For the first time in many years, the city limits of Iola were extended. The city commission decided to take in about six square blocks of the Sunny Side addition. The area is between Kentucky and Vermont streets, extending two blocks north of Lincoln. This spring several new houses have been erected in this district and several more are planned.
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The annual religious summer camp, sponsored by the Kansas Christian Church, opened this morning at the Community Building in Riverside Park. The school will continue for three weeks, bringing to Iola three different groups of young people from the six southeastern Kansas counties which comprise the Sunflower Conference. The Rev. Tom Palmer, pastor of First Christian Church of Iola, is in charge of all local arrangements.
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Iola’s first municipally sponsored recreational program for boys and girls will open at Riverside Park next Monday morning under the supervision of H.E. “Pete” Stith, park superintendent. When school closed, over 100 boys and a slightly larger number of girls indicated they would participate in the program. Betty Hoffmeier will direct the girls and Larry Miller will supervise the boys.
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The demolition of the old McKinley school will bring to a close a cycle which began around the turn of the century when Iola’s population was growing rapidly. In a period of three or four years, the Washington, Garfield and McKinley schools were built. Of these, Garfield and Washington were abandoned several years ago, although the latter is still standing. McKinley was the last to be built and the first put into use in the fall of 1902. That fall Iola’s population was 8,282. It had more than doubled in four years. First called the East Iola School, the name was changed to McKinley after the assassination of the president.
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Federal census puts Iola’s population at 7,091, 500 fewer than in 1940. The population of Allen County is 18,172, down sharply from the 20,187 counted in 1940. The Humboldt population was given as 2,303 this year and 2,322 in 1940.
