Peggy Smith-Hake's
"Window to the Past"
Miller County Schoolhouse Series
(St - W)
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Name: ST. ANTHONY SCHOOL School District: 98
Open: c/1917 Close:
Location: Osage Township AKA: Yellow School
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Early teachers included: R. L. Livingston (1926); G. A. Berry (1928-29); B. J. Kloeppel (1933-34); Herbert Boes (1935-36); Margaret Delaloye (1936-38); Ben Kloeppel (1938-39).
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Other teachers of the 1930s included: John B. Willibrand and Pauline Dueber.
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No photo available.
Name: ST. ELIZABETH SCHOOL School District: [originally] 36
Open: c/mid-1880s .Status: Still in session
Location: Osage Township AKA: Charlestown School
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According to Peggy Smith Hake, one of the first teachers in this district was Owen R. Pendleton in the 1874-75 school year. The original school was known as Flaugher School, per Clyde Lee Jenkins, and was located near the small settlement of Charlestown (present-day St. Elizabeth). .
Flaugher School was built in 1872 on Big Tavern Creek northeast of Charlestown (founded in 1880). Charlestown constructed a two-story frame building sometime during the early-1880s, and it became known as Charlestown School. This building was built inside the new town's limits (located on present-day site of the catholic church's rectory).
In the mid-1880s, when Old St. Elizabeth moved the town from its Osage River location to Charlestown, the school continued being called Charlestown School until 1907. In that same year, the country school (Flaugher) closed its doors when it consolidated with Charlestown School and moved into the two-room [old] catholic church building. [The present St. Lawrence Catholic Church was completed in 1907]. It is unclear what happened to the original two-story frame school, but the name of the school again changed and was called St. Lawrence Catholic School.
The teachers and students were expected to attend Catholic mass each morning, with religious instruction being conducted by the priest immediately after mass. Dale Doerhoff wrote, "When the church bells were tolled each noon, all students and teachers stopped what they were doing and stood by their desks and recited a prayer called the “Angelus”. "
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Charlestown School ceased to exist completely around 1940 when a new stone building was built in its current location in 1941 and the school was once more renamed St. Elizabeth School. During this same era a high school was added to the school's curriculum. The first graduation ceremony occurred in 1945.
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The school buildings in the town of St. Elizabeth have always been on church property, and owned by the church, even though all teachers were lay teachers and paid by public funds.
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Later teachers included: Ray Doerhoff (Superintendent); Eunice Bailey, Leonard Beck, Mary Ann Bellinghausen, Eula Fischer, Tommy Hall, Alfred Luetkemeyer, Lucille McKee, Marion Parker, Darlene Saling, Tillie Wenzel (1956-57)
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Name: STREUMPH SCHOOL School District: 38
Open: 1886 Close: 1939
Location: Osage Township .Land Donator: Henry Streumph
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Early teachers included:
1880s -- Elbin Duncan, J. L. Winningham, Thomas Renfrow, W. T. Thompson.
1890s -- J. M. Renfrew, Robert Butler Thompson, Lizzie Balven, Lizzie Wyrick, Delila Palmer, Charles Messersmith, Dora Bear, Joseph Koester, Texanna Curty, George P. Tellman.
1900s -- George P. Tellman, Annie Blackburn, Stephen Doerhoff, E. C. Bilyeu, Mary Doerhoff, George Iven, John Alexander.
1910s -- W. Anthony Willibrand, Emmet Pendleton, Ida Watson, Helen Adrian, Rose Schrader, Florence Dulle, Regina Doerhoff, Elsie Shelton.
Class of c/1898
Later teachers included:
1920s -- Theresa Luetkemeyer, Hilda Lindenbusch, H. N. Green, Leona Holtmeyer, Opal Duncan.
1930s -- Opal Duncan, Margie Shelton, Hazel Duncan, Earl Humphrey (last teacher at Streumph School).
Name: TOPPING SCHOOL School District: 87
Open: Close:
Location: Equality Township AKA: Number Four School
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Early teachers included: George W. McCubbin (1874-75); John F. Hammond (1876-77); E. L. Hawkins (1877-78); W. P. Bliss (1878-79); James P. Wright (1879-80); Perry T. Nixdorf (1880-82); Bessie Brown (1882-83); Lottie Latchem (1883-84); J. W. Renfrow (1884-85); W. L. Short (1885-86); J. T. Sullivan (1886-87); John L. Sullivan (1887-88); Lizzie Balvein (1888-90); W. A. Colvin (1890-91); J. M. Renfrow (1891-92); Z. F. Duncan (1892-93); Chas. O. Short (1893-94); Lulu Short (1894-95); Ed F. Keyes (1895-96); Lulu Stephens (1896-97); J. L. Watson (1897-98); Oscar W. Houser (1898-1900); Perry T. Wyrick (1900-01).
