Transcript Jennie Barker Elementary 50th Anniversary On Sunday, March 11, 1956, the dedication of Jennie Barker School was held. Mr.

Jennie Barker Elementary
50th Anniversary
On Sunday, March 11, 1956,
the dedication of
Jennie Barker School was held.
Mr. Dale Saffels,
Finney County Representative in the
Kansas Legislature was the speaker
that evening.
USD #457
Mrs. Jennie Barker
Sept. 14, 1872 – June 28, 1953
Jennie Barker Elementary
is named after Mrs. Jennie
Barker, a former teacher &
district superintendent in
Finney County.
The Barkers were among
the late homesteaders in
Finney County arriving in
December of 1915. They
settled in the southwest part
of the county. Mrs. Barker
taught at three area schools:
District #66, #71, and #80.
photo courtesy of Finney
County Historical Museum
Mr. George Reuben Barker
Sept. 20, 1868 – Nov. 25, 1932
George Barker married
Jennie Greenslate on March 16,
1911 at Wilmothsville, Missouri.
They moved to Finney County in
1915 and purchased 17 quarters
of land. Mr. Barker entered the
cattle business.
Finney County records show
that Jennie Barker took an
active part in their financial
affairs, purchasing their land
throughout their years in our
area.
photo courtesy of Finney
County Historical Museum
Jennie Barker’s Teaching Career
Teaching
Year
School
Certificate
1916
Dist. #66
3rd grade
1917
Dist. #71
2nd grade
1918
Dist. #71
2nd grade
1919
Dist. #71
Life certificate
1920
Dist. #71
3rd grade
1921
Dist. #80
Life certificate
1922
Dist. #80 State certificate
1923-24 Finney Cty. Superintendent
Jennie Barker Elected District
Superintendent
In 1923 Jennie Barker was elected
District Superintendent of Finney
County Schools.
 She served at this post for 16 years.
 As superintendent, Mrs. Barker helped
rural schools come up to the
requirements of a standard school. Two
schools were soon classed as Superior
Schools.

Superintendent Barker
Jennie Barker’s goal was the
establishment of special music training
in rural schools.
 Mrs. Nell Wheeler Harper was employed
to devote her time to teaching music to
the rural school children in our district.

Homes of the Barker Family
The Barkers settled in SW Finney County in
1915.
When they moved to Garden City, their
addresses were:
 The 1927 address was 311 N. 9th Street.
 The 1948 address was 315 N. 12th Street.
 Jennie Barker’s brother, Raye Greenslake,
was building her a home at 502 N. 10th
Street but she never got to move in before
her death in 1953.

Creation of Jennie Barker School


School District #87 was formed by consolidating
several rural school districts.
These schools included:
 #48 Skyline,
 #15 Silverdale,
 Union #4 Harmony,
 #38 Lake Valley,
 #4 Pleasant Valley
In August 1954, five acres of land was purchased
from A.J. Strasser for $1000.
(A.J. was the great-great-uncle of Jensen Strasser!)

Jennie Barker School Board Members
Lester Henderson - Charles Oloman - Joe Plett
Jennie Barker School Bond Issue
 On December 2, 1954, an $83,500
bond election was held. The vote
was 62 for and 2 against the
building of our school.
 In May of 1955 the contract was
awarded to the Stormont
Construction Company.
 Construction was started in June
and ended in December!
Proposed Jennie Barker School
Jennie Barker School Opens
Dec. 5, 1955
Our consolidated school, also known
as District #87, was named after
Jennie Barker.
 The Garden City Telegram reported
“…. the outstanding feature for a
rural school was the large
gymnasium/ auditorium.”

GC Telegram Article
“Much larger than the olden day
schools, Jennie Barker School has
three separate classrooms with
four grade levels (in two of the
rooms), an office, restrooms,
furnace room, and a large
gymnasium which is converted
into a cafeteria at noon.”
School was first held in JB on
Monday, December 5, 1955 there
were 47 students.
The teachers were:
 Fern Ann Harding, who taught
grades 5-8, &
 Mrs. Florence Wilson, who taught
grades 1-4.
Jennie Barker Elementary 1956
Photo from Florence Wilson’s files.
Mrs. Wilson taught 1st – 4th grades.
photo courtesy of Finney County Historical Museum
The current 3rd grade and kindergarten classrooms
were not part of the original building.
Florence Wilson’s
teacher contract for
1956. She received
a total of $3600 in
eight equal
installments.
Remember that she
taught grades 1st
through 4th and had
to plan for these
varied activities.
contract copy courtesy of
Finney County Historical
Jennie Barker Staff & Students
from a GC Telegram article dated 1956
Charles Sinclair & his JB team
Photo Courtesy of Layne Schiffelbein
Schools in the
1961 JB B-Ball
Tournament:
Friend
Jennie Barker
Kalvesta
Lincoln
Pierceville
Shallow Water
During the 1950’s & 60’s - each school had their
own team and competed against each other
Transportation



Our current annex was the original
home of the bus barn for our school.
In the summer of 1954, three new
busses were purchased by the school
district.
Pupils were transported at district
expense to the two remaining schools
(Harmony & Pleasant Valley) until
Jennie Barker School opened its doors
on December 5, 1955.
1980 Playground Flood
Photos courtesy of Nedra Simpkins
Our current tall
swing set just south
of the south door
Our current swing set
and backstop
Our Southern View
Looking south down
Jennie Barker Road
Photos courtesy of Nedra Simpkins
Looking southwest from
the playground Holcomb
Station’s stack is missing
Jennie Barker Library 1986
(currently this area is the Principal’s office!)
photo courtesy of Finney County Historical Museum
Jennie Barker would like to thank
Home Depot for helping to
beautify our landscape in the Fall 2005
Home Depot employees
worked side-by-side
with Jennie Barker
parents and friends.
Fencing in our
dumpsters in the
front parking lot &
planting bushes
along the front walk.
Trees, bushes,
lumber & lots of
paint worked
wonders!
The Bobcat Branch of
Garden City State Bank opens
in November 2005!
Student employees of the branch were present
for the opening. Third and Fourth grade
students had to fill out applications and
interview for bank positions.
Jennie Barker
Bobcat Pride!
JB Partners in Education
Jennie Barker’s
Bobcat Branch partner:
Garden City State Bank
A special “Thank you!” to Home Depot,
Pizza Hut, and our Jennie Barker parents
for the fall 2005 landscape assistance.