In my post about the College of Western Kansas, I covered the Presbyterian stewardship of the campus. This time, I’ll explain how the property passed to the Methodists and ultimately, the Catholics, who were finally able to operate a successful academy.

After Asa Soule died in January of 1890, his son, Wilson, was appointed temporary administrator of his estate. Things were suspended in a weird limbo until William W Munsell was appointed the official executor in February of 1891. There were all sorts of wild ideas about what to do with the campus buildings.

The Intermediate Sanitarium Association was formed on August 17, 1891. It was a nice idea but didn’t go anywhere.

In 1892, Munsell made a tentative deal with the National Bichloride of Gold Company to turn the campus into an addiction treatment facility, which appears to have been based on the discredited Keeley Cure.

The World’s Bichloride of Gold Institute Company was formed in Kansas on July 4, 1892 but it was registered in Herington rather than Dodge City. Instead, the dormitory was rented to attorney F. A. Mitchell in June of 1892. It may not have been the safest housing arrangement for a toddler.

Soule College Association of the Methodist Episcopal Church was formed on October 23, 1893. Directors were Elbert H Vaughan, William W Munsell, Benjamin S Williams, Herbert Whitworth, and J. H. Crawford. Heirs Wilson Soule, Fannie Soule, and Marilla Soule deeded the college property over to the local Methodist Episcopal Church with the conditions that school start no later than September of 1894, that the name be Soule College, and that it maintain at least three professors each term.

Throughout the spring and summer, preparations were made for Soule College to open by the September deadline.

The first term opened on September 4, 1894 with 23 students and a faculty of seven.

In those days, students could enter whenever they were ready rather than being forced to wait for the beginning of the next term. By the end of September, the student body had grown to more than 35.

The first commencement was held on May 29, 1895 with music furnished by Beeson’s Orchestra.

So this is interesting! Skip down to the reversion clause which stipulated the name be Soule College as long as the grantors lived. Wilson Soule was killed in a carriage accident in July of 1894 and his wife, Frances “Fannie” (Parkhurst) Soule, died of pneumonia in February of 1895. They were literally waiting for the last to die and Asa Soule’s widow, Marilla, refused to comply.

For the school year ending in June of 1896, Soule College reported 122 students and a faculty salary of $7,200. By comparison, Washburn College reported 214 students and a faculty salary of $13,575. The college operated on a shoestring budget from the very beginning. A Ladies Auxiliary was formed for fundraising and the school pledged they would not incur debt. But there were other troubles brewing.

Vaughan was accused of making “free silver” speeches during the election. The problem with that accusation was the pastor rule book contained no language about taking a political cause to the pulpit. Vaughan was acquitted in March of 1897 but the committee “condemned the indiscreet management of Soule College.” Vaughan kept his job but the pettiness continued.

The Soule College Aid Association was formed on April 26, 1897. Directors were M. W. Sutton, R. W. Evans, L. R. Miller, Dr. T. L. McCarty, J. H. Churchill, B. F. Milton, E. H. Madison, Emma T Vaughan, Jennie M Williams, Hallie N Hard, Esther L Crawford, Emma A Miller, S Emily Whitworth, Rebecca T Finley, and Estelle W Gilbert.

The college needed all the aid it could get and started losing instructors after the 1897-98 school year. Vaughan was constantly trying to cobble together funds to keep the school running.

The Southwest Methodist Episcopal Conference reversed course and began recognizing Soule College as a conference school in March of 1900. I believe this had something to do with Marilla Soule redoing the deed to remove the restrictions.

The community took up a collection for coal to heat the buildings in January of 1901. It was far from enough and the Conference closed Soule College in April of that year.

Undeterred, Vaughan and Rev. Le Master took the faculty and students to the public school in Jetmore. The Holton Recorder reported in October of 1901 that Mrs. Farley and Miss Ella Barber would be teaching in Jetmore during the Winter term.

Meanwhile in Dodge City, the Catholics expressed interest in purchasing the campus as early as November of 1901. Bishop Hennessy later told a reporter the Wichita Diocese was very interested in buying Soule College at the time but had no means of maintaining it.

It’s unclear what transpired over the winter months but by Spring of 1902, the Conference was advertising the school as being operational in Dodge City.

