Our ninth grade counselor, Zela Holt, and her husband, Olan, lived just a few minutes from the original location of the Virginia School, and less than a mile from the current location. Zela would want you to know that in 1858, “Wild Bill” Hickok was elected constable of the Monticello Township. She and Olan have been great supporters of the Monticello Historical Society for many years.

Zela Baker Holt, 84, Shawnee, KS, passed away Sunday, May 23, 2009. She was born June 5, 1924, in Valhalla, MO. She attended Central Missouri State Teachers’ College in Warrensburg, MO, receiving her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education. She began her teaching career in 1950 and retired from Shawnee Mission South High School as a guidance counselor. It is important for you to know that our ninth grade class at Hocker Grove Junior High School became her favorite, due in large part to the hard work and dedication that it took to produce Dude Ranch Dilemma. She never forgot us and we will not forget her.

HISTORIC MERRIAM, KANSAS

Between 1826 and 1833, the Shawnee Indians were moved to the Kansas Territory from their original settlements in Ohio and Missouri. The Shawnee established themselves along the banks of the Kansas River and surrounding area, including tributaries such as Turkey Creek.

Religious missionaries of nearly all denominations were present throughout Indian settlements as early as the 1680’s. Quakers had worked among the Shawnee when they still lived in the Ohio Valley. As the tribe moved to the area that would become Johnson County, the Shawnee requested that the Quakers establish a school among them, and the missionaries agreed.

In 1833, a committee of three Quakers visited the Shawnee in preparation for the mission school and was given 320 acres, most of which is within the city limits of present day Merriam.

In 1864, a Tennessean, David Gee Campbell, bought acreage from an Indian family and moved his house to what is now 9503 Johnson Drive. A small settlement on the south side of Johnson Drive near Turkey Creek began to grow, and the community was named Campbellton in honor of its founder.

After the first railroad station in Campbellton was built in 1870, an addition was made to the land originally purchased by Campbell. This new section was called Merriam, after Charles Merriam, the Secretary of the Kansas City, Fort Scott and Gulf Railroad.

In time, this addition grew until it became the major portion of the town. The name of Campbellton was gradually dropped, and in the 1880’s the town began to be known as Merriam.

The early settlers of Campbellton sent their children to the Hickory Grove School, which was located near present day Shawnee Mission North High School. As the population grew, the need for a local school was widely felt.

The Merriam School District was formed, and a new building was constructed and opened in 1872. The two-story yellow brick structure was a sophisticated model of an old time schoolhouse and included a bell tower and bell. The first school teacher, Ike Short, taught all eight grades for fifty dollars per month. The building was used for classes and as a community center until 1911.

In 1947, a new South Park Elementary School opened for white children only. Black parents appealed the segregation to the school board as well as the Johnson County Court. Their appeals were denied.

A group of parents, teachers, and concerned citizens then filed a lawsuit against the school district. This lawsuit, Webb v. School District No. 90, paved the way for the 1954 Brown v. the Topeka Board of Education, a landmark case influencing integration.

Although Merriam is one of the oldest communities in the area, it was unincorporated for much of its history. In 1950, Merriam petitioned the governor to become a third class incorporated city. The petition was approved by the Board of Johnson County Commissioners on October 23, 1950. Merriam achieved city of the second class status January 13, 1957, when its population grew to 4327 citizens.

EDUCATION HAS ALWAYS BEEN IMPORTANT IN JOHNSON COUNTY



This is a picture of the Virginia School which is now located on the grounds of Mize Elementary at 73rd and Mize Road in western Shawnee. The school was built in 1877 on the corner of 71st Street and Clare Road as part of the Johnson County School District and was named School #33. The school was in continuous operation as a one room school from that time until 1962, with an enrollment that did not exceed 30 students per year for grades 1-8. In 1962, the school became part of the DeSoto Unified School District and has been preserved by the Monticello Historical Society.