The Development of Grove City and the Schools - Part 7

(The following was written by Faye and Harold Morland, and is reprinted from “The Epoch of the Park Street School 1853-1964 and Grove City, Ohio”.  Any opinions made in the article are from the author.)Meanwhile Grove City expanded its borders. It was again replatted and a recording made July 8, 1896, after the plat was adopted by ordinance by the Council of Grove City (May 13th, 1896) and approved by the County Commissioners. It was adopted as the official plat of Grove City.In 1898 more maple trees were planted along the sidewalks of the school grounds. Principal A.C. Fries planted the most southwesterly one on the corner of East Park Street and Arbutus Avenue. He named it Clara Barton in honor of the founder of the American Red Cross. The tree grew very large. It died and was removed a few years ago. Only a small portion of decayed root shows on the ground surface now.Ethel Hoover and Bessie Grant of the class of 1898 selected the high school colors of Crimson and Blue. Teacher salaries ranged from $38 to $62.50 per month. The clerk and treasurer of the school board each received $12 per year. The school purchased its first encyclopedia in 1901.The school was getting crowded again. On February 2, 1902, Martha A. Houston, unmarried, sold Lots No. 31 and No. 32 the Board of Education of Grove City Special School District for a total of $400. See Deed Book 349, page 283, Recorder’s Office. The total of four lots comprised the city block is it now stands as the present school site. This city block cost a total of $450.01.When the Brumbaugh Law classifying high school went into effect, Grove City having but one high school teacher, was necessarily a class III High School. This fact and overcrowding of the grammar school grades induced the Board of Education to submit to the people the question of a bond issue to provide more room. The issue was voted down. The following year, 1903, the question was again submitted. It carried. The second section of two rooms, one up and one down, was made to the northwest corner of the first section. This addition was made in 1903. Pot-bellied individual heating stoves were placed in the new rooms. Another teacher was added to the grade staff. Four grade rooms of forty-five pupils each were now in session.On September 1, 1905, the high school course became a four-year course. There was no high school graduating class of 1905. Instead, it went another year and graduated in 1906. This was the first four-year high school graduating class. A second high school teacher was hired in September, 1905, to give the extra instruction. Through the efforts of Supt. A.C. Fries, the Grove City High School became a Class A High School. The doors of colleges were then opened to our graduates without further examination.(The continuation of this story in the next blog entry.)