Bloomfield Academy/Carter Seminary
| Bloomfield Academy for Girls | |
|---|---|
| Opened | 1852 |
| Current Status | Active at New Location |
| Building Style | Institution Plan |
| Location | 3 miles SE of Achille, OK |
| Alternate Names | |
History
In the fall of 1847, the Missouri Conference appointed Rev, Carr to superintend the construction of Bloomfield Academy in the Choctaw Nation. The Choctaw Nation and later the Chickasaw Nation contributed two-thirds of the annual operating expenses, while the Methodist Board contributed one-third. Expenditures were held down because Rev. Carr, a skilled woodworker, performed all of the carpentry and cabinet work himself. In addition, the girls also helped raise corn, wheat and potatoes on the Academy property. They added two orchards producing peaches, plums and apples.
Prior to the Civil War, Bloomfield's curriculum consisted of basic academics, domestic and religious topics. Domestic classes covered sewing, cooking and housework. Religious instruction mainly involved memorizing Christian scriptures, which the missionaries wanted to replace Chickasaw traditions. When the Civil War broke out in 1861, Bloomfield and all other boarding schools in Indian Territory closed.
When the Civil War broke out in 1861, Bloomfield and all other boarding schools in Indian Territory closed. The Carrs continued to live at the site, but Angelina Carr died there in September, 1864. During the war, the facility was used as a free private school. Initially, the Chickasaw Battalion planned to occupy it, but there was not enough space for all the soldiers, so the Carr family was allowed to remain. The soldiers camped outdoors and used a small building in the yard for a doctor's office. They also used the sitting room for stores and the school house as a hospital. The Carrs left Bloomfield in December 1867.
The Chickasaw government reopened Bloomfield Academy as a coeducational school in the same year. Captain Frederic Young was put in charge for the first year. Dr. and Mrs. H. F. Murray succeeded Captain Young as superintendent for two years. Professor Robert Cole then led the school from 1870 to 1875.
In 1876, the Chickasaw legislature provided for the Chickasaw Manual Labor Academy, a school for Chickasaw boys. Bloomfield Academy once again became a school for girls only. Professor J. E. Wharton was superintendent from 1876 to 1880. He was followed by Robert Boyd, who resigned in 1882. Professor Elihu B. Hinshaw succeeded Boyd and served until 1906. Hinshaw is credited with obtaining a charter from the Chickasaw Legislature that allowed Bloomfield to confer diplomas on students who completed the school's curriculum. Annie Ream Addington remained in charge until 1914, when the main building burned down. Instead of rebuilding, Bloomfield Academy relocated to Ardmore, Oklahoma.
After relocating to Ardmore, Bloomfield resumed operations. In 1934, it was renamed as Carter Seminary. The new name honored Charles D. Carter. In 1949, Carter Seminary became co-educational and boarded Native American children from all over the United States.[5] In 2002, plans were made to relocate the Seminary to 160 acres of land on Lake Texoma, near Kingston, Oklahoma creating a Chickasaw Children's Village.[6] The new facility opened in 2004 and continues to operate until the present.
