In 1900, the Ridgeway board of education awarded the contract to build the new school to Wm. Peatman of Centerville, Iowa. The total amount of the contract was $7045. A second contract was given to a St. Joseph firm to provide the “steam heating outfit for $1, 100” bringing the total cost of construction of $8,145, the equivalent of $322,910.46 today. The Journal was “not able to give a complete description of the proposed building, etc” as the contracts had only been approved the day before.
The local residents appreciated the hard work of the board: “It is the general opinion that so far the directors have done a good job and virtually secured an $10,000 building for a trifle more than $8,000.” The editor added “Now a good man should be secured to see that the work is done right and according to the plans and specifications. Then Ridgeway will have a school building second to none in any town her size in this part of Missouri.” (Ridgeway Journal, June 28, 1900)
