Alamo-New School-1898 - Montgomery InGenWeb Project

The dedication of the new school building at Alamo occurred Sunday afternoon. Although the weather was rainy and disagreeable, a large crowd was in attendance and the exercises were interesting. Trustee SH Gilkey presided in his usual happy manner.

The programme commenced with music by the orchestra, followed with prayer by Rev. NC McCay. The first person to speak was Rev. McCay and he dwelt upon the idea that education brought about the perfect man - in body, mind and soul. Then followed two songs by the glee club.

County Superintendent Ward Walkup then made a few remarks uon the theory that all education is essentially religious, and that religion lifts a man to a better plane of life, both in this world and in the hereafter. Another song followed by the glee club, and Rev. White spoke upon the subject that religion was the foundation of education.

James Elmore gave a history of the educational interests of Alamo, from the first log school house to the present brick building and ended with a poem. The glee club then gave an original selection, and each verse ended with a chorus, thus:

Bass - "Who built this school house?"

Answer - "Sammy Gilkey built this school house."

Trustee Symmes of Union Township being present was called upon and responded by telling the patrons the inmportance of their support being given to the trustee and teachers in their efforts to educate the children. Prof. John F. Moore, the principal, in his talk spoke of how thankful the people were to Trustee Gilkey for the untiring interest he had taken in educational matters and especially in the erection of the new school house, and on behalf of the school patrons he presented the trustee with a fine parlor lamp, as a token of the appreciation of the people. Mr. Gilkey responded and thanked the donors for the gift, and he hoped to have the united support of the people in his efforts to place his schools upon the best possible plane of education. This closed the exercises, and the people after inspecting the building, departed, feeling proud of their trustee, the teachers, the school building and the scholars.

The new school building is of brick, with stone trimmings, four rooms, two halls, and two stories in height, with a center tower and is heated with two furnaces. There are six windows in a room, affording an abundance of light, and the heating and ventilation is all based upon the latest scientific principles. The halls run across the front of the building, both upstairs and down, with a cloak room to each room, and it is so arranged that one of the basement rooms can be used for a play ground. The building stands in a large lot, which affords plenty of play ground for the pupiles.

Mr. Gilkey, the trustee, shows a remarkable interest in school matter and his experience of 19 years as a teacher is very valuable to him in his management of the township schools. The people of Ripley Township are a unit with the trustee in his work for the schools - kbz