South Hopewell School District 29

The South Hopewell School District No. 29 was a rural school district located in Ford County, Kansas. The actual location of the schoolhouse was about 11 miles south and 2 miles west of today’s downtown Dodge City. The site of the school lies about ½ mile south of today’s county Road 109 and Warrior Road, on the west side.

As with the case of many rural school districts of the time, the origins and history of District No. 29 is not concisely recorded. There are Ford County records indicating that a District No. 29 was organized in 1885 and contained 72 sections (a “section” is 1 square mile). Another document from 1886 states that more land was added to the district, bringing the area to 91 sections plus.

Before the State of Kansas mandated school unification in the 1960’s, the last School District No. 29 in Ford County was established in 1912. This District No. 29 was split off from another district, No. 54. A transfer of 1 acre of land belonging to Jacob Mohr was recorded to District 54, which then established District 29 as a separate entity. This acre of land was to be the site of a new schoolhouse that would be known as South Hopewell. Mr. Mohr and his wife sold the land for the sum of 1 dollar plus “other valuable considerations”. A one room structure was built and the first classes there were held in the fall of 1912. Miss Florence Adams was the first teacher to serve in the new school. Classes were held here through the school year ending in 1946.

In 1943, the 9 pupils of South Hopewell School bought $229.60 worth of war stamps in support of the nation’s involvement in World War II. This amount equaled 1/3 of the cost of a new jeep.

The school property was auctioned off on 09-30-1948 by order of Ford County Superintendent Beulah Barnes. The sale items listed were outbuildings and a windmill with 170 feet of pipe.