As the population grew the people of Murray could see the need for education. They were permitted to use the warehouse for this purpose. The walls were rough and nail kegs with planks served as benches. The teacher was Miss Lamb, a relative of Dr. George Armitage. The ABC'S were taught with the rumbling of trains and the loading and unloading of freight out the opposite end of the warehouse.

When the Baptists built their church in 1869, school was held at the church for a term with Mr. Martindale as teacher for two terms. For a playground they had the territory on the south literally clear to Missouri as there were no fences.

In 1875 carpenter Jim Emery and Hi Lamb built a new school between the third and fourth block on Lyon St. This was a two room structure although the upper room was not finished for immediate use. The first teacher was "Doc Turner". The curriculum was stretched in this building to providing a much better education. They had plastered walls, desks, black­boards, erasers, chalk, a globe and a wall map.

In 1881 the school added a four year high school course. The following summer they added two rooms to the building, Mr. O. D. Cathels taking the contract. Mr. Jud Taylor taught for four and a half years. Miss Tina Elliot was the principal. The class of "85" was the first to complete high school. They were Jim Ross, Ivy Scott, May Dufur and Edna Pratt. This frame building served its purpose for 28 years but was outgrown.

In 1898, it was decided to build a two story, six room brick building at the cost of $9,000. In 1915, they excavated a basement and added the manual training building. By 1924 this building seemed inadequate and another new building was planned. On April 13, 1925 with only six weeks of school left, the old building burned. School was completed in buildings, churches and two rooms of Dr. Armi-tage's home. The following fall school started in the new building with an enrollment of 220 students.

In the early 1960's a country school house was moved to the grounds to be used as a band room, later it was used as an educable room. In 1958 a new gym was added to the south end of the building. A two room concrete block building was built for Vocational Agricultural rooms.

The present enrollment at the Murray Community School is 365. The present superintendent is Eugene Hess.

The second school stood on the same location as the first. It burned in 1925.

MURRAY SCHOOLS

The first Murray school was built in 1870. It was replaced in 1898 and a part of the building was moved up town where it stood for several years.

Present Murray School

Gymnasium