Schools

PIONEER ERA SCHOOLS OF MIAMI COUNTY KANSAS 1854 – 1925

Brief Facts about the 104 Schools of the Era

PIONEER ERA SCHOOLS FORWARD In 1854 the population of Kansas Territory was estimated to be 700 soldiers and approximately the same number of civilians. (Population figures excluded all indigenous peoples.) By 1860 there were 107,000 people in Kansas Territory and 5,000 of those lived in Miami County. Settlers were pouring into the area in droves. The first school charter petition came from New Lancaster in 1858 when Kansas was still a territory and Miami County was known as Lykins County. There was a great deal of political turmoil in the county in the years between settlement opening and statehood. It is located on the border of Missouri. Kansas was deciding whether to accept or deny slavery. It is amazing that settlers are taking time to set up schools with all that was going on. By 1870 our population was 11,700. By 1880 it was 17,800. The increases in population slowed after these two dizzying decades in Miami County. During this time, about 90% of our one teacher schools were chartered. It was common for there to be as many as 50 students with ages ranging from 4 to 20.

Other presentations will provide more general information about one teacher school organization and operation.

Please enjoy the following pages with some brief information on all our one teacher schools. If you have any information that would add to our history of these schools, please share it with us. The museum has additional information available for your review – just ask in the library.

Index of Miami County Numbered School Districts

District

District

District

District

01- New Lancaster 27- Pleasant Ridge 53- Union

79- Ten Mile

02- North Victory

28- Oak Grove

54- Hillsdale

80- Maple Grove

03- North Marysville 29- Fontana

55- Willow Branch 81- Mound Valley

04- Six Mile

30- Rock Creek

56- Wild Creek 57- Union Valley 58- Scotts Valley 59- Sunny Ridge

82- Cottonwood

05- Number Five 31- Jordon

83- Moore

06- Harmony

32- Prairie Bell

84- Independence

07- Indianapolis 08- Crescent Hill

33- Mission 34- Stanton

85- Highland

60- Richland

86- West Windy 87- Spring Ridge 88- North Windy

09- Fairview

35- Osage Valley

61- Pony Creek

10- Pleasant Valley 36- Poplar Ridge 62- Highland

11- Antioch

37- Union

63- Lone Elm 89- Rose Valley

12- Plum Creek 13- Green Valley

38- Louisburg 39- McNelly

64- Elm Grove 65- Bellview 66- Glendale

90- Mobley

91- Mount Pleasant

14- Osawatomie 40- Spring Valley

92- Pony Corner

15- Circle Grove

41- Centennial

67- Pleasant Ridge 93- Keenan 68- Beaver Creek 94- Deer Creek

16- Bucyrus

42- Wea

17- Cedarvale (Starry) 43- Baxter

69- Centerpoint 70- Linn County

95- Garfield 96- Rock Hill

18- Oak Grove

44- East Valley 45- Hawkeye 46- Lone Star

19- Franklin

71- Walnut Creek 97- Black

20- East Liberty

72- Snake Den

98- Wagstaff

21- Paola

47- Baker

73- Pleasant View 99- Dalton

22- Mound Creek 48- Star 23- Maple Grove 49- Vickers

74- Northeast

100- Beagle

75- Smith

101- Davenport 102- Peoria Valley

24- Washington 25- Stockwell

50- Chesbro 51- Debrick

76- Centennial

77- Cottonwood 103- Victory

26- Walnut Grove 52- Cole

78- Somerset

104- Emerson

Miami County Rural School Districts

District# District Name:

1

New Lancaster

Chartered / Petitioned: Property Deeded: Ceased Operation: Disposition: USD362

12/11/1858 5/24/1879

7/1/1966

Other Comments: Parts of #59, #75 & #80 were annexed to #1 in the 1950s

District#

2

District Name:

North Victory (Dead Head)

Property Deeded: 11/6/1869 Chartered / Petitioned: (Unknown) Ceased Operation: 5/22/1950 Disposition: Annexed into #30

Other Comments:

USD289 7/1/1966

District# District Name:

3

Ceased Operation: 7/23/1927 Chartered / Petitioned: 9/15/1859 Property Deeded: 8/20/1900 North Marysville Disposition: Annexed into #54

Other Comments:

USD368 7/1/1966

More school info is available at the MCHM Library

Rev# 00 Rev Date: 7/29/2024 Page# 1