University of Nebraska Kearney - Blue and Gold Yearbook (Kearney, NE)

Page 20 text:

History of The Normal m the West (Continued,) The state board of education, while making a tour of western Nebraska viewing locations, visited tvearm U 'U' lake, power plant, and principal school buildings, and were given a hurried view of the town to judge of surroundings. In tion and banquet was given in the rooms of the Hamilton Loan and Trust building, now occupied by the Farmers Bank, .if the banquet was given in the rooms ol the Hamilton Loan and t rust building, now occupied oy tne varmers manic. vfter i » E. C. Calkins took charge of the gathering and announced that the claims of Kearney for the new Normal would iw he pres- speaker was John N. Dryden. He represented the moral and educational features of the town as well adapted to the needs of su Professor A. O. Thomas gave figures relative to the population within a radius of one hundred miles of Kearney, that tended to logical situation for the new school. Some of these figures are as follows: Population of state, 1,066,300; within the named - school population of state, 275,340; within radius, 120,294; eleven state institutions south of Platte, four north of it; teacher- within the radius, 3,485. He also gave a table of distances by rail from all important points to Kearney. The members ni responses, and speeches were made by Messrs. Frank Harrison, Hostetler, Murch and Brown. The results of all of Kearney’s exertions for the western Normal are seen in the following extracts from the Kearne September 1, 1903: “The following brief telegraphic specials were received from 4 o’clock until 4:20 this afternoon: The First Bulletin. Lincoln, Neb., September 1.—After one hundred and eleven ballots Kearney secured the location of the State Normal sch«« Lin ni n Norris Brown Congratulates. Lincoln, Neb.. September I.—Kearney wins on hundred and eleventh ballot. Congratulations. No Last Vote in Detail. Lincoln, Neb., September 1.—After one hundred and eleven ballots the state board of education selected Kearney a for the Normal school. Last ballot gave Broken Bow 2, Kearney 4, Ord 1. Selection made at 3:15 o’clock. 'in n Within a few minutes after the receipt of the last bulletin the news was pretty well over town and then something hr steam laundry and flour mill whistles set the noise going and soon every noisy contrivances that could be got hold of was used to nv Here are some of the reasons why Kearney secured the Normal: All of the educational interests of the state were V tically one fifth of the territory of Nebraska, therefore the Normal should be as far west as Kearney; railroad facilities ;k daylight runs from all principal points; its location is proven by statistics of the past twenty years; it has a beautiful locatio and lighting systems, and in addition the town donated a fine plot of land, well located, and a beautiful dormitory. At the meeting of the hoard on October 3, by unanimous vote of the six members present, the deeds to the site a'd by Kearney were accepted as were also the bonds covering an agreement to repair Green Terrace. Among the r jpairs s • I 1 board . Thus, in cal- led the recep- •t Hon. te first tution. ley the 2.81 lj 9,150; I made ub, of Tar. WN. ) cat ion R. The noise.” i nrac- being verage offered steam

Page 19 text:

