Independence Grammar School

Fairbank 's First Two-Story School

The first Public School of Fairbank was located on the site of the present (2000) park. This building was a small, one-room, brick structure. As it employed one teacher and involved grades one to eight, it was similar to our rural schools of yesteryear. At this time, Fairbank was but a small settlement.

In 1855, one year after the town was built on the west side of the river, a larger, two-story school was constructed where the Leo Peter's residence was in 1937. At the present time (2000) it is 103 S. Walnut, the residence of Maurice and Wilma Welsh, the mayor of Fairbank.

The "History of Buchanan County" states: "There is one teacher, except the school in Fairbank village which has two teachers and about two-hundred students." This school was a white, two-story, frame building of three rooms.

Later it was enlarged to four rooms and the high school was added. Miss Sally Everett was the first high school graduate in Fairbank. At that time the teachers were: Sadie King, primary; Lizzie Hitchcock, intermediate; and Charlie Everett, principal.

This school was used until 1917.

**Used courtesy of The Independence Bulletin-Journal.**

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