Columbian 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="0a1c89b3.jpg"> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" BGCOLOR="#666666" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <FONT SIZE="6" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >Columbian 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><A HREF="id23.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Carthage"><U><B>Carthage School</B></U></A><B>   </B><A HREF="id83.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Columbian"><U><B>Columbian School</B></U></A></div> <div> School Building Contract Let.</div> <div> The school board met in adjourned session last night.  The contract for the building of the new</div> <div> Columbian school building was let to J. A. Prather for $6000 which includes the cost of making</div> <div> the plans.  Mr. Prather is the architect who designed the building.</div> <div> Misses Carrie Hammons and Daisy Dacey, both of this city, were elected teachers for the ensuing year.</div> <div> <I>The Carthage Press, </I>June 9, 1892, page 5, column 1.</div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="194620b0.jpg" border=0 width="610" height="11" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> The Columbian school on West Chestnut street was erected in the summer of 1892,</div> <div> hence its name.  The United States then was celebrating the "Columbian year, " the </div> <div> 400th anniversary of the discovery of America by Christopher Columbus. A contract </div> <div> was let June 1, 1892 to J. A. Prather on a bid of $6000 for construction of the new </div> <div> school. At the time of its erection the Columbian was considered the model school </div> <div> of its kind and various schools in other towns were patterned after it.  </div> <bR> <div> The Columbian school in 1899 had four rooms, but only three had been used up until</div> <div> that fall, when the fourth was opened and an additional teacher for the school named. </div> <div> A special session of the school board was held and it was decided that pupils who were</div> <div> living in the vicinty of the Central school would be sent to Columbian.  1899 Columbian</div> <div> school teachers were: Nellie McCarty, principal, Grace Hutcheson, Edna Gladden and</div> <div> Ethel Cragin.</div> <bR> <div> The Columbian PTA was organized November 19, 1915, and the first officers of the</div> <div> organization were Mrs. R. N. Kirby, 1508 Cedar, president; Mrs. W. H. Hethcoatt,</div> <div> 824 Cedar, vice president; Mrs. Ellis E. Smith, 519 Poplar, secretary; Mrs. W. A. </div> <div> Robinson, 833 Cedar, reporter.  </div> <bR> <div> Columbian school was a 4-grade school until the summer of 1920 when an addition </div> <div> was constructed to alleviate crowded conditions in the Carthage school district.  </div> <div> Columbian was now a 6-grade school.  The addition of two grades resulted in several</div> <div> pupils graduating twice from the school.  Those who graduated from the school's </div> <div> fourth grade later returned to graduate from the sixth grade.</div> <bR> <div> In the early 1950's the condition of the Columbian school building became a major</div> <div> concern to patrons and clamorings were made for a new building.  The PTA launched</div> <div> a campaign for a new building.  In November 1955 a $340,000 bond issue was passed</div> <div> with part the of funds specifically tagged for construction of a new school.</div> <bR> <div> M-P Construction company of Carthage was awarded the $166,752 contract on </div> <div> February 20, 1956 and actual construction work got under way March 7.  </div> <bR> <div> The new Columbian school was built on a 40-acre tract bounded by Regan, Budlong,</div> <div> Baker Boulevard and Pine, the school grounds only using about 10 acres.  This school</div> <div> continues to serve the Carthage community.  </div> <bR> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>