Early
Schools In
a school record book for a township of which R.M. Burgess was treasurer,
there were six sub districts. The apportionment of school funds for each
sub district from 1870 to 1873 gives the number of white children and
the number of colored children. This district seemed to be the area
around Clapper, North Fork or Clinton, Stoutsville, or Goss. Some of the
teachers listed (they taught 4 month terms, February to May) averaging
around $40 per month were: Drury Dooley, Philip G. Marr, J.W. McKenzie,
WG. Gosney, Theodore
Burnett, Emma and Lizzie Rutter (ancestors of Frances Arends), D.L.
Woodson. Mr.
E.M. Kirkland received $409 for building a school house in sub district
6, now North Fork. Miles Johnson received $385 for building a
schoolhouse in sub district 3. R. J. Johnson was township treasurer for
the district seemingly around Florida. There were 6 sub districts here
and 1 set off to South Fork. Also district 2 was set off to Ralls
county. $322.28 was listed as paid out of the negro fund to R. Scobee,
L. Rouse, and S. Heavenridge in 1874; each year from 1871 to 1874 shows
a negro fund. Some of the teachers in this area were: J.A. Hickman, H.B.
Banks, T.B. Lunsford, James Abbey, A.W. Johnson, R. H. Crump, and Anne
Reavis. This area carried some kind of insurance as each sub district
has $6.00 to W.A. Benson for insurance. At one time there were around
120 rural schools in Monroe County. In 1946-47 according to Mary
Acuff’s records there were 83. By 1961-62 this number had dwindled to
14 schools. Now there are 5 schools and from 20 townships in 1831
we’re down to 10 at present. In
1831, John Miller was governor of the State of Mo. Samuel Smith was
appointed collector of Monroe County. Security was signed by James C.
Ford, Wm Ruckle and James Mappin. June 2, 1831, James R. Abernathy was
appointed commissioner of the township schools. The Legislature of
Missouri, having provided for the sale of township school land and the
formation of township schools. January
17, 1831, security of $15,000, was signed by Samuel Smith, David E.
Sloan, Isham Belcher, John M. Burton, Charles Burton and James Mappin. From
August 1, 1839 through April 1844, petitions were presented for forming
school districts in each of the 26 townships of Monroe County. The
voters presented a petition to the county court whereby the date and the
meeting place where the voters would meet to form a district; usually
the meeting was held in some ones home. The record of two such meetings
were held at the Methodist camp ground. The meeting for formation of
district 12 was held September 30, 1839 at the home of Richard Bridgford.
He was appointed commissioner for the district and James Vaughn and
Matthew Mappin were appointed inspectors until their successors were
duly elected and qualified. The commissioner and 2 inspectors were
appointed by the county court for each township school district until
others were elected. The word “director” was not used until 1873. Organization
of district 2 was held at the town of Clinton September 30, 1839 with
Caleb Wood commissioner and John Sidner and Thomas Wood inspectors. Organization
of district 13 was held at the Court House in Paris September 30, 1839
with James Fox commissioner and Wm. Armstrong and James Mappin
inspectors. District
11 at Florida was formed February 15, 1840; no. 20 at Santa Fe January
25, 1840; 15 at Madison May 2, 1840 and Middle Grove organized April 24,
1841. Sub districts were then formed in the townships when court met
Nov. 1 1841. Judges were Granville Snell, Thomas J. Crawford and Wm. R.
