Cato School Tour set for Nov. 7

The restored Cato School is ready once again for the annual Cato Fall Tour scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 7.

The historic stone one-room schoolhouse is one of the highlights of the annual tour, which is organized by the Cato Historical Preservation Association. The event includes living history presentations at the schoolhouse, depictions of frontier life in the mid-1800s, interpretations of music from the time period, and historical re-enactments of the town's early settlers, all performed by area volunteers. Merchandise and other items related to Cato will be available during the event as well, organizers said.

The tour, slated to begin at 9:30 a.m., also includes an old-fashioned hot dog roast and a hayride to historical cemeteries and other sites in Cato and surrounding areas, including the Cato Church, which was built in 1915 and is located on adjoining land just west of the Cato School. Cato, the oldest town in Crawford County, is located in the northern part of the county near Arcadia.

According to a statement from tour organizers, the hayrack ride will take visitors to the Coonrod Cemetery, which is located just southwest of Cato on land once owned by the Coonrod family, who were among the earliest settlers of Crawford County. The cemetery's location on the side of a hill is peaceful and beautiful and well-maintained. Twenty-two people are buried in the cemetery, which dates back to pre-Civil War times.

Another stop on the tour is the Buckhorn Tavern, also called the Halfway House, located just southwest of Cato about halfway between Fort Scott and Girard. Gideon P. Cole, another early settler of Cato, operated the hotel and tavern. The foundations of the buildings, along with remnants of the old fences which were used to corral the livestock that traveled the trail, are still standing. A handmade wooden trough from the Buckhorn Tavern is in the museum in Girard, the statement said.

A print depicting a scene in Cato, done by Arcadia artist Fannie Mae Turner, will be available for sale at the event. A drawing will also take place for a quilt designed by area resident Sue James. Various items will also be offered for sale in the Cato store.

The CHPA, a nonprofit organization, has worked the last several years to restore and preserve the Cato School, and have received much assistance along the way. In May 2008, the group received a $15,360 Heritage Trust Fund Grant from the Kansas State Historical Society to repair and replace six old, wooden six-layer windows in the schoolhouse according to national preservation guidelines.

The group has also received donations from area resident Randy Coonrod, who is a descendant of one of the original founders of Cato and a benefactor for the CHPA.

The newly-renovated school now includes a new roof and concrete steps, new doors and repaired walls, a new chimney and soffit, and a new facade. The building is also now equipped with heating and cooling equipment and electrical wiring. Some exterior restoration has also taken place, and plans are being made to repair the plaster inside the school and paint the walls and ceiling, organizers said.

The school was listed on the Kansas Register of Historic Places in 2005, and the National Register of Historic Places in 2006.

Cato was founded in 1854 by United States Army Capt. John Rogers and was part of Bourbon County until Crawford County was formed in 1867.

The Cato schoolhouse was built in 1869 and served as a schoolhouse and meeting house until the mid-1950s. Cato historian and storyteller John Spurling, who died in 2003, originated the idea for the Cato fall tour.

More information about the history of Cato and the Cato School can be found online at www.catoschool.

com.

Cato is located between Fort Scott and Pittsburg about eight miles west of Arcadia on the Bourbon County line.

To get there from Fort Scott, take U.S. Highway 69 south toward Pittsburg, then turn west one mile north of the Arcadia turnoff. Travel west for one mile, then north and travel for one-half mile. Finally, turn west and travel one mile to Cato.