The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1922-06-02
BIG SANDY VALLEY
is LOGICAL PLACE
FOR new NORMAL
(By NOSE E. LlooN)
PRINCIPAL Ashland High School

Principal Ashland Hton oenooi
The commission appointed to locati
the new Normal school in Eastern Kei
lucky is, under obligation to;ithe PEG
ple to place 4his school at that poin
in sthe territory that 1t IS 80 serve
where it will benefit the largest mum
Der. A ruler, placed on the map o
Kentucky with one end at the Qhi'
river on the boundry line between Ma
son and Lewis counties and the 9th
er end at the Virginia boundary lin'
between Harlan and Letcher counties
win cut off fifteen counties OF Easter
kentucky which must be served b!
the new school.
These counties embrace 5,409
square miles, This is about one
eighth Of the state. The population
OF these counties is approximate
ly 100000. OF this population, there
are approximately $1,000 sohoo!
children between the ages Of six
and eighteen. These children at
the present time are taught by APP
proxin, ateIy 1900 teachers. There
is no other section of Kentucky,
embracing a similar area, that has
taught its children under such diff
ficultes as these counties. IL is
probable that the standard Of ed
ucation in these counties is the
lowest, on the whole, Of any sec
zion Of the state, These facts will
indicate 10 the careful observer.
that the new Normal school must
be placed in this section, II Il is to
fulfill it's nilsson in the preparation
of the teachers in Eastern kentue-
ky.
Several places in this territory have
been suggested as suitable places fol-
the location OF this school, Among
these places, Morehead and several
places in the Big Sandy Valley have
been mentioned The purpose of this
paper Is to show that the Big Sandy
Valley is the logical place for the loca-
ton of this school. Morehead is six
ty-nlne miles from Richmond the seat
Of one of the state normal schools. Mt
Sterling Is thirty seven miles from
Morehead. These facts indicate that
the Normal school, placed at More
head, would be located too near one
Of the present normal schools. on the
other hand If this school is located
In the Sandy Valley 1t will be 1925 to
200 miles from the present normal
school.
e-seeation Of the school must
be easily accessible to the counties
IL must serve. II the school be
placed at Morehead, il would be
on one edge Of the territory. Fyr-
thermore, il will be loeated IN
town that can be reaehedfan by
one main line Of railroad. The
students from the counties Of Lew
is and Greenup, lying along the
Ohio river, would have to 90 to
Riverton or Ashland and then 90
over the Lexington division Of the
c. g. o. to Morehead.
There are nine counties in the San
ly Valley that would have to go to
Ashland and then over the Lexington
division to Morehead. From Jenkins,
n Letcher county, to Morehead is APP
200 miles therefore the
TEN of railroad expense to the stu
Tents would amount to considerable
sum. The location of the Normal
school in the Sandy Valley would tend
o equalize this expense TO the stu
Tents attending the school If the
school is placed at Morehead ii viii
become easily accessible to the noun
ain counties of Elliott, Morgan, Car
er and Boyd. If it is placed in the
Big Sandy Valley it is made easily ac-
,essible to all the mountain COUNTIES
# the territory outlined in this ar
'cle 80 lso to the counties lying
~ 10 &c
,nough to convince the impartial OBJ
erver that the Sandy Valley is the
,lace for the school.
The school should be located in
a section of this territory that
gives promise of future growth.
The location Of Morehead and the
natural resources Of the surround
ing country give little promise Of
much future growth. On the other
hand, there is not a town In the
Big Sandy Valley that does not
give great promise Of future
growth. In fact, the development
Of the resources Of the Big Sandy
Valley is just beginning. The coal,
gas, oil and timber of the Sandy
Valley are unequalIed in quantity
and quality in any other section Of
America. Capital and labor are
going into this section every year
in large quantities for the Develop
ment of these wonderful natural
resources. This means constant
ly Increasing population and an
increase of wealth to the state.
With the increase of population
and the growth in wealth, the ed
uoation Of these people must not
be neglected. The Normal school
in this section will do much to
promote the progress Of education.
Along with these material things,
he Sandy Valley, by the right of its
arge population OF fine, stalwart peo-
lie. and of its wealth y entitled to