  In its lifetime, Denison High
School had four names. It was called “Educational Institute” while it
was being constructed. After opening, the school was referred to as
“Union Seminary.” Later the younger grades were collectively called
“Washington School,” after George Washington, first president of the
United States. President Washington’s relative, Dr. Lawrence Augustine
Washington (1814–1882), lived in Denison and served as an alderman and
school trustee in the fall of 1874. He is buried in Denison’s Oakwood Cemetery. In the years
immediately preceding 1913–1914, the upper grades (and the building
housing them) were referred to as “Denison High School.”
Source: Bryant and Hunt, TWO SCHOOLS ON MAIN STREET  In
May 1873 the City Council opened bids for building the Educational
Insitute, ranging from $8,539 to $12,800. The bid was awarded to
Messrs. Koehler & Kefier at a cost of $8,920 on Monday, May 19,
1873. Other bids were: A. Frahm, $7,200; Murphy & Co.,
$10,870; and Mr. Q. Green, $9,000. (Denison Daily News,
Tuesday, May 20, 1873) In late July 1873 Mr. Koehler purchased
lot #11 in block 34 on Gandy St. and had proceeded with building a
brick residence on the lot. Another news item printed in
the August 15, 1873 Denison Daily New, stated that the firm of
Keffler & Koehler were also occupied with putting in the foundation
of Major Strang's residence at the corner of Houston and Sears street.
On August 14, 1873 workmen for Charles
Wheelock of Sherman prepared the plans for this new school that would
attract settlers to help build the newborn town of Denison
August was a busy month for the firm as they also established a rock yard near the foot of Skiddy street where customers could stone of all kinds. (The Denison Daily News, August 22, 1873) Meanwhile the the City Council had been making every effort to obtain the contact beween Koehler & Keffler and published notice in the local paper that no payment was to be made on the building of the school house until the contract of May 1873 was produced to them. (The Denison Daily News, September 3, 1873) The very next day Joseph Koehler notified the City Council that the contract for building the new Denison school house had been been in the hands of the First National Bank per agreement between himself and the City Council in May. Being unaware of the Council's efforts to obtain the contract until the printing of such fact in the previous day's newspaper, when he immediately produced the contract. He also told the Council that the suspension of work on the school building and been due to the fact that the City had failed to pay the first estimate as agreed upon. In February 1874 the City Council met in a special meeting to condiser bids for the completion of the school building. Bids were submitted by W.D. Ragland for $9,140; Ely & Medor for $9,550; and H.J. Landon. Accompanying the Ely & Medor bid, was an proposition from Koehler & Keffler that should their bid be accepted, they would waive all claims for damages under their contract. After considering the financials consequences, the City Council accepted the proposition and the contract was awarded to Ely & Medort. (The Denison Daily News, February 21, 1874) Also called "Union Seminary", the building was completed in 1874.  Educational Institute History Susan Hawkins © 2024 If you find any of Grayson County TXGenWeb links inoperable, please send me a message. |