St. Paul Schools Alumni & Friends Association Motto

Our Motto

Our motto, "St. Paul Schools - Quality Education Through Generations," reminds us that St. Paul Schools have a long and cherished history. Since 1847 there has been a continuous succession of educational institutions in a one square block area along Highway 47 between Udall Road and 1st Street in St. Paul, Kansas. This makes us the oldest elementary / secondary school in Kansas to operate continuously on the same or adjacent property (source).

The first school established in Osage Mission, now St. Paul, was the Osage Manual Labor School for boys, opened on May 10, 1847 by the Jesuits as a mission to the Osage Indians (see Why They Came below). The Sisters of Loretto opened a school for girls on October 10, 1847. This was the first school for girls in what would become the State of Kansas. These facilities were within a block of what is now the St. Paul School campus.

St. Francis Institute for Boys and St. Ann's Academy for Girls were both incorporated in 1870.

The first town school of Osage Mission was opened in 1866 in a frame building on what is now believed to be the corner of 6th and Central.

The first public school building erected in Osage Mission, District #14 (St. Paul Public), was constructed in 1869 and continued to operate until 1947.

Public School District #93 (St. Francis) was organized in 1872. The present building, which now serves as the St. Paul Junior High and High School, was erected in 1922.

In 1947, St. Paul Public and St. Francis, plus Lone Elm, Hylton, Odel, Bloomer, Moriarity, Brogan, and Prairie View were consolidated to form St. Paul Public School District #103.

In 1965, Galesburg, Thayer, Stark and St. Paul came together to form USD #472. In 1967, these schools merged with Erie to form Consolidated Unified School District #101.

On July 1, 2005, St. Paul Schools joined USD 505 Chetopa to form USD 505 Chetopa - St. Paul. Ironically, the Kansas State Board of Education approved this transfer of territory on May 10, 2005, the same day the first mission school was opened in 1847. In addition, on May 10, 1844, the Osage Indians sent their formal request to the government for the establishment of a Jesuit mission in their midst (see below).

This brief history is evidence of our 159-year commitment to continuous education for young people in St. Paul. The Association is committed to quality education for current and future generations.

We are sometimes asked, why did they come? That is, why did the Jesuits establish a mission here? To address this issue, we reprint the following article in its entirety.

Why They Came

The Osages themselves were the direct cause of the establishment of Osage Mission. The passing of the buffalo was bringing new problems to the tribe. The contacts some of the leaders were having with the whites, and the urging of the government, all combined to inspire the movement. On May 10, 1844, or 101 years ago this month (Editor's note: This article appeared on May 1, 1947, so the request was either made 103 years prior, or was actually made on May 10, 1846. From Garraghan's account below it appears the true date is May 10, 1844.), Chief George White Hair, Clermont nad (sic) seven other chiefs joined in sending this petition to the commissioner of Indian affairs:

Honorable T. Hartley Crawford.

This petition of the undersigned chiefs and warriors of the Osage tribe of Indians respectfully represent that in accordance with the benevolent intentions of the government of the United States we are disposed to better our condition by the introductions among us of education and the domestic arts. That a school being felt by us necessary for the instruction of our children we wish to see one established among us with as little delay as possible and the Catholic Missionary Society of Missouri having expressed a willingness to send missionaries and establish a permanent school among us, we, seeing the great advantage derived by our neighbors, the Potawatomi, from the labors and institution of the missionaries of this society, would be happy to receive them among us and respectfully request you aid and encourage them in their benevolent designs toward us and that government would apply annually to the aid of the proposed school as large an amount as you may think advisable of the interest accruing on the funds reserved for us by treaty stipulations for purposes of education.

Signed in the presence of John Hill Edwards, Ind. Sub-Agt. and Joseph Swiss, interpreter.

The Catholic Missionary Society of Missouri was a name assumed by the Jesuits of Missouri in its business dealings with the Osages.

Source: St. Paul Journal, May 1, 1947, page 1.