Residents of the Fox Creek area decided in 1878 - 1879 that a school district should be formed for the education of their children. Being one of the earlier districts formed, it was given the number 14, though it was commonly called the Lower Fox Creek School.

The site for the schoolhouse was donated by Stephen F. Jones with the stipulation that the deed would revert back to him when the place was no longer used as a school. The deed was recorded on June 14, 1882, after the building had been completed. The first school term began on September 1, 1884, with Dora Peer as the teacher. The average enrollment was between 1-19 students of all grades. The school was closed in 1930 and the district was disbanded in 1946-47. At that time, the schoolhouse and its grounds reverted to the adjoining ranch. A tornado or windstorm destroyed the original roof; a tin replacement was put on and the building was used to store hay.

Interesting enough, the stone for the school came from Barney Lantry's quarry, just north of Strong City, KS and David Rettiger did the stone work. David Rettiger was also the contractor on the Jones' limestone house and that limestone came from the same quarry.

In 1968 the 14 Garden Clubs in the Mid-East District of Kansas selected the school's restoration as their special project. After securing the approval of the Davis-Noland-Merrill Grain Company (who owned the property), the clubs raised funds and renovated the building to as near its 1882 configuration as possible. Research is still being completed on the school in order to put it back to as near original condition as possible.

On September 6, 1974 the school was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The History of Schools in Kansas

The Lower Fox Creek School was an example of the common school. The model of the common school proposed by Horace Mann was embraced by Kansans when it was time to organize schools in the new territory (and later the state) of Kansas. The model had become so widely accepted in the eastern states that as settlers from New England and the Ohio Rivervalley moved into Kansas, they simply brought the model for school with them just as they brought their religion, their family customs, or their household goods. It was a model with which they were familiar. It made sense to them based on their experiences with it. When it came time for them to create schools for their children, it was the model which the antislavery Northerners naturally put into operation. It is significant in the educational history of Kansas that while there certainly were some private and parochial schools developed in Kansas, there was a single model for the development, organization, and supervision of schools for all children throughout the state, thus allowing the territorial assembly (and later the state legislature) to focus on supporting, maintaining, and supervising only one kind of state supported school. (One Room Country School of Kansas, Samuelson p. 15)

The early settlers in Kansas wanted schools to help in the process of Americanizing the children of immigrant families, as well as those of the American Indians, and the families of former enslaved people so that the children could be assimilated into the mainstream society of the country. The schools were to teach basic literacy and respect for duly constituted authority. The schools also were given the task of supporting the moral and religious values of home and community.

There was also an Upper Fox Creek School. It was located four miles to the north on Highway 177. It sat on the hill on the west side of the road. When driving, if you look closely, you can see where the old road was located. That was the road that took you to the Upper Fox Creek School. The Upper Fox Creek School was much smaller than the Lower Fox Creek School and it was moved to Strong City in the 1960's.

Views of the Inside of the Lower Fox Creek School

Northwest view of the school.	Inside the Lower Fox Creek School.	Teacher and student's desks.

Continue for more information