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Colony Public School

Colony Public School

City/Town:
Location Class:
Built: 1954 | Abandoned: 2000s
Status: Abandoned
Photojournalist: Jennifer BurtonLeslie Flaming

Seger Indian Training School

Colony Public School
Seger Girls Dormitory

John Seger built the Seger Indian Training School through federal funding in 1892. Under the supervision of John Seger, the Indians worked to complete the brick school and finished just in time for the first classes to commence on January 11, 1893.

It was decided in March 1927, that Seger Indian Training School would be consolidated with Concho Indian School in the foreseeable future. On August 15, 1932, the school closed permanently moving 25% of it’s 160 students to Concho.

After the closure of Seger Indian School, there was a battle between the Cheyenne and Arapahoe Council and Colony school district as to who would take ownership of the twenty buildings, water system, light plant, and four miles of land. Eventually being taken over by Colony school district.

Colony Public School

Colony School District 109, the last to be established in Washita County, organized in July 1912, due to the closing of the Dutch Reformed Church Mission School, which had been in operation in Colony since 1897. The Colony Public School building was located on the North side of town and was tragically destroyed by a tornado on January 8, 1951. A new gymnasium was built on the old Seger School grounds in 1951 after the tornado and would lead to the new location of the upcoming new Colony Public School to also be built on the grounds. On April 3, 1954 approval for a $60,000 new Colony Public School that would include a merged grade and high school building with seven classrooms, a library study hall, home economics department, administrative offices, restrooms, and storage room. Construction started in July of 1954 and was completed just in time for the 1955 school year.

Five hundred guests and students showed up on Sunday, January 9, 1955, for the dedication of the new school. Grades kindergarten through sixth grades in the west sector of the building and seventh through twelfth grades in the east sector. A few of the old Seger Indian Training School buildings were also used for the Colony School District.

Washita Heights Elementary

The last known graduating class of Colony Public Schools was in the 1967-68 school year. The same year Colony consolidated the school system with the town of Corn to form the Washita Heights School District. In 1999, an inspection of the school found nine violations and ordered the removal of combustible wall hangings, wood paneling, and locks on the exit door, also a fire alarm system was to be installed. It is unsure when the Washita Heights Elementary at Colony officially closed it had been sitting dilapidated already by 2012. In 2010 it came with a heavy heart that the Washita Heights School District closed its schools and annexed with Cordell Public School. “It’s a grieving process,” said an upset Mary Anne Couch, who has worked in Washita Heights Public Schools for 45 years. “Something that you have loved and dedicated years of your life to no longer will be.” The school boasted a 100% graduation rate, “As a result of the annexation, our students will be exposed to more opportunities and more options than just academics. When I think about the other kinds of vocational needs that our students might have, I’m thinking that they are going to be the beneficiaries. Our students are individuals and important here, where if they go to a larger school district, we’re afraid they will just be numbers,” said Superintendant Steve Richert.

Jim Davis Murder Trial

Colony Public School
Jim Davis mugshot on 10-27-1960

In the late afternoon hours of Friday, February 5th, 1960, two basketball teams were preparing to play their first game of the season. Colony vs. the visiting team Arapaho was set for tip off later in the evening. There was excitement in the air in the small community for the upcoming game. Before the game head basketball coach for Colony, James (Jim) Davis, was at the converted apartment on the school grounds that he shared with his young wife Patricia and their 18-month-old daughter. Without warning and for seemingly no reason at all, the basketball coach repeatedly struck his wife with a baseball bat then stabbed her up to half a dozen times with a paring knife. After the brutal slaying of his wife, he left the apartment and headed to the school to coach his basketball team in the game that night.

Sometime during the game, Coach Davis became concerned when his wife was not in attendance as scheduled. Out of that concern, he sent two high school girls to his home to check on his missing wife. To the gut-wrenching surprise of the two young girls, they found Patricia Davis slain inside the apartment. The apartment looked as though there had been a robbery and a struggle.  The baby was found unharmed asleep in her crib. The fear of a serial killer quickly spread through the town leaving everyone uneasy for the next several days.

