Central Washington University - Hyakem / Kooltuo Yearbook (Ellensburg, WA)

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FORMER PRINCIPAL BARGE PO£C 11.

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of tile Fllensburg Public Schools, through the trustees of the Normal, tendered the State the use of the rooms on the second floor of the Public School building, including the assembly room and four class rooms, free of charge, conditioned on the Legislature making an appropriation for the maintenance of the school. The building then offered now occupies the square bounded by Anderson, Fifth, Sprague and Sixth Streets, and is known as the Central Building. W hen the Legislature made an appropriation of $15,(KM) for maintenance for a period of two years, the same legislature made an appropriation for the maintenance of the school located at Cheney. Thus the two schools are co-existent. 1 he trustees employed as a faculty: Benjamin F. Barge, princi- pal; . N. Hull, assistant principal; and Miss Fanny C. Norris ami Muss Rose M. Rice as teachers. Mrs. John (lass was chosen matron ol the dormitory, and a brick building on Craig’s Hill, now «0.i East Second Street, was secured for the dormitory. The school was opened September 7. 1891. A three-years course was offered and the work of instruction was apportioned to the teachers without any attempt to establish departments. On Septem¬ ber 15, 1891, inaujurator y exercises were held. Judge C. B. Graves introduced by Principal Barge, made the address of welcome. The FIRST SCHOOL IN KITTITAS COUNTY Page 10.

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response was made by R. B. Bryan, Superintendent of Public Instruo- tion. Mr. Bryan in liis speech stated that the establishment of a tate .Normal School at Kllenshun? was largely due to the untiring el forts of Senator E. T. Wilson, then of Ellensburg, now of Tacoma. Jhp principal address of the evening was made bv E. (’. Hewett, LL.I of Normal, Illinois, a prominent educator of that state and a fi icnd ol Principal Barge, who had made the trip west for that purpose. There was a large and enthusiastic audience present indi¬ cating the local interest in the school. Enough high school graduates and teachers of experience entered the school to form a senior class of thirteen members, eleven of whom were graduated at the end of the first year. I he training school of the first year was limited to one room and was composed of children of the first grade with .Miss llose M. Bice as model teacher and supervisor. The members of the senior class first observed the teaching done by Miss Rice, and afterwards taught under her supervision. While the training school was limited to one grade, the opportunity was good, as Miss Bice was an excellent teacher and well understood child life. The school started without a library, and with a very limited rS a PP a ™ tus - Professor Barge put his private li ' brarv in f the S h ' S | 7 T V ,ll V tudent8 and duri K the ear I yes-ears of the school few boohs were Ik. ught in addition to the text books It was the policy of the state to furnish free text books, for a number FIRST HOME OF THR NOR MAI,