The Irish Grove School building.
Irish Grove Consolidated District No. 5.
By Matthew Barnes
The Irish Grove consolidated district number 5 was another rural high school district in Atchison County. Located west of Fairfax, the community members saw the success of the consolidated high schools at Daleview and Bellview and aspired for a higher quality education for their youth. The district was formed on April 3, 1919, by a narrow margin and comprised the Hillsdale, Irish Grove, and Waits for districts. That fall a high school was opened in the Pleasant Valley church for the 1920-21 school year with Miss Leta Robinson as a teacher.
The Irish Grove consolidated district, much like Centennial, was small in size. In fact, Irish Grove had a smaller assessed valuation than Centennial. However, the population at Irish Grove was nearly double that of Centennial making a high school much more sustainable. A bond issue totaling $10,500 was passed overwhelmingly in the spring of 1921 to fund the construction of a high school centrally located within the district. However, due to an increase in prices, an additional $8,000 in bonds was approved by voters that fall with 72% of voters voting in favor.
Robert Green was employed as the first superintendent in 1920. The new school building opened in the fall of that year while the finishing touches were still being completed. The Fairfax Forum described the new school as follows: “The new school building at Irish Grove was built according to the modern plan of architecture and is built of tile and brick. It is equipped with the Smith system of heating and ventilation, Smith’s indoor waterless chemical toilets, and Steele’s adjustable duct window shades. The school’s basement houses a common room, furnace room, and boys’ and girls’ lavatories. The first floor includes two classrooms for the primary and intermediate grades along with an office and library. Two high school classrooms and an auditorium are located on the third floor.
Robert Birbeck was hired as superintendent in 1921. Unlike the other consolidated districts in Atchison County, Irish Grove was somewhat progressive in the fact that rather than continuing to operate the rural schools, the district opted to close them and transport all students to the central building which resulted in lower operational costs. The district sold the Waits and Hillsdale schools at an auction in February of 1923. It appears as though they retained the Irish Grove schoolhouse for storage and community functions.
However, the district did not operate a bus route, so students had to find their way to school. Some students had as much as a four-mile walk. Norma Bradfield, who attended Irish Grove from first grade through her freshman year, said she would walk across pastures to get to school. Her father would tie down barbed wire fences so she wouldn’t get caught on her way to school.
Irish Grove had a strong athletic program from its inception. The school fielded its first basketball team in the fall of 1921 on a dirt court adjacent to the school. The first season admittingly saw few wins. The red and white Irish Grove Grizzlies won their first game against Daleview on December 9, 1921, on their home court. In later years the Grizzlies became more competitive, making regular appearances in the finals of the county basketball tournament. It was reported that there was quite a rivalry with Daleview!
Irish Grove was upgraded to a first-class high school in 1923 and added a home economics class at that time. The enrollment was 55 in the grades and 38 in the high school that year. Marie Portis succeeded Mr. Birbeck as superintendent in 1925 and a track team was organized at that time. Richard Martin assumed the superintendency in 1928. Agriculture education and music were added under Mr. Martin.
The first edition of “The Growl,” a school newspaper, was published in 1935 to keep the community up to date with activities at IGHS. Halley Ford, who had taught agriculture and science for several years, succeeded Mr. Martin as superintendent that same year. Mr. Ford’s wife, Kayla, was hired as an English and music teacher in 1937. Norma Bradfield reported a band was organized by Mrs. Ford in 1938. Instruments were donated or purchased, and uniforms and a banner were tailored for the young musicians. The majorette’s batons were fabricated by Mrs. Ford using painted broomsticks. The band competed at the St. Joseph Apple Blossom Parade, Fairfax Fair parade, and Fairfax homecoming, as well as an annual performance in front of the school.
Remembering Mr. Ford’s wit, Norma recalls an occasion when she received a “P” letter grade. Confused, she asked Mr. Ford “I got a P, what does that mean?” To which he responded, “It means you have to use the restroom.” The P meant she passed. In 1940 Irish Grove boasted 50 students in the high school and 32 in the elementary. High school-aged students from neighboring districts paid to attend high school at Irish Grove which contributed to the higher enrollment. A hot lunch program was established at that time with a kitchen being constructed in the basement.
Like all schools at that time, Irish Grove had difficulty finding teachers during WWII. Along with the increasingly difficult economics of operating a rural high school, the board decided to send nine to 12 students to Fairfax. The grades continued to operate as usual until 1951 when the Fairfax R-III district was formed. The district utilized Irish Grove as an elementary school for grades one through six, and seventh and eighth grades were sent to Fairfax along with the high schoolers. In 1953 Fairfax R-3 realigned its buildings which resulted in the closing of Prairie Flower School. This resulted in elementary students from Rupe’s Grove, Angel, and Prairie Flower attending “West Elementary” at Irish Grove.
Linda Ford attended first and second grades at Irish Grove and Mrs. Naumann was her teacher. She has fond memories of the grand old building and Mr. Fielder, who for years served as a janitor. “Classes were held in the two classrooms on the second floor,” Linda said. “I remember lunch was held on the first floor, and Mrs. Toby and her daughter Margaret were cooks.”
By 1954 the enrollment at Irish Grove had fallen to 30 kids in grades one through six. A new elementary school was built in Fairfax in 1957 making the Irish Grove building obsolete. The final school bell rang at Irish Grove in May of 1957 after serving youth for over 36 years. While many alumni were sad to see the school close, most kids were excited to join the other kids at the bigger school. A total of 136 students graduated from Irish Grove High School.
The contents of the Irish Grove school were sold at auction along with the contents of the Daleview school. The building and the five acres of land on which it sat reverted back to the farm from which had been partitioned, at that time the property of Virgil and Esther Rosenbohm. The building was torn down in 1980 and some of the bricks were used in a new home in Rock Port, Missouri.
