  This was the Bloomfield academy or Seminary in its heyday that ran from the 1850s to 1915. The buildings have long since been destroyed and only faint traces of the old school, located northeast of Denison in Indian Territory, remain.  Denison Herald May 20, 1990 MEMORIES ALL THAT'S LEFT OF BLOOMFIELD ACADEMY Emet - They called them either the "Bloomfield Blossoms" or the "Bloomfield Bloomers" back in the 1800s when the Bloomfield Academy was founded as a girls' school. The historic old house has long since disappeared, but the site as since received a National Register of Historical Places marker. It was founded in 1852 by Methodist ministers and except for one brief 2-year span during the Civil War, it remained open until 1915 when it was moved to Ardmore where it reopened as Carter Academy. The academy was located only a few miles northeast of Denison, which was the source of supply for students. The school would send an employee by wagon to Denison, crossing the Red River in the Bloomfield ferry boat. Students had to receive written permission from their parents or go on a class event to get to make the trip to Denison. Otherwise their orders were given to the wagon driver who picked them up, and the came the excitement when the driver got back and delivered what the girls had ordered. Bloomfield Academy started as a day school until the dorms were built. Plans called for accepting 45 girls, but only 30 were accepted. The Chickasaw Nation contributed $3,000 annually toward maintenance and the Methodist Church another $500. The first faculty members were paid $100 a year but it was soon raised to $200 before the year ended. There were courses in the arts, logic, chemistry, astronomy, botany, typing, elocution and music. The standard costume was full wide gored black serge skirts, ankle length, and high button shoes. When they made field trips, the girls were required to wear black mortarboard academic caps with the initials "B.B." from Bloomfield Blossoms. The Methodist missionary who founded the academy, John H. Carr, also was handy with tools and he laid the foundation and did much of the carpentry and mason work in the initial construction. There are only faint traces of the old academy left today, with memories of its last students fading with time. A reunion of former students was held in Achille in 1972, the last time there was a gathering of the former Bloomfield Bloomer Girls.  Bloomfield Academy History Chickasaw Roots Native American Roots Schools Susan Hawkins © 2024 If you find any of Grayson County TXGenWeb links inoperable, please send me a message.  |