elsewhere. The cabin which he va
Gated was used for a school house during
the week and for a church on sunday
The school was opened in May, 1856
with Mr.. Stanley as teacher and was
broken up by the Border Ruhians" in
August of the same year. There were II
pupils, all from near by, with the excep-
ton of one. Joe Hiatt. jr., a son of Joel
Hiatt. ST., of Salt Greek Valley, one of
the very earliest settlers OF Kansas. He
attended the school and boarded with his
cousin, B. w. Hiatt. The ages of the pu-
pills ranged from six to eighteen years
This primitive school house which was
the nucleus of education in Kansas, was
pullt OF small oak logs. not heWn, cut
from a grove nearby The cracks were
stopped with split pieces of timber, com
monty called "chinks,' and mortar com
posed of mud and prairie grass root. The
building was plastered in good shape for
that day 1t had one three-lieht and two
two-light windows, the glass being Sx10
inches. The flooring was rough and the
roof was composed of three-foot boards,
sawed out of oak timber, on Stranger
river two miles east The roof was held
on by weight poles, such as were com
monty used in that day. The furniture
consisted of seats made of slabs, with
no backs, and four pegs for the legs.
Boards were fastened to the wall near
the windows, where the pupils did their
writing. The teachers stool was a block
sawed from the end of log, about
eighteen inches in diameter, and his desk
nothing more than a board, fifteen inches
wide, and three feet long, fastened to the
wall in one corner.
Mr.. Stanley has in his possession very
realistic painting of the old school house
and its surrounding. It was painted by
his wife, by dictation from Mr.. Stanley
himself, after thirty-seven years had
passed away. Four persons who We're
then living, near the old structure have
examined the painting and pronounced it
excellent 1t required a. great deal of hard
work and study to bring it out as 1t is.
Fair by President A. r. Taylor, of the
State Normal. withs-the school exhibit,
and attracted many curious and admiring
glances from the Kansas visitors.
Many of the early settlers will recall
the incident wherein a man was killed
and scalped by the Border Ruffians at
the foot-of Pilot Knob near Leavenworth,
! and which produced q high state of ex-
/ citement at that time Mr.. Stanley was
obliged to close his School on that day.