The rivalry between Soule College and Southwest College in Winfield was a bit spicy. Southwest was favored by the Methodists and apparently did everything by the book so they got the funding. The Soule trustees evidently refused to cede complete control to the Conference so funds were withheld.

This old promo drawing, which was printed in newspapers all over the state, was still being used with the not-yet-erected dormitory in 1905.

Vaughan attempted to finish the buildings with the help of Andrew Carnegie.

By 1908, the campus had increased to 200 acres. Soule College reported having no debt and all lawsuits settled. The property was estimated to be worth $100,000 but the upper stories of the buildings still hadn’t been completed.

Soule College had been trying to gain recognition and funding from the Southwest Kansas Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church for several years. After passing the hot potato from one committee to the next, things finally came to a head in April of 1909. The Conference washed their hands of Soule College and stated no ME church in Kansas should offer its pulpit for funding requests. They wanted the deed to the property and a big board of trustees with full control. I really think a lot of it stemmed from their conflict with Vaughan and them wanting to fire him. Because of the way things were set up, they had no authority to do so.

The faculty was working without pay and there wasn’t enough money to maintain the buildings.

In 1911, Dodge City offered the Soule College grounds for the new “state hospital for the insane.”

The situation continued to deteriorate into the beginning of 1912.

More information came to light about the structural damage.

I never found a logical explanation about the unused goods which had been donated by Montgomery Ward. Perhaps the few people trying to keep things going were just completely overwhelmed.

The Conference convened in March and decided to sell Soule College.

After the August 23 article was published, it was denied that a deal had been reached. The title to the property had never been properly addressed and it was unclear whether the Methodists could meet the terms requested by the Catholics. Everything was settled by September of 1912 and Bishop Hennessy exchanged $8,000 for the keys and a deed for the 40-acre plot on October 2. Reverend Vaughan moved out later that week and renovations in the dormitory building began the following week.

I should probably note the difference between “closed” and “practically closed” as it pertains to Soule College. Several articles claimed the college had been closed for several years but that was definitely not the case. Reverend Vaughan kept the school somewhat operational through what seemed to be sheer force of will. Many people claimed it was not a legitimate educational institution, as no proper instruction was being given, and I am unable to make an argument about that. But it is absolutely verifiable that the college had some staff and some students throughout the turbulent years of Methodist occupation.

The trustee sale was quite an event. The best piano brought $150 and the Methodist choir served FIFTY POUNDS of ham and fifteen pounds of coffee.

Work continued on the buildings throughout the Spring and Summer of 1913.

Soule College reopened as St. Mary of the Plains Academy on September 9, 1913. Only day students were accepted the first year because the campus was not ready for boarders. The dormitory building was temporarily used for classes while work continued in the main building. Equipment was shipped from a closed college at Abilene. A bus line was established from Dodge to the campus.

Once boarding began, only girls were admitted. A separate parochial school for boys was established at Sacred Heart.

Light gray stucco was added to the brick exteriors in 1914 and electric lights were installed along with the cross atop the tower.

The dormitory was used as an emergency hospital during the influenza epidemic.

This is St. Mary of the Plains Academy’s graduating class of 1931.

City water was piped to the school grounds in 1936, which made it easier for the landscaping to be revived.

As you can see from this aerial photo, the campus layout strayed somewhat from the initial drawings.

The campus buildings were severely damaged by a tornado on May 10, 1942. Several photos of the campus before and after the tornado can be found here.

The Sisters of St. Joseph opened a high school at Mt. St. Mary’s Convent in Wichita to accommodate the displaced students. Collections were gathered to rebuild the school but construction would have to wait due to World War II building restrictions. Once building was allowed to resume, a new site was chosen for St. Mary of the Plains College east of Avenue A.

These photos taken from Hennessy Street looking north show the approximate location of the main entrance desire path to Soule College. Hennessy Street is located roughly where the south edge of the old pond began. Give or take. (Location updated for clarity. I wasn’t thinking about the pillars at the very far south end of the drive.)

It was a wonderful idea to have a college in Dodge City to serve the rural population. Unfortunately, it was an idea far ahead of its time. The Catholics did a wonderful job with SMPC until that pesky truck driving school ruined everything. That, of course, is another story for another day.

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