Gant School District 61 - Kingfisher, OK
Posted by: hamquilter
N 35° 50.877 W 097° 56.399
14S E 595721 N 3967602
This historic one-room schoolhouse was relocated to the Chisholm Trail Museum in 1976.
Waymark Code: WM14JCF
Location: Oklahoma, United States
Date Posted: 07/15/2021
Views: 0
This one-story frame schoolhouse was built in 1894 at a cost of $100.00. It has four windows on either side, and a small bell cupola over the entrance. Originally named Pleasant Valley School, it was renamed after Edgar B. Gant on whose land it was built.
The original school had home-made benches and tables, and a wood-burning stove. There were no official schoolbooks, with students using books they had at home. The first school term in 1894 had 50 students. Their teacher was Miss Nannie March, the niece of Territorial Governor A.J. Seay of Kingfisher. She was paid $25 a month. Out of that, she had to pay 5 cents per day to the student who built the fire each morning. The first term began in November 1894 and lasted 3 months. In 1899, the term was extended to 4 months. The school closed in 1940 and the building was moved to the museum in 1976.
The school is located behind the museum building, and is open for visitors. The building has been decorated with vintage school desks, and other school items. Fascinating history.