Kelsey -- Shawnee County | Kansas One Room School House Project

Kansas One Room
School House Project
Kelsey -- Shawnee County

The Kansas Heritage Server would like to thank Barb Kelsey Boese (barbwire@midusa.net) for contributing this material.

Taken from the Topeka Daily Capital, 17 Oct 1951

Little Red School Built in 1872 is sold for $125 at Auction

The little red brick school house just one-half mile northeast of the Municipal Airport was auctioned off to the highest bidder Tuesday for $125.

Long known as Kelsey School, part of the one-room school building is almost 100 years old. Hundreds of youngsters who came to Topeka with the first pioneer families learned reading, writing, and arithmetic within its four plain walls.

M. T. Kelsey, [my grandfather], 1400 Arter, who attended the school in the 1880's was among the 15 persons present for the auction. Before the bidding started, he walked thru the building for the last time recalling the scenes of his childhood 70 years ago.

Blackboard Still There

The blackboard, now partly covered by wall paper, was still at the front of the room. The alphabet alternating in small and capital letters was written across the top of the board in non-erasable yellow crayon. A large zinc metal sheet was still on the floor to protect the wood from the heat of the pot-bellied iron stove.

Until 10 years ago when the school was closed, the bell in its pointed spire was a familiar sound to the residents of the area at recess time. Children who rode horses to school hitched them to an iron railing surrounding an old well in the yard.

First Built in 1857

The original structure of the school was built in 1857 of brown limestone. It was then known as the Wade School and later as the Pugh School. In 1872 the building was partly torn down and the present red brick building was constructed using the old foundation and materials.

July's flood waters left six inches of silt on the floor and ruined the desks and seats. Kelsey said this was the first time flood waters had ever reached the school house.

The school district was dissolved this year under a new Kansas law, Clifford R. Watson, County Superintendent, explained. The west half of the district was annexed to the city school system and the east half added to the Tecumseh district.

Building to Be Razed

Bids started slowly as Kenneth & Charles Crews opened the auction. First offer was $40. Then in rapid succession, the bids jumped to $60,$65,$80,$100 and stopped when William Grimes of the Grimes Construction Co. gave the top offer of $125.

Grimes said he would tear the building down in the next 90 days for building materials. Ownership of the land will revert to Myron Kelsey.

Saturday, October 13, 2001 8:11 PM