PARAGOULD CITY HIGH SCHOOL
PROPOSAL
DOCUMENT WRITTEN BY : TINA EASLEY
I HAVE CREATED THIS DOCUMENT WHILE RESEARCHING THE OLD NEWSPAPERS . I HAVE RE-WRITTEN THE ARTICLE BELOW IN MY OWN WORDS MAKING THE DOCUMENT BELOW COPYRIGHTABLE.
I APOLOGIZE FOR THE LACK OF RESPECT OF OUR FAMILIES HISTORY , THAT A FREE FAMILY - HISTORY WEBSITE HAS TO COME TO THESE KIND OF TERMS , DUE TO INTERNET THIEVES .
http://www.usgennet.org/usa/ar/county/greene/
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RESEARCHED FROM FEB. 17, 1909 - FRONTPAGE - THE DAILY SOLIPHONE
BOND ISSUED AND NEGOTIATED , CONTRACT AND WORK TO BEGIN IN A FEW DAYS .
BUILDING TO COST TWENTY-FIVE THOUSAND
THE SOUTHERN BUILDING CO. OF LOUISVILLE KY. SECURED THE CONTRACT , MERCANTILE TRUST COMPANY OF ST. LOUIS , GETS THE BONDS.
THE GROUNDS PURCHASED FOR THE HIGH SCHOOL LOCATED ON WHAT WAS KNOWN AS CHERRY TREE HILL , BETWEEN COURT STREET AND THE CEMETERY ROAD AND A DISTANCE SOUTHWEST OF THE WEST SIDE SCHOOL BUILDING. THE LOT WAS 193 X 300 , IN SIZE .
ONCE THE CONTRACT AND BONDS WERE AGREED TO THE WORK BEGAN ON THE NEW HIGH SCHOOL BUILDING AND THE COMPLETION OF THE BUILDING BY AUGUST 1, 1909 . IN TIME FOR THE FALL TERM .
IN 1908 PROCEEDINGS UNDER A SPECIAL ACT OF THE LEGISLATURE AUTHORIZING PARAGOULD TO ISSUE BONDS FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF A HIGH SCHOOL BUILDING , THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS LET THE CONTRACT AND WERE READY TO ISSUE THE BONDS ACCORDING TO THE PROVISIONS OF THE ACT , BUT THE ATTORNEY'S FOR ROSE , HEMMINGWAY, LOUGHBOROUGH & CANRTRELL OF LITTLE ROCK , WHO WERE TO TAKE OVER THE BONDS ,QUESTIONED THE VALIDITY OF THE BONDS UNDER THE SPECIAL ACT .
UNTIL A FEW DAYS BEFORE FEB. 17, 1909 , THE SPECIAL ACT WAS REPEALED THROUGH THE REPRESENTATIVE , HON. JOE A. THOMPSON . F0R THE BUILDING TO BEGIN ON THE NEW HIGH SCHOOL.
THE BONDS WERE ISSUED TO THE AMOUNT OF $ 30,000 THE HOLDERS BEING MERCANTILE TRUST CO. OF ST. LOUIS . THE BONDS WERE SET FOR THIRTY YEARS AT SIX PER CENT BONDS AND ONE WOULD HAVE TO BE RETIRED EACH YEAR FOR A PERIOD OF THIRTY YEARS .
THE CONTRACT FOR THE BUILDING WAS BY THE SOUTHERN BUILDING CO. OF LOUISVILLE , KY.
THE BUILDING WAS TO BE A TWO-STORY STRUCTURE , BUILT OF PRESSED BRICK AND CONCRETE , WITH A BASEMENT. IT WAS TO BE BUILT WITH ALL MODERN CONVIENCE AND A SPECIAL REFERENCE TO LIGHT, HEAT AND VENTILATION . CONTRACTORS WERE TO INSTALL A HEATING PLANT AND PLUMBING AND TO BE COMPLETED ON THE FIRST DAY OF AUGUST 1909.
THE BUILDING WAS TO BE DIVIDED INTO EIGHT COMPARTMENTS AND TO HAVE A SEATING CAPACITY FOR 700 PUPILS.
PRESIDENT J.H. LEWMAN OF THE SOUTHERN BUILDING , CO. SAID "THAT HIS COMPANY WOULD EMPLOY PARAGOULD LABORS AND WOULD PURCHASE MATERIALS IN PARAGOULD AS LONG AS PRICES AND QUALITY WERE CONSISTENT. THE BRICK FOR THE NEW SCHOOL WAS TO BE SHIPPED IN FROM ST. LOUIS ."
THE ARCHITECT FOR THE NEW SCHOOL WAS L.M. WEATHERS OF MEMPHIS , TENN.
THE OVER- CROWDED PUBLIC SCHOOLS OF THE CITY MADE IT NECESSARY FOR A NEW AND BIGGER BUILDING . AND EVERY CITIZEN AGREED FOR THE TOWN ADVANCEMENT IN EDUCATION AND IMPROVEMENT OF A NEW MODERN SCHOOL . THE STRUCTURE TO BE COMPLETED BY THE FALL OF 1909 FOR THE NEXT TERM OF THE CITY SCHOOLS WOULD HAVE ROOM TO ACCOMMODATE THE ENTIRE SCHOLASTIC POPULATION WITHOUT OVER - CROWDING.
THE PURPOSE OF THE HIGH SCHOOL INTENDED BY THE SCHOOL BOARD WAS TO TAKE ALL THE ADVANCED GRADES OF ALL THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS OF PARAGOULD INTO THE NEW BUILDING AND THAT ALL THE STUDENTS OF THE HIGH SCHOOL DEPARTMENT WILL BE TRANSFERRED TOO THE NEW BUILDING , LEAVING PLENTY OF ROOM FOR THE LOWER GRADES IN THE OLD BUILDINGS.
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