Five days after the murder of his wife, Mr. Davis confessed to the State Crime Bureau agents that he was responsible for the death of Patricia Davis and described “blacking out” but offered no other explanation for his actions. He was able to lead agents to the location where he disposed of the bat used in the beating of his wife. He insisted that he was happy in his marriage and didn’t know what happened that night. He stated several times that they had no problems in the marriage and that he loved her very much.

Colony Public School
Jim Davis pictured center in the courtroom; March 24, 1960

One of the high school girls that Jim Davis sent to check on his wife the night she was murdered, Dona Brooks, testified at one of two preliminary hearings that there had been an inappropriate relationship between herself and Coach Davis. Aside from flirting between the two, she testified that the two had kissed and the Coach had told her that he loved her. They both denied having a physical relationship. Coach Davis denied that his indiscretions had anything to do with him killing his wife.

On June 10, 1960, after the second preliminary hearing, County Judge Jesse Stovall determined that there was enough evidence to proceed with a murder trial and it was set to begin in October 1960.  However, Jim Davis accepted a plea deal for a reduced charge of first-degree manslaughter with a sentence of life in prison. He was denied parole by the state pardon and parole board in 1969 after serving 8 years of his life sentence.

Fire

Colony Public School
Seger Indian School fire October 1971

After this, the buildings were left abandoned, and the Oklahoma Historical Society and Colony School District had been in a battle over preserving or razing the entire compound. In a last-ditch effort to stop the demolition of the Colony-Seger complex, the OHS placed the school on the NRHP on August 5, 1971. This caused more tension between the District and the Oklahoma Historical Society. On September 2-5, 1971, just a month after its NRHP status a series of five fires within three days ravaged the compound. The fire on Sept. 5th destroyed a majority of the Seger buildings and required firefighters from five departments to put out the blaze and keep it from destroying the new Washita Heights school that was less than 100 feet away. “We cannot know what happened until an investigation is completed but if the fire was intentional, it is a poor way to treat the few tangible things we can have in preserving Oklahoma’s fine historical culture,” said President of the OHS George Shirk.

A few days later the State Fire Marshall concluded that the most recent fire that served as a final blow to the compound was in fact intentionally set. Including the other four fires, even one occurring just 45 minutes after the last was put out. Eventually, the deterioration caused for its removal of the National Register on January 1. 1973.

Article by AOK Photojournalist’s Emily Cowan and Jennifer Burton.




Bibliography

[Photograph 2012.201.B0154.0436]photographMarch 24, 1960; (https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc322677/accessed June 17, 2020), The Gateway to Oklahoma History, https://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society.

Seger Indian SchoolphotographOctober 1971; (https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc1617072/accessed June 17, 2020), The Gateway to Oklahoma History, https://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society.

Seger Indian SchoolphotographDate Unknown; (https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc1618732/accessed June 17, 2020), The Gateway to Oklahoma History, https://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society.

“10 Sep 1971, 65 – The Daily Oklahoman at Newspapers.com.” Newspapers.com, www.newspapers.com/image/453696972.

“11 Sep 1909, 1 – Colony Courier at Newspapers.com.” Newspapers.com, www.newspapers.com/image/662949919/?terms=seger%2Bindian%2Btraining%2Bschool.

“18 Aug 1932, 3 – Geary Times-Journal at Newspapers.com.” Newspapers.com, www.newspapers.com/image/630611512/?terms=seger%2Bindian%2Bschool%2Bclosing.

“22 Mar 1927, 1 – El Reno Daily Democrat at Newspapers.com.” Newspapers.com, www.newspapers.com/image/593297352/?terms=seger%2Bindian%2Bshool.

“23 May 1935, 1 – Geary Times-Journal at Newspapers.com.” Newspapers.com, www.newspapers.com/image/630614993/?terms=seger%2Bindian%2Btraining%2Bschool.

