Benton School History

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0 height="100%"><tr> <td valign="top" width=200 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000" background="09cc89e3.jpg"> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" BGCOLOR="#999980" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <FONT SIZE="6" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >Benton School History<B>   </B></FONT><A HREF="http://www.jaspercountyschools.org/" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.jaspercountyschools.org/"><U><B>home</B></U></A><B> </B><B>  </B><A HREF="id23.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Carthage"><U><B>Carthage School</B></U></A><B>   </B><A HREF="id92.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Benton School"><U><B>Benton School</B></U></A></div> <div> Two Benton Schools</div> <bR> <div> The first Benton school was built in 1881 on the southwest corner of McGregor and Mound</div> <div> streets.  At first this school was called the Mound street school, or Second Ward school and</div> <div> opened in September 1881 with an enrollment of 211 pupils.  It was later renamed Benton </div> <div> School and was used until 1896.  It was demolished in June of that year to make way for a </div> <div> new building.  </div> <div> The new Benton school was ready for classes in the fall of 1896. This building was used </div> <div> until January 1935 when it was abandoned by the school system.  The building was used for </div> <div> other purposes until it was demolished about 1950.  The site is now occupied by the Benton </div> <div> apartments.</div> <bR> <div> From the <I>Carthage Evening Press</I>, February 24, 1955:</div> <bR> <div> The old Benton school at the southeast corner of Mount and McGregor street is being</div> <div> torn down and replaced with new.  This structure, the first ward school building in Carthage,</div> <div> had been built in 1881--fifteen years before.  It is now deemed decrepit.  James Ross</div> <div> was contracted to build the new building at a price of $6,069.  "The old school at the corner</div> <div> of McGrego and Mound streets had been in an unsafe condition for many years and when </div> <div> Contractor James Ross began tearing it down last week it took just two days to do the work.</div> <div> The yard is full of brick and mortar.  Excavation is now being made for the basment and stone</div> <div> workers are as busy as bees preparing stone for the building. The new school building is to </div> <div> contain six rooms, will be built of brick and stone, the bricks of the building being used again,</div> <div> and it is to be complted by September 1 in readiness for the opening of school."</div> <bR> <div> The New Benton School</div> <div> <I>The Carthage Press, </I>September 5, 1896</div> <bR> <div> The children of the northwest part of the city have an elegant new building in which to</div> <div> begin school on Monday.  The new Benton building, which was begun and completed</div> <div> this summer, is ready for occupancy.  </div> <bR> <div> The plans were drawn by Architect Joe Prather, and the building contract was awarded </div> <div> to James Ross.  The woodwork, including the blackboards, has been done several days </div> <div> and is elegant in appearance.  The floors are of smooth hard pine and the wood finishing</div> <div> is all of hard Georgia pine, highly polished.  Six large rooms, four of them 25x30 feet and </div> <div> two 25x27 feet compose the school room capacity of the building.  Sixty pupils can be </div> <div> comfortably accomodated in each of them.  Each of the rooms has four large windows at </div> <div> the sides and two at the rear thus rendering the interior as light as can be desired.  Adjoining </div> <div> each class room is a cload room conveniently arranged.  Besides the three class rooms on </div> <div> each floor is a spacious vestibule with broad stairs connecting the floors.  The basement is </div> <div> deep and roomy and well arranged for storing coal.  </div> <bR> <div> Those who will teach in the new Benton school are as follows:  Fifth grade, Kate M. Lucas; </div> <div> Fourth grade, Lizzie Peiffer; Third grade, Lilliam Baker; Second grade, Alcie Bistline; First </div> <div> grade, Helen Cunningham.</div> <bR> <div> 1899 Benton School Teachers</div> <div> Gus V. Hout, principal</div> <div> Lee M. Cate, Lizzie Russum, Mattie Bordow, Myrtle Thomas, Helen B. Cunningham.</div> <bR> <div> Benton School Site Enlarged</div> <div> Carthage, June 17--The purchase from C. B. Gammon, former mayor of Carthage, now residing</div> <div> at Long Beach, Calif., of three lots in the block which has been chosen for the new Benton</div> <div> school building, which was closed yesterday by the school board, give the board of education</div> <div> the entire block except one lot at the northeast corner, and makes the new school lot measure</div> <div> 580 by 390 feet.  The board pays $1,000 for the lots.  Mr. Gammon had formerly asked $1,500.</div> <bR> <div> <I>The Joplin News Herald, </I>June 17, 1921</div> <div> <I>This would be the site of the new Hawthorne School located in the Benton School District</I></div> <div> <I>at the northwest corner of Blanche and Central streets.</I></div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>