Caldwell started out as part of Jefferson School in the fall of 1950. The school had two shifts, with Jefferson students attending in the morning. Caldwell and Fabrique students attended in the afternoon. The students and staff moved to Caldwell in January 1951.
The school was built on the same campus as Curtis and the old southeast high school. According to, “A History of Wichita Public School Buildings,” this allowed kids in the neighborhood to go through 12 years of uninterrupted schooling within walking distance of their homes.
Caldwell School was named in honor of Mr. Charles Stuart Caldwell.
Caldwell was born on August 14, 1837 in Mercer County, Illinois. He was a pioneer, cultural and civic leader. He was a member of the Wichita Board of Education from 1874 to 1877 and served as treasurer for the school system until his death.
I could not find a date but at some point, Caldwell married Sarah Pollock, they had one son named Charles and a daughter named Gail. They were the 14th and 15th members of the First Presbyterian Church. Which was also used as one of Wichita’s first schools.
In case you are wondering, because I was, the city of Caldwell is not named after Charles Caldwell. The city’s namesake is Alexander Caldwell, a Kansas Senator, who served two years, and resigned, accused of bribery and corruption. It was said that he had bribed his political opponents not to run.
Charles died on August 25, 1920 at the age of 83. Sarah passed away on August 16, 1930 at the age of 88. They are interred at Highland Cemetery.
The school was remodeled or added-on in 1950, 1951, 1952, 1957, 1960, 1961, 2006
Caldwell is also the home of the Singing Hands Choir. A choir of hearing impaired students that perform using Sign Language.
Check out Wichita’s other schools.
You must log in to post a comment.