Name: TUSCUMBIA SCHOOL School District: [originally] 96
Open: c/1857 .Status: Still in session
Location: Equality Township
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According to T. C. Wright, a former teacher and Superintendent of Tuscumbia School during the 1930s, there have been four different school buildings at the county seat of Miller County. The first schoolhouse was erected around 1855 but did not open to pupils until after 1857. The purchase price was $112.00, which included the building and grounds.
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The second school structure, built in the early 1870s, was a one-story frame building with one large room. A partition was added a bit later, which turned this schoolhouse into a two-room school. The frame school
Tuscumbia's third school
once stood where the playground is now located.
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A third school was built in 1895. It was a two-story wooden structure measuring 50 sq. ft., and contained two rooms downstairs and one large room upstairs. It is not clear where this third school once stood.
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The fourth school was built in 1926 and remains part of the current school today. The cost for building this school was $20,000 and was built by local contractors (C. B. Wright, manager of Anchor Milling Co., and D. F. Thomson, carpenter). T. C. Wright wrote, "This building has the first indoor gymnasium ever built in the county. Besides study hall for high school, superintendent's office, cloak rooms, gymnasium-auditorium, it has six class rooms." A grade school building of rock was erected in 1938 on the school's campus when enrollment increased, and more room was needed for students.
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High school classes began in 1913 and offered two more years of educational work (9th and 10th grades). By the 1920-21 school year the state of Missouri [Department of Education] approved four years of high school (9th-12th), with the first graduating class of higher learning occurring in 1921.
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Between 1895-1932 there were at least three teachers employed per school year, as recorded by T. C. Wright. When Tuscumbia became the first school to bus children to school in 1932, the number of teachers increased to seven, three of which were elementary teachers. During this same era, this was the largest number of teachers ever employed in the Miller County school system for one school. The total enrollment in the school during the mid-1930s was around 200, between 90 and 100 of these being in high school.
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The longest serving teacher in Tuscumbia was Tennyson Clay Wright (T. C. Wright), who educated the children of the county seat for 40 years. Today, Tuscumbia School is in the Miller County R-III public school district and continues to offer grade school, middle school and high school.
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Early teachers included: Esther Smith Garner (1931); Colleen Palm and T. C. Wright (1932).
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Later teachers included: Mildred Chalmers, Lucille Crane, Jesse Nixdorf, Helen Schulte, Gardie Swanson (1954-55); Hazel Schulte (1955-56); Mrs. Kallenbach (1956-57).
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Name: ULMAN SCHOOL School District: 90
Open: Close:
Location: Glaize Township AKA: Payne School
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Early teachers included:
1870s -- John F. Hammond, William M. Hawkins, L. M. Pridemore, William M. Winfrey, Cynthia Hawkins, H. R. Popejoy.
1880s -- Fred A. Goodrich, M. A. Esty, Neppie Eads, Cynthia F. Hawkins, C. F. Spearman, Gracie Stanway, Jas. E. Harrison, Alonzo Reed, Betty Gott
1890s -- W. L. Hawkins, Cornelia Spearman, S. D. Norfleet, Mrs. C. F. Spearman, C. F. Spearman, C. B. Spearman, John A. Brockman, Charles Messersmith; 1900-01 -- George T. Bear
Later teachers included:
1920s -- Asa M. Mayfield, Jessie Nixdorf. 1930s -- Nova Dawson, Ernest S. Waite, Mrs. Guy Hix. 1950s -- Logan Stone, Dona Doubikin. 1960s - Cleora Miller
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Name: VERNON SCHOOL School District: 20
Open: 1892 Close:
Location: Franklin Township Land Donator: Wilbur Vernon
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Early teachers included:
Toliver Harrison (1892-93); Frank M. Haynes (1893-94); Ida E. Hoover (1894-95); T. E. Vaughn (1895-96); Gertrude Harrison (1896-97 & 1899-1901); James T. Cornett (1898-99);
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Later teacher included: Ireannah Blankenship (1956-57).
Note: In 1892 the Vernon Springs School District was established from territory in the Harrison District and the unorganized portion of old District Number 4 in Township 41, Range 15.
Name: WALNUT GROVE SCHOOL School District: 44
Open: Close: early 1930s
Location: Franklin Township
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Early teachers included: Andrew Bear (1874-75); David McComb (1875-76); J. C. Glover (1876-77); J. L. Roark (1877-78); William M. Harrison (1878-79 & 1880-83); Mary E. Holloway (1879-80); Nannie Anthony (1883-84); Fred Etter (1884-85 & 1888-89); A. H. Jones (1885-86); Florence Cotton (1886-88); Sadie Vann (1889-90); B. F. Bowlin (1890-91); J. H. Butner (1891-93); Viola Cotton (1893-94); Janie Vaughn (1894-95); Retta Elliott (1895-96); C. B. Wright (1896-97); E. F. Brown (1897-98); T. E. Vaughn (1898-99); Claudia Roark (1899-1900); Otis Wright (1900-01).
