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Looking Back: Stony Point and Pink Hill Schools by Marcia Napier Grain Valley Historical Society
Excluding the “resort towns” of Lake Lotawana and Lake Tapawingo, Grain Valley is the youngest town in Jackson County. The mostly straight-line railroad tracks built by the Chicago and Alton Railroad to connect Oak Grove (Lickskillet) and Blue Springs by-passed the villages of Pink Hill to the north and Stony Point to the south. Pink Hill was placed on the map by the United States Post Office in 1854, and in the same year the first school was built. George Love and Asbury Neer plated a town of 40 lots on 10 acres where present day Pink Hill and Kirby roads intersect northeast of Grain Valley. Lot 19 was reserved for the school. On August 25, 1863, Union General Thomas Ewing, Jr. issued Order Number 11. Union troops marched through Pink Hill burning homes, businesses and the school. Residents were forced to leave their homes, many moving to Lafayette County. Some returned after the Civil War. The 1877 Jackson County atlas listed a population of 482 men and 484 women in the village of Pink Hill and the map indicated a school replacing the one that had been burned. At the Grain Valley Historical Society there are old photographs of Pink Hill students beginning in 1912. There is also one showing that the school existed in
the mid-1940s. I have not found any documentation for the exact date when the Pink Hill School closed, and the students came into Grain Valley for their formal education. Jacob Franklin Gregg was born at Stony Point, March 22, 1844. In his biography, it states that he received his education at the Stony Point School. Little has been written about the school so exact dates of operation are vague. In 1870, James H. Cannon came from Virginia by way of Pennsylvania (his mother’s home) teach at Stony Point. After only one year he became Postmaster at Stony Point and proprietor of the mercantile. Although the town disappeared when Mr. Cannon moved his store to the railroad in 1878, the Stony Point school continued to provide an education to the children in the area. In 1931, Erma (Baumgartner) Doty was a 12-year old student at Stony Point when she wrote an essay titled the “History of Stony Point.” A copy of her story is on display at the Grain Valley Historical Society. Again, documentation for the exact date of the school closing is unknown, but some old-timers believe it closed at the beginning of the United States involvement in World War I.
Students from Pink Hill School pose for a class photo in 1917. Photo credit: Grain Valley Historical Society
The Grain Valley Historical Society Museum, located at 510 Main Street, 10am— is open Wednesdays from 10am —3pm and by appointment. Society’’s website, www.grainvalleyhistory.com, Visit the Historical Society and follow the Society on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram (@grainvalleyhistory).
Next Week: Learn about Oak Hill School.
Thrift Shop for a Good Cause at NeNe’s Attic Thrift store enthusiasts will soon have a new place to explore when NeNe’s Attic opens later this month. The shop will be located at 110 South Buckner Tarsney Road in the Old Towne Marketplace. Owner Sheri Schneider is a passionate thrift store shopper, and is excited to take the leap to own her own shop. “I’ve worked for the Blue Springs School District for the past 15 years. I love my co-workers, and I’m sad to go, but I’m looking forward to the challenge,” Schneider said. It was her husband’s encouragement to create something for herself that pushed her to open the business. “Ever since we’ve been married, my husband has asked me what I wanted to do for myself. I could never come up with an idea, and one day he asked me ‘What do you like to do the most?’. I said, ‘I love to go to thrift stores.’ I’m a big thrift store shopper. He gave me this look, and a light bulb just came on, and I knew what I wanted to do.” The store name comes from Schneider’s grandson.
“I knew I didn’t want to be called Grandma, but I didn’t know what I wanted to be called. Sure enough, when he started talking, he called me NeNe, and I’ve been NeNe ever since,” Schneider said. Local animal shelters, including Grain Valley Animal Hospital, will receive proceeds from the store, and Schneider is planning on hosting pet adoption days on Saturdays. Donations of clothing, accessories, household items, books, and toys can be delivered on Saturdays from 10:00am— 2:00pm. Mattresses and major appliances are not accepted. Schneider hopes to be open on April 27th and will establish additional drop off times once the store officially opens for business. Store hours will be Tuesday—Friday 10:00am –7:00pm, Saturdays from 9:00am—6:00pm, and Sundays from 10:00am—3:00pm. For more information on NeNe’s Attic, visit their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/nenesattic.
NeNe’’s Attic will open in late April at NeNe 110 South Buckner Tarsney Road in the Old Towne Marketplace. Local animal shelters, including Grain Valley Animal Hospital, will receive proceeds from the store, and Schneider is planning on hosting pet adoption days on Saturdays. Photo credit: Valley News Staff
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Contact us for April advertising specials. Ad packages starting at just $25. 816.809.7984 or news@grainvalleynews.com
Drivers Urged to Give Turtles a Break The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) is urging drivers to be cautious on the roads this spring and be on the lookout for turtles. These reptiles are often hit by cars during the warmer months but are at special risk this time of year because they are more active. Common turtles spotted crossing Missouri roads include three-toed box turtles, ornate box turtles, and snapping turtles. Turtles emerge from their burrows and begin the hunt for food and mates during warm and wet conditions, which can lead them to cross roadways, oftentimes resulting in their death. Thousands of box turtles are killed every year by vehicles. Vehicles are one of the leading factors in box turtle declines, and MDC urges motorists to be cautious and slow down when they see a turtle in the road. If helping a turtle make it safely across, check for traffic and move the turtle across the road in the direction it is traveling. For more information on Missouri’s turtles, visit the MDC online Field Guide at nature.mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/fieldguide/search/turtle.