“28 Apr 1999, 10 – The Daily Oklahoman at Newspapers.com.” Newspapers.com, www.newspapers.com/image/454600110/?terms=washita%2Bheights%2Belementary.

“4 Apr 1954, 121 – The Daily Oklahoman at Newspapers.com.” Newspapers.com, www.newspapers.com/image/449592522/?terms=colony%2Bschool.

“8 Sep 1971, 2 – The Daily Oklahoman at Newspapers.com.” Newspapers.com, www.newspapers.com/image/453691820.

“9 Jan 1955, 102 – The Daily Oklahoman at Newspapers.com.” Newspapers.com, www.newspapers.com/image/449479751/?terms=colony%2Bschool.

“Seger Indian Training School Wikipedia.” Main Page Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, Inc, en.wikibedia.ru/wiki/Seger_Indian_Training_School. Accessed 2 Aug. 2020.

“Washita Heights Community Faces Loss of Schools.” Oklahoman.com, 14 Mar. 2010, oklahoman.com/article/3446368/washita-heights-community-faces-loss-of-schools.

[Photograph 2012.201.B0154.0443]photographNovember 19, 1968; (https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc321769/accessed June 17, 2020), The Gateway to Oklahoma History, https://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society.

Colony Public School
Emily Cowan

Emily is a two-time published author of "Abandoned Oklahoma: Vanishing History of the Sooner State" and "Abandoned Topeka: Psychiatric Capital of the World". With over two hundred published articles on our websites. Exploring since 2018 every aspect of this has become a passion for her. From educating, fighting to preserve, writing, and learning about history there is nothing she would rather do.

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Emily Cowan

Emily is a two-time published author of "Abandoned Oklahoma: Vanishing History of the Sooner State" and "Abandoned Topeka: Psychiatric Capital of the World". With over two hundred published articles on our websites. Exploring since 2018 every aspect of this has become a passion for her. From educating, fighting to preserve, writing, and learning about history there is nothing she would rather do.

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Courtney
Courtney
4 years ago

This school is no longer there.

Jennifer
Jennifer
4 years ago
Reply to  Courtney

Hi there. We are aware the school is gone. These pictures were taken several years ago. We talk about the state of the school presently in our information about the location.

Dennis Shamblin
Dennis Shamblin
7 years ago

Colony is a horrible town. Most the town is drug addicts and cattle rustlers. They still lynch native americans there.

Jason
Jason
9 years ago

Lived in Colony in 82 and 83. Spent a lot of time at that schoolyard on weekends. At that time you could still explore the old Native school.

whitney
whitney
9 years ago

i live there and the scool is way worse then those pics

Alan jones
Alan jones
9 years ago

3rd row of pictures from the top, the far right picture has the image of a man wearing a hat in the top left area of the picture!!!

Alan jones
Alan jones
9 years ago

I remember when Tyler Stam got put in a classroom size metal trashcan, in the third grade I think, and couldn't get out. Lol, anyone else remember that?? Star, I know u remember that.

star williams
star williams
9 years ago

My parents still live in Colony. I grew up there. Love the small town. Colony has a native American low-cost every year during the Labor day weekend. When the coach murdered his wife they found the bat he used across the street from my grandmother's home. Colony was a great place to grow up in. Everyone knew everybody. I love the article. Right by the old school there is a old cemetery. You can't see it from the road. You have to walk back into the trees to see it. That would be a neat article to read about. Thanks… Read more »

Brad Epperly
Brad Epperly
9 years ago

There was a murder in 1960 and the coach killed his life with a baseball bat and they found the body while the coach had a basket ball game in the pictures you posted. My grandparents, great grandparents, mom and aunt were there that night.