Unknown school year
Name: WARREN SCHOOL .School District: 86
Open: 1872 Close:
Location: Glaize Township Land Donator: John Warren
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Early teachers included: William Winfrey (1876-77); Absalom E. McComb (1877-79); L. M. Pridemore (1879-80); A. D. Shipman (1880-81); W. M. Gott (1881-82); Neppie Reed (1882-84); B. Reed (1884-85); J. L. McComb (1885-86); Alice M. Warren (1886-87); W. S. Spearman (1887-88); C. F. Spearman (1888-91); C. J. Thompson (1891-92); Jas. C. Warren (1892-93); C. F. Spearman (1893-94 & 1896-98); W. C. Hawkins (1894-95); Janie Vaughn (1895-96);. Unk;
Rosetta Burris (1898-99); J. C. Warren ( 1899-1900); Josie Buster (1900-01).
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Later teachers included: Nellie Blize (1956-57); Vurden Rook (1959-60).
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Name: WEST AURORA SCHOOL School District: 27
Open: 1897 Close:
Location: Franklin Township
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Early teachers included: Vona Harrison (1897-98); Jennie McClure (1898-99); Sallie Campbell (1899-00); Minnie Marsh (1900-01).
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Note: West Aurora School District was established from territory in the Franklin, Cooper, and Aurora Springs Districts.
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Name: WHITE SCHOOL School District: 56
Open: .Close: 1959
Location: Osage Township AKA: Jack Lawson School
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Early teachers included: James S. Martin (1874-75); Isaiah Latchem (1875-76); A. F. Whitaker (1876-78); Thomas J. Stanton (1878-79); John N. Lawson (1879-80); Mattie E. Hayhurst (1880-82); Lucinda Martin (1882-83 & 1884-85); J. W. Brockman (1883-84); Jane Short (1885-86); John Winningham (1886-87 & 1888-89); J. W. Waite (1887-88); George W. Shelton (1889-90 & 1891-92); S. O. Burks (1890-91); G. A. Hickey (1892-93 & 1894-95); Charles B. Thompson (1893-94); Otto Benage (1895-96 & 1897-98); George T. Bear (1896-97); Mary Rowden (1898-99); Josie Evans (1899-1900); Fred Short (1900-01).
Later teacher included: Helen Thompson (1910-11).
Class of 1910
Unknown school year
Name: WILSON SCHOOL School District: 54
Open: Close:
Location: Osage Township
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Early teachers included: W. M. Gott (1874-76 & 1877-78); Owen R. Pendleton (1876-77); Samuel F. Berry (1878-79); Perry Nixdorf (1879-80); J. W. Brockman (1880-82); Nettie B. Moore (1882-83); D. W. Baker (1883-84 & 1885-86); James Renfrow (1884-85); J. J. Hawkins (1886-87); Alonzo Reed (1887-88); C. Minnie Baker (1888-89); R. L. Reed (1889-90); A. S. Reed (1890-91); W. A. Colvin (1891-92); Lille Duncan (1892-93); Lillie Harrison (1893-94); Cordell Wilson (1894-95); W. R. Groves (1895-96); Chas. M. Birdsong (1896-97); George Golden (1897-99); C. B. Thompson (1899-1900); Frank Topping (1900-01).
Later teachers included: R. L. Livingston (1941-42); Eula Fischer (1942-46); Nellie Blize (1946-47); George Bilyeu & Ruby Humphrey (1947-48); Earl Humphrey (1948-50); Sue Jarrett (1950-1952).
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No photo available
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Name: WRIGHT SCHOOL School District: 93
Open: c/1870 Close:
Location: Equality Township Land Donator: James L. Wright
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Early teachers included: Sarah J. Kneisley (1874-75); Emma Boyce (1875-76); James P. Wright (1876-77 & 1885-86); A. A. F. Tomson (1877-78); Emma Wright (1878-79); J. H. D. Tomson (1879-80); J. C. F. Clark (1880-81); Eliza Swanson (1881-82 & 1884-85); C. F. White (1882-83); Maria D. Bacon (1883-84); Maggie Boyce (1886-87 & 1892-94 ); Minnie Baker (1887-88); J. L. Watson (1888-89); Sinai Weaver (1889-91); C. W. Umpstead (1894-95); C. B. Wright (1895-96); Ida Tomson (1896-97); Gertie E. Wright (1898-99); Jane Schuberth (1899-1900); M. L. Clark (1900-01).
Class of 1904
Later teachers included: Otis Wright (1904-05); Mary Swofford (1947-48); Ireanna Blankenship (1948-51).
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"I salute these teachers of Miller County’s past days. They were of a completely different breed. Today’s teachers have a very “cushy” life when compared to these dedicated people who faced many hardships in their daily life of teaching to a different generation.
I just want all former teachers of these old schools (and there are still few left today) to know how very much I admire you and the wonderful job you all performed educating our unlearned Ozark ancestors." ~ Peggy Smith Hake - c/1995
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