History of The Normal m the West Mamie Tompkins. For a long time there had been a feeling through Nebraska that there was need for better facilities in educating its teachers. This was felt very strongly by educators who knew the conditions in central and western Nebraska. Teachers situated in this part of the state were so far from educational institutions that few had an opportunity to prepare thoroughly for their profession. State Superintendent William K. Fowler, realizing these needs, in his biennial report to Governor Mickey, published January 1, 1903, made the following recommendations rela- tive to the Normal school question: First—Exchange the Industrial school at Kearney for boys, with the State Normal school at Peru. Second —Establish a new Normal school at Lincoln. The idea of moving the Normal Nom Peru was met by so much opposition that it was given up. hut the fact remained that a Normal somewhere in the west was badly needed. A bill, known as House Roll No. 1. was drawn up and introduced in the legislature of 1903 by Chauncy Warner, of Lancaster county. It provided for an appropriation of $100,000 for the location of a new Normal west of the sixth principal meridian, the selection of the site to be left to a committee of nine members of the legislature, three from the senate and six from the house of representatives; the three senators to be appointed by the lieutenant governor and the six members from the house to be chosen by the speaker; one from each congressional district. No site should be chosen unless twenty acres of land, worth at least $75.00 per acre, accompanied it. The school should be under the direction and control of the board of education of Nebraska and governed the same as the school at Peru. After careful consideration it was agreed upon by Normal school advocates that the bill should be amended providing for an ap- propriation of $50,000, the selection of the site to be left in the hands of the state board of education, but otherwise the bill was the same as before. This bill was introduced March 20, and on March 26 had advanced to the third reading in the house, but was amended to the ninety-eighth meridian instead of the sixth principal meridian. It was then passed by both houses and signed by Governor Mickey. Its passage was assisted by all western Nebraska cities, as well as many individuals. As bids were soon to be opened for the location of the Normal, and as several other towns had already made headway along the lines of securing lands and other requirements for it. the citizens of Kearney, on April 23, held their first public meeting on the new school question, for they were anxious to secure the prize for Kearney. The old committee, of Messrs. Gregg, Lowe, Crocker, Robinson and Dryden, was continued as executive committee with power to appoint financial and sub-committees. The first part of May a mass meeting was held in the city hall. Reports or speeches were made by the following: C. H. Gregg, J. F. Crocker, Representative Davis of Gibbon. Representative Knox, A. O. Thomas, E. C. Calkins, 1.. F. Watson, Senator Wall, Mayor Roe, Judge Oldham and N. P. McDonald. Early in June a committee meeting was Held at which subscriptions were checked up, accounts averaged, and people urged to bring in their sub- scriptions. In July delegates from Central City and Holdrege visited Lincoln in behalf of their respective cities, and probably to look after the appointment of the new member of the board, to take the place of W, L, Stephens, whose term was to expire June 21. As the bids were to be opened July 28, this new member was a matter of great importance to all concerned. Before this date Governor Mickey had appointed Superin- tendent Delzell. On July 12 advertisements appeared in the papers by order of the hoard of education to the effect that pVoposals were solicited relative to the donations to the state of suitable land, not less than twenty acres, worth $75.00 per acre, west of a point not exceeding five miles cast of the ninety-eighth meridian, building or buildings, money or registered bonds, might be included in the donation. Thc4e were to be opened in the presence of the board, Tuesday, July 28, 1903, in the office of the superintendent of public instruction. The proposals would be investigated by the board and it would consider in making a selection the character and value of the site, the building or buildings thereon, whether the build- ings were to be donated or sold, and the value of the bonds accompanying the proposal. The Normal school would be located on the site which would appear to be for the best interests of Nebraska. Other elements entering into the selection of the site not mentioned in the advertisements were density of population immediately around the proposed site, distance from the railroad depot, drainage and lighting facilities. library STATE TEACHERS COLLEGE KEARNEY, NEBRASKA

Page 21 text:

board . Thos. in car- ted the recep- i t lion, le first tution. ley the 2.811; 9,150; I made uh, of History of the Normal in the West (Concluded.) heating, new plumbing and painting. The main site given by Kearney was originally divided by several streets and the tract contained more than twenty acres, besides one and one-half acres across the street on which Green Terrace is located. On October 15 the members of the board again visited Kearney. I’he next day, accompanied by Architect Berlinghoff, C. H. Gregg and J. (I. I.owe. they drove out to Green Terrace, inspected it and gave instructions to Architect Berlinghoff to prepare plans and specifications lor repairs on it. These were approved on November 9 at Lincoln, but in December plans not requiring so great expense were presented by Messrs. Gregg and Thomas, and were accepted, the work to be done by the city of Kearney. Early in the spring Architect BerlinghofTs plans for the Normal itself were accepted and the contract let to Kimtzen Isdell The hoard met again in Kearney, June 3. 1904. Those present were Messrs. Majors. Rogers. Ludilen, Delzell and Fowler. They drove out to the site to select the location for the building. Architect Berlinghoff was to have been there to stake it off but was detained by high water. It was decided that the building should face the east, across the center of Twenty-fifth street, 250 feet back from the lot line. It was also decided that there should be public driveways fifty feet wide and extending in curved lines from 'Twenty-fifth street and Ninth avenue, around the ends of the buildings to Tenth avenue. Later the bonds of Knutzen Isdell to construct the building were approved. Thus was com- pleted one great chapter in the history of this State Normal, and a notable one in the history of Kearney enterprise. CAR. IVVN. •cation R, The • rirac- being vc rage offered • team