First Dormitory built at Goodland

The Home Mission Committee, in 1894, through free-will offerings of the friends of Good Land, built the first log dormitory, as a home for fifteen or twenty orphan boys. Prior to the building of this dormitory, Christian families of the Good Land community began taking orphans into their homes, in order that they might attend school.

It was a rude structure, consisting of one large room of hewn oak, with a stick-and-mud chimney; a loft over head, to which the boys climbed by ladder when it was time to sleep; a side room which was used as a kitchen and dining room; and a front porch. It was located east of the church, near the well which Mr. Stark had dug for the use of his congregration ... afterwards that well was finned up; and its site is now under the steps of the Goodland High School building. In later years this forst dormitory was moved and used by Mr. Gibbons as a barn, back of the manse which the Home Mission Committee built for him in 1909.

excerpt from The Goodland Indian Orphanage by Sammy D. Hogue

A 1925 look at the Campus

The campus photo was taken around 1925. It shows from left to right, the Goodland Church built in 1852, the High School built in 1925, the little boys dormitory, intermediate boys dormitory, the bigger boys dormitory and Bacon Hall.

Old Bacon Hall

In 1907 the red brick building, known as Bacon Hall, was made possible by a gift fo $4,692 from J. T. Leonard ob Boston. It was through the Reverend S. L. Morris, D.D., Executive Secretary of Assembly's HOme Missions, that this money was sent to Good Land. Mr. Leonard had requested, in his will, that the full amount be "useed for helping the Indians." Dr. Morris asked his committee to set it apart for the Good Land School. The sum of $3,000 fro the church-at-large was added. And that is how the red brick structure, now used as the administration building, dormitory for intermediate girls, dinning room, and kitchen, came to be erected.

At first it was used as a school building, a home for Mr. and Mrs. Bacon, an administration building, and a dormitory for girls of all ages. It was not until 1914 that the kitchen was added, with a sleeping porch above it. The funds for this addition were provided by a gift of $10,000 from the Choctaw Council.

excerpt from The Goodland Indian Orphanage by Sammy D. Hogue

Another View of old Bacon Hall

This photo was taken in late 1940's during the winter months.

Photo of the children taken in 1924. Bacon Hall in the background.