A note from Ed Rowe re:Benton grade school

Bob, can you put this out to as many as possible class alumns?

 
I’m not sure if any of you attended Benton grade school at 31^st & Benton Blvd., but I did, 1^st grade thru
6^th grade.  Reflecting back I recalled two large murals, approx 15’ X 3’ one of which was mounted above the urinal trough in the boys bathroom and I presume the other in the girls bathroom.  I had forgotten about these until some time in the late 60’s when working for Brink’s as a sales representative and I called on a business which sold commercial kitchen equipment and was located on the north side of the City Market.  I met the owner of the business and during our conversation I found out he too had attended Benton, prior to me by about 10 years (estimate).  We talked about themurals and he said they were presented when he was there and they were hung in the upper, 1^st floor halls (obviously they had been demoted later).  Well, that was the end of that until I began thinking about them more recently when I heard Benton (since, D. A. Holmes) was being sold by the district. 

Then last week there was an article in the Kansas City Star about artifacts, etc and I made e-mail contact with a gentleman who gave me phone numbers (neither of them worked and he is on vacation now).  However, I went back to Disney Enterprises. Com and found a name, Dave Smith who is Chief Archivist for Disney and after e-mailing him today he responded that he maintains the history for Disney and doesn’t know anything about the murals but that Walt Disney attended Benton from 1911 to 1917, something I was unaware of.  

I thought I would pass this on in the event anyone else attended Benton or knows anything about the murals.  Thanks for your patience, Ed