On July 20, 1881, the qualified voters of School District 131 met at the home of John Merrill and decided to build a school house. The district was formally organized on August 11, 1881 and on August 22, 1881, the voters decided that the size of the building should be 30 feet long, 22 feet wide and 10 feet high. The school house was completed so that school began March 27, 1882, with Sarah E. Pickering as the first teacher.

Today, as one travels north of Arkansas City about four miles, he can see from almost any by-road, a building of rather stately architecture standing as a beacon on one of the North Hills. This building was built in 1918. In 1924 the school became a Standard School.

In 1925 the school enrollment became so large that the board employed another teacher for the four lower grades and the library room was enlarged the next year to take care of the primary grades. In the spring of 1930 Martha Washington became a Superior School.
In the last six years Martha Washington has won a few honors for which she is exceedingly proud. The school won first place in the Cowley County Fair school exhibits in 1929 and 1932, and second place in 1931. They won first place in school demonstration at the Fair in 1930. The school won second place in the Track Meet of 1931 and second place in the School Parade in 1930.

Martha Washington was the pioneer in the organization of Junior Citizenship Clubs. For this reason the county superintendent chose this school to represent Cowley County at the State Teachers Meeting at Parsons in a demonstration of club work.

The school's outside activities have not been detrimental to her rank in scholarship. During the last six years many of her graduates have been honor graduates. In 1932 and 1933 Martha Washington won first place in scholarship contest and first place in the county examinations for both the seventh and eighth grades last year.