“M” High School 1915

This photo has intrigued me since the day I saw it.

None of the people are identified, yet was in the family album kept by Alta Robison-Anderson, daughter of Sarah Elizabeth Batson and James Leander Robison.  My best guess would be it is from Alta’s family in (Worth and Nodaway Counties, Missouri), or possibly the Anderson family of Buffalo County, Nebraska.

One of the things that I find so important in this photo is that it seems to portray a girl’s basketball team, something that is rather unusual for the era. They all are dressed nearly alike in a uniform of sorts. Obviously the ladies are not all in the same age group. If the two in front are actually teachers or part of the team I have no way of telling. It is also quite possible the man might be my relative and the reason the photo was put into the family album. But the majority of the Batson, Robison and Anderson families were farmers. Some more well off than others, but nonetheless farmers, no teachers that I am aware of. I am hoping by posting this photo, someone will come across it and help me with the identification. The main clue is of course the initials on the ball…M.H.S.

H.S. I would assume stands for High School, so the “M” must stand for the name of the school. Does anyone know of a school in operation in 1915 with these initials in the Parnell, Maryville, Independence, Isadora and Green Township areas of Missouri? Or maybe Kearney or the outlying areas in Buffalo County, Nebraska? (I realize this is a rather broad area, but these are the main areas my family lived in those years.