Most local historians have heard of the old Barbourville Baptist Institute (B.B.I.) which was located where the Knox County Middle School campus is now located in Barbourville, Kentucky.
What they might not know is that the school was originally called "The Southeast Kentucky Baptist School" when it was established in 1899 by a group of Barbourville citizens consisting of leaders of the Cumberland River Baptist Church and the North Concord Baptist Association.
An early recruitment booklet housed in the museum's collection attests to the school's original name and founding purpose.
The booklet speaks not only students doing accredited high school work, but also of the development of a Christian character in its students. Students could also receive special religious training in the field of Christian service.
Boarding at the school, including "heat and light," cost each student $18.50 per month. Tuition in the academic department was $4 per month, while tuition in "grades" cost $3 to $3.50 per month.
The booklet also contains photographs of the campus and its buildings, athletic teams, the 7th/8th grade class with its instructor, Professor John W. Hughes, and the First Baptist Church of Barbourville and its congregation.
Read the Southeast Kentucky Baptist School Recruitment Booklet