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 The story of the Farnam schools is one of growth from a small one-room sod school house to a fine two building school system, with eleven teachers being employed, as well as two rural schools in connection.
The story of the Keystone school, which was the beginning of the Farnam School system is interesting in itself, and this advancement in our school system is only marked by the advancement and progress which our community has made during the fifty years it has been in existence.
The first term of school in Farnam was held in 1888 in what was called the Garven hall, upstairs over the hardware store of Anthony Garven, which stood on the vacant lots, just south of G. W. Pollard's office. E. T. Buss was the teacher.
The Farnam school for District 51, was officially established according to the records at Lexington Nov. 30, 1886, and the first school which was built by the district is shown on this page. This building was built in 1889, and two other schools were built at the same time for the country children. One was north of town, and is called today the North school, and the other was east of town, about four miles.
District 51 was further divided in later years and the east half of the township was cut off, this today makes two rural districts. In 1896 District No. 111 of Frontier county joined District 51 and the district today comprises the two districts. District 111 is just south of Farnam in Frontier county.
Bonds in the amount of $1000 was voted at this time to build the buildings. The town building was soon overcrowded, but was not until 1898 that anything was accomplished to relieve the situation, and the primary grades were held in other buildings, at one time being in the front part of the building across the street from the Ford garage, known as the Tufts building.
In 1898, bonds in the amount of $2,000 were voted and the building which is now the hotel of Mrs. Laura Stebbins was built. Wm. F. Johnston had charge of the construction work on this building. But this building was soon to be outgrown and in a few years it was again necessary to place the primary grades in another building. This time the Congregational church parsonage was used and Miss Helen Hicks, now Mrs. L. H. Fitch was teacher.
In 1908, under the superintendency of W. C. Bloom, now county superintendent of Dawson county, a bond issue was voted for $14,000 and the first brick school building was built. This building served the Farnam schools for both grades and high school until 1925, when the present high school building was built at a cost of $20,000. After this building was built the old building was used as the grade school building until 1930 when it was destroyed by fire.
The summer of 1930 the new school building shown at the right of the picture was built to replace the burned building at a cost of $20,000. This building was paid for by using the insurance from the old building and voting a levy for two years to pay the balance if nearly $8,000. In this way it was not necessary to vote new bonds.
The tenth grade was added to the course of study in the year of 1898, the eleventh grade in 1908, and in 1915 the twelfth grade was added and it became a fully credited school, and has remained on the accredited list with the exception of a short time since then.
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The first tenth grade graduation class in 1898 was as follows:
Charlotte Ainley (Fitch)
Gertrude Dryden (Taylor)
Kittie Dryden (Crampton)
Mayme Garven (Ainley)
Clarence Balser
The second tenth grade graduation class, in 1899 was as follows:
Grace Wood (McNickle)
Dan McNickle
Ethel Kitchen (Faulkes)
Ella Hunt
Marion Faulkes
Edna Kitchen (Puderbaugh)
The third tenth grade graduation class, in 1900 was as follows:
Harold Crampton
Harry McNickle
Claude David
Vincent Whitney
Lester Kitchen
Arthur Allen
The first twelfth grade graduation class was in 1917, with the following graduating:
Ruth Dawson
Marie Banks (Reeves)
C. E. Davidson
Delavan Buss
Teachers for the Farnam Schools for this coming year are: Donovan Dinnis, Lewiston, Nebr.; Stanley Williamson, Sabetha, Kan.; Miss Eva Cooper, Milford, Nebr.; Max Rearden, Lincoln.
All of the above were re-elected and accepted positions in the high school from last year. Miss Bernice Pickett of Beaver City is the only new teacher on the staff this year.
Mrs. D. D. Stebbins, Miss Josie Messersmith, both of Farnam, Miss Edna Maystrick, Omaha and Miss Lucy Taft of Cozad, will teach in the Farnam grade rooms.
Miss Mabel Eberly, of Schuyler, will teach the North school, and Miss Ruth Hoy, Farnam the South School.
Mrs. D. D. Stebbins has been the Farnam primary grade teacher, for the past 16 years, and this record is indeed one that she should be commended for. Her long years of service in this department has enabled her to see many of those that have started their school days under her, graduate from the high school.
The Farnam schools are among the finest in the state for a town of its size and the couses given are of the latest and best suited to meet the needs of an agricultural community. During the past five years the schools have been under the superintendency of L. Donavan Dinnis.
The assessed valuation for Dist. 51 in 1890 was $22,717.67. The valuation of the district, both 51 and 111 for 1935 was $700,000. In 1930 it was $1,100,000.
There is an outstanding bonded indebtedness at the present time of about $8,000 on the high school building, built in 1925.
There was on hand at the close of this last term of school about $3,000 and there are no registered warrants outstanding.
S. F. Parker has just completed serving on the school board, a position held for over 30 years. J. A. Rowland is the present treasurer, having been only recently appointed to fill the vacancy, caused by the resignation of W. E. Parker, who was appointed postmaster. W. E. Parker had served for six years. E. B. Lewis has served eight years on the board.
The school board at present is as follows: Dr. A. E. Reeves, president; M. Enevoldsen, secretary; J. A. Rowland, treasurer and the other members are E. D. Golay, W. E. Russell and O. L. Hudson.
1886
1936
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Web Publisher: Weldon Hoppe