In 1858, Kalamazoo citizens extended free public education beyond the elementary level by using tax money to build Kalamazoo Union High School and to support both elementary and secondary studies. In 1873, several prominent Kalamazoo citizens sued, arguing that tax dollars could be used only for primary schools. On February 9, 1874, Circuit Court Judge Charles R. Brown ruled against that challenge, holding that a constitutional requirement for the legislature to establish primary schools did not forbid other schools. After an appeal, Michigan Supreme Court Justice Thomas M. Cooley wrote a unanimous opinion on July 21, 1874, upholding Brown’s ruling and concluding that neither the legislature nor the state constitution restricted the scope of public education. By 1890, Michigan had 278 high schools, and the Kalamazoo Case became a landmark for educational reform in Michigan and across the United States.