The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-07-01
NORTH SIDE NEWS
New 1000 Silver Lake School
Nearing Completion.
viii Be Two Story Brick and
Strictly Modern.
LARGER ATTENDANCE
Partly Responsible for Up-tO-
Date Building.
Improvement Recalls History of
FlOurishing Town.

The new modern $1,000 school house
at Silver Lake is nearing completion
1t will likely be ready for use when
school opens in September. It was
started this spring.
The building is located not far from
the old building in the east parr Of
Silver Lake. The ground was donated
by the late Charles Palmer, an old
settler, expressly for school purposes,
about 40 years ago.
The new building is two story brick
1t will contain four rooms. The heat
ing, plumbing and other equipment
will be modern in every respect.
Increase in attendance and growing
interest in the schools. are partly respon
sible for the new building. For many
years school has been held in tha old
two room frame structure. The past
terms however the enrolment reached
W including 81 pupils in the upper
rooms and 46 in the lower. 1t is re-
u1arkable that the larger number of pu-
pills took the advanced studies. Usually
the primary pupils are in the major
ity.
The course includes nine grades at
present but it is not improbable that
In a couple of years a high school
course may be added.
The near completion of the school
recalls much of the history of rhe
school and city. Mr.. Palmer, who Go
mated the ground is well known in
northwestern Shawnee county. He set
tied at Silver Lake in the early days
and kept the Palmer House for several
years He gave the grounds to the
school on the condition that if the land
was used for anything else 1t should
revert to the heirs. He died several
years ago.
Mr.. Palmer and NJ. B. Beaubain built
the first store building in the town.
This was in July, 1868, two years after
the Union Pacific reached the site Of
the town. Mr.. Palmer also built the
first residence on what is now Rat
road avenue and Madore street.
The town is said to have derived its
name from dog called ''SiIver," be-
cause OF its white fur and from the
large lake near the town. Joseph La
Framboise, ST., was chief of the Pot
tawatomies when they moved to Kan
sas in 1S47.
The country around Silver Lake is
said to have been under prospect for
settlement as early as 1895. Then Ma
jor Richard ". Cummins. government
agent for the Kaw tribe, selected a 800
acre tract east Of the lake. Afterwards
a number of Indians were taught the
rudiments of agriculture on the tract.
In 1846 the Pottawatomies 10y treaty
We're granted the eastern portion oe the
Kansas reservation. Many Of the white
setLleFS lItSFmartleu WITH the INDIANS
in whose veins ran much good French
blood.
Mrs. Mary CoughIan was the first
white woman to locate in Silver Lake.
She and her husband came in Novem-
Der, 1855. Mrs. Coughlin is living on
her farm northwest of the town.
Notes and Personals.
Mrs H. p. Jensen and daughter,
Miss Laura Jensen of Hoyt are North
side visitors today.
Joe PoIlom. living north of Topeka
left today for San Diego, Cal. They
expect to visit at the home of John
Shields. former North side man. now
at San Diego.
Mrs. Eva Lindamood of Newman is
visiting North Side friends today.
Miss Maud Massey and Miss Eva
Enoch of Granville, will leave Monday
for Baldwin, where she will attend an
Epworth League convention
Miss Minta Evans. a returned mis-
sionary, viii speak at the North side
Baptist church tomorrow evening.
The North side Congregation
Christian Endeavor will celebrate their
first anniversary tomorrow evening,
beginning at 6:45. The Endeavor GER
tainly has been a success. The topic
is. what the Endeavor Has Meant to
Ne During the Past Year The meet
ing will be led by Mr.. ADDlegaf. the