CBG
CBG
7 years ago
Reply to  Brad Epperly

Yes, my father has told me this story several times. He was there that night, playing basketball for Arapaho.

jgwilliams1023
jgwilliams1023
9 years ago

I went from 1st grade to 9th at Colony, and the first year to go to Washita Heights my 10th grade. My years in Colony and Washita Heights were the very best years of my life. Colony is a very special place in my heart. My father was born in Colony and lived most of his life in Colony. His mother was raised in Colony. The Presbyterian Church was one of the prettiest old church I have ever seen. The new church is very special to my family. Colony is always my home.

Eugene Steinruck
Eugene Steinruck
10 years ago

My grandparents were from Norman and Shawnee, Oklahoma and were sent to Seger. My great uncle was sent to Chilicco Indian School at the same time. All were members of the Absentee-Shawnee Tribe. My grandparents left school, for reasons I am trying to find out, married, and started a family. My aunt was born in 1927, and my mother was born in 1929. My grandparents never talked about their experiences at Seger and I wish they had when I would visit. All are gone now. All I have are books, pictures, and archival records to read to get information. Are… Read more »

Titus Maggard
Titus Maggard
12 years ago

The old Seger school finally burnt in like the 80s as for the abandoned colony school just last year as mentioned above. And the two houses that still stand on the Res out there are owned by Indian families.. theres still a town but not really much there anymore… a post office, restruant, and an old gas station, which has been closed about 12 years now

yvonne
yvonne
12 years ago

a friend of mines relative attended the Colony High School i got a class picture dated february 1921 .. its very interesting!

Trent
Trent
12 years ago

I went to school here K-2nd grade up until May 1992 when the elementary moved to Corn and the buildings were abandoned. The school was Colony Public School until the late 60s when Corn and Colony consolidated and became Washita Heights. Although the pictures don't reflect it, this was a very beautiful place to go to school. It wasn't necessarily the buildings that were beautiful but the setting. As mentioned above the buildings burned down in a grass fire, probably for the better.

rod
rod
12 years ago

very cool website, sad to see parts of oklahoma disappear but at least they live on here

Lonnie Yearwood
13 years ago

I'm not aware the Dutch Reformed Church had a school in Colony as the mission worked closely with the Seger Indian School. The church did have an institution of higher education in Cordell (the county seat, 22 miles away) from 1906 through 1912 or 1913.

The smoke stack mentioned above is actually the water tower.

A wildfire in August 2011 swept through the school campus, leaving only the walls of the gymnasium standing and leveling the abandoned school building. The water tower was severely scorched on one side but remains standing.

Thanks for the pictures and information.

amanda
amanda
12 years ago

i am sad to hear that it burned. it was a really neat and historical site. i am glad we got out there when we did. what about the house that was still standing?

Lonnie Yearwood
9 years ago
Reply to  amanda

There were two frame houses and a brick structure on the west side of the campus. The two frame houses were damaged by the fire but survived. The two-story brick structure, which was once the Seger Indian School's mess hall, was destroyed.

Nancy K Dillon
Nancy K Dillon
13 years ago

My mother was born in Colony in 1920. It is so interesting to read all the history. Thank you !

Adrian
Adrian
13 years ago

YAY finally you post new stuff!!!!

Michael Schwarz
13 years ago

Did you guys go to Seger Indian School?

Turf
Turf
13 years ago

why are the pictures so small in this post? Normally you guys do much better.

AbandonedOK
13 years ago
Reply to  Turf

Due to the limitations on file upload size, the small images are the best we could get from the photographers.

Tracy
Tracy
11 years ago
Reply to  AbandonedOK

Due to fire caused from a lightning storm in 2012, there is little left. And I don't think there is a "smoke stack". However the orig water tower that is made from brick by the Indians is still standing as of this date, 10-28-2013. These photos are priceless since it's all gone now.

Tracy
Tracy
11 years ago
Reply to  Tracy

Correction, the lightning storm/fire was in 2011 as mentioned in another post. I have some photos taken after the fire, before it was bulldozed down. Very sad ordeal. So much history is gone.

jgwilliams1023
jgwilliams1023
9 years ago
Reply to  AbandonedOK

Can we print the pictures? I would love to have a copy. Jan

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