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Looking Back: Grain Valley’s Early Schools by Marcia Napier Grain Valley Historical Society
Missouri became a state in 1821, and Jackson County was purchased from the Osage Indians in 1825 and divided into nine townships. In those early days, long before the Civil War, there were no public schools in Eastern Jackson County. Schools that did exist were called subscription schools, meaning parents had to pay for their children to attend. If folks were poor and had no money, their children did not have the opportunity to read and write. As small communities sprang up, these subscription schools began to dot the landscape throughout the county including those of Sni-A-Bar Township. Classes in these early schools were set up for grades one through eight. There were not enough interested students to warrant a high school in those early years. Grain Valley was established in 1878, and the first school was located on the Corner of Walnut and Capelle Street in 1887. In 1908 four students became the first graduates of a two-year high school, and by 1919 Grain Valley School included a four-year school. I hope to tell you about the oneroom rural schools that eventually became a part of the Grain Valley Reorganized School District #5 in 1949. While Capelle School was the oldest
recorded Grain Valley School, there were schools at Stony Point and Pink Hill prior to the Civil War. If you drive around the area you see Owens, Murphy, Oakland, and Oak Hill School Roads, all a testament to the importance education has always been to the citizens living in and around Grain Valley. While the Grain Valley School district is growing and changing rapidly in the new millennium, what hasn’t changed is the commitment to make education a priority for the children of our community. Next week: Read about the Stony Point and Pink Hill schools.
The Grain Valley Historical Society Museum, located at 510 Main Street, 10am— is open Wednesdays from 10am —3pm and by appointment. Society’’s website, Visit the Historical Society www.grainvalleyhistory.com, and follow the Society on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram (@grainvalleyhistory).
Photo credit: Grain Valley Historical Society
MDC Offers Free Native Plant Landscaping Workshop April 20 in Kansas City Native plants from the wild can benefit birds, bees, and people in home landscaping layouts. The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) will offer free lessons on using native plants in lawn and garden settings from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 20, at the Anita B. Gorman Discovery Center, 4750 Troost Ave., in Kansas City. MDC staff will discuss the wide variety of native plants suitable for landscaping needs. Visitors can make a seed ball to take home that will help them get started. Free native plant and tree seedlings will be available for visitors to take home and plant. Also, visitors can tour the native plants in the Discovery Center’s outdoor garden. All ages are welcome on a walk-in basis. The Missouri Prairie Foundation (MPF) will also offer a native plant sale in conjunction with the event. Various native vendors will sell seed and seedlings. Vendors will contribute a percentage of plant sale proceeds to
benefit MPF’s prairie conservation programs in Missouri. Visit https:// www.moprairie.org for participating vendors and information about preordering plants. For more information, call 816-7597300 or visit http://mdc.mo.gov/ discoverycenter. discoverycenter
Native plants are climate adapted and provide colorful wildflowers when used in lawn and garden landscaping. Another benefit, useful pollinators such as butterflies and bees are adapted to utilizing native plants for food. Photo by MDC Staff, courtesy Missouri Department of Conservation.
City Wide Clean-Up Scheduled for Saturday, June 1st The City of Grain Valley will hold its annual City Wide Clean-Up event Saturday, June 1st from 8:00am— 11:00am. This free community event is for Grain Valley residents to dispose of unwanted items. Proof of residency (water bill or driver’s license) is required. Metal recycling is available. Residents are asked to bag loose items, such as insulation and other
small items. Items that are not accepted include tires, paint, oil, refrigerators, air conditioners, bagged trash and yard waste or clippings. Senior Citizen Curbside pick-up is available on Thursday, May 30th and Friday, May 31st, but must be scheduled before May 28th by calling 816-847-0091.
