The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1915-07-08
no GET FORMAL PROPOSITION
Committee on Buildings and Grounds
Seems Favorable to the Purchase Of
Tract of Thirty-five Acres at Price
in the Neighborhood Of $4,000.

Bonny Hame' for years the coun-
try home Of the late Edward Balm and
the members of his family may be Sc
lected as the site for Kenosha IS great
est school plant.
At meeting Of the building and
grounds committee of the board Of edu-
cation on Thursday evening the pur-
chase of the splendid tract Of land over
looking the northwest limits of the city
on Grand avenue was taken up by the
committee and the agents for the prop
erty were instructed to present a formal
proposition to the board Of education
at its meeting to be held on July Is.
The proposition will include the sale to
the city of the old Balm homestead and
thirty five acres of land surrounding it.
This is all high ground and it occupies
commanding position overlooking the
city.
While the agreement of the commit
tee with the agents of the Balm estate
as to the price to be paid for the splen-
did piece Of land has not been made
public, it is said that the price will be
in the neighborhood of $4,000, or a
little less than one thousand dollars per
acre. The Balm estate will reserve the
right to remove from the property one
or two of the barns now standing, but
most Of the buildings will be included
in the sale to the city.
The property is sought as a future
site for a high school plant for the city.
There is no intention on the part of
the members of the committee to recon-
mend the immediate building Of the
new high school, but they believe that a
site should be secured before the land
values reach any higher point. The
members of the committee hold that the
investment at this time would prove a
good one even If future boards of edu-
cation would fail to see the wisdom of
the erection of the proposed high school
on the site.
For the past three years members of
the board interested in the new high
school proposition have been seeking a
site for the school. There seems to be
absolutely no land within the present
limits Of the city suitable for the build
ing which could be purchased at any
thing like a reasonable price. With
thirty-five acres of land the board
would have a chance to carry out the
most modern plans for the erection of
the high school plant. It would be
possible to have the new building sur
rounded with a beautiful park, there
would be abundant land to lay out play
grounds and athletic fields, scores of
tennis courts and any number Of ball
fields could be provided and there
would be ground to insure sites for
manual training schools and other spe-
cial schools should they be needed in
the future. The land purchased would
offer site as large as is occupied by
many universities Of the country and it
is said that the purchase price is less
than would be demanded for block
of land anywhere near the center Of
the city. There are at the present time
street railway cars running to point
within few hundred feet Of the en-
trance to the property and it is certain
that it would be an easy matter if a
high school were erected there to have
the lines OF the railway company ex-
tended to the west end of the property
if this was found advisable.
'The modern plan for the building
of high school buildings is to place them
in the center of large grounds, - said
one of the members of the committee
after the meeting on Thursday night.
In suggesting the purchase of this
beautiful tract of land as site for the
proposed high school we are following
the plan followed in many cities. The
plan may not appeal to a person on
the first study Of it, but we believe
that the people of Kenosha, after
careful examination of the whole plan
will realize that it is the part of wis
dom to make preparations for our new
high school in this manner. The prop
erty is the most available property to
be found anywhere near the limits of
the city
No general action by the board has
as yet been taken Q the proposition,
but it is understood that the COMMITTEES
on buildings and grounds will be strong
ly in favor of the purchase of the
property just as soon as provisions is
made to secure funds for this purpose.