Stephens. Motion was made for equal distribution of school funds among
the several districts. After hearing arguments of respective attorneys,
court ordered that sub district 1 and district 4 be consolidated with
district 20 and known as 1 school district hereafter. Records show three
meetings in Paris at the court house, 2 at the Methodist camp meeting
grounds and 2 meetings at Middle Grove, evidently to form sub districts. Richard
Bridgford’s name appears in the records in school District no. 12. Petition
for formation of School District #2, meeting to be held at the town of
Clinton 30th day of September, Caleb Wood commissioner and
John Sidner and Thomas Wood inspectors. Court
adjourned until tomorrow morning, signed Ebenezer McBride, Clerk of
County Court. Petition
presented for formation of school district 3, inhabitants to meet at
court house in Paris the day of 30th September, 1839. James
C. Fox, Commissioner, W.N. Armstrong and ….Maupin, Inspectors. Petition
presented for formation of District 9, meeting to be held at Mthodist
Camp Meeting Grounds 1st day of Oct. at 10:00 in the
forenoon. Richard Austin, Commissioner, James Poage and Charles Crutcher,
inspectors. 1st
Monday in November 1839, Nov. 5. Trustees of Districts 3,2,1, and 4
authorized to draw their proportional part of interest belonging to
inhabitants of said townships for use of school in that district for the
year 1839. Sum each drew was $54.92. District 8 drew $69.00. Petition
presented for formation of District 11, meeting to be held at town of
Flori9da Feb 15, 1840, James W., T.J. Crawford, William. Petition
presented for formation of District 20, meeting to be held at town of
Santa Fe. 1st Monday Nov 5, 1839. Feb
3, 1840. Thomas Pool, sheriff, submitted a report of land sale Petition
presented to form school District 19, the organization meeting to be
held at Thomas Guthrie’s March 22. Samuel Gilbert, Commissioner and
inspectors David MCGowan and Thomas Guthrie. Petition
presented to form school District No. 15, meeting of organization to be
held at town of Madison May2, 1840. School
District 18 formed April 27 at home of Joseph Hulen/Helm. School
District no. 9, organization meeting at Methodist Camp June 20, 1840,
Richard Powers, Commissioner, and John Sheerman and G.E. Poage,
inspectors. School
District no. 10, Sept. 15, 1840, Thomas Hurd, Commissioner, Charles
Yeakey and Vincent Yates, inspectors. School
District no. 19 organized at the home of John Denton March 13, 1841,
Henry H. Peake, Commissioner, J. Halloway and David Woolridge,
inspectors. Middle
Grove School organized April 24, 1841. When
court met Nov. 1, 1841, judges were Granville Snell, Thomas J. Crawford
and Wm. R. Stephens. Motion was made for an equal division of school
funds among the several districts. On this day, the court, after hearing
arguments of respective attorneys ordered that District No. 1 and
District No. 4 in Township 54, Range 9W and District No. 12 be
consolidated and the same school constitute one school, and the parties
above pay the cost which they have created in this cause. Thomas
Crutcher was sheriff in April 1842 so he reported to the court of the
sale of Township school land. 7th
of February, W.G. Moore, Richard D. Austin and Caleb Wood were judges of
said court. Evidently
there was trouble in forming District No. 9 as there are records of
three meetings or organization, the first in 1839 at the Methodist Camp
Ground, a second in Paris with no date given and third at Methodist Camp
Ground the third Saturday in March 1843. A different set of men
appointed each time. There
is also a record to two organizational meetings at Middle Grove,
District No. 16. The first was April 24, 1841 and the second Saturday in
March 1844. Judges of the court in 1844 were Caleb Wood, R.D. Austin and
W.G. Moore. This
is the record of the organization of the 20 districts from 1839 through
1844. This
seems to be out of place: Aug.
1, 1839. Robert P. Stout, John M. Glenn and Granville Snell were
justices of the said court. On the second of court, petition was
presented for formation of School District No. 3, organization meeting
to be held at Stephen Miller’s Sept. 14, 1839. Isaac Bate, appointed
commissioner and Clifton Maupin and Stephen Miller, the inspectors until
their successors are duly elected. A
petition for organization of School district No. 4 was presented,
inhabitants to meet at home of Thomas Maupin September 1839. Joseph
Sidner, Commissioner, Thomas Maupin and Davis Anderson inspectors until
successors are duly elected. Charles
W. Brown, treasurer of Monroe County, paid to the court $55 belonging to
inhabitants of Township 54, Range 10. It was ordered by the court that
all persons owing interest on their bonds to the school, land, road and
canal fund in the county of Monroe and fail to pay by the first Monday
in September, it will be collected by due course of the law. Court
adjourned until the first Monday in September—Sept. 2, 1839. Petition
for formation of School District No. 8—the inhabitants are to meet at
George Smizer’s Sept. 30, Chas. S. Clay, George Smizer and Walker P.
Wallis, inspectors. Petition
for formation of School District No 14---to meet at Wm Moore’s
September 30, Joseph Foreman, Commissioner, Gabriel Woodward and William
Gibben, inspectors. MISC.
NOTES: Sub
District 6—1873 around North Fork Built
new school house $450 1870-Addie
Ragland, teacher 1872-Emma
Rutter-$160, for teaching 5 months. J.J. Wright, Clerk 1871-Lizzie
Rutter-$140, for 4 months school 1873-
Lizzie Rutter-$140, for 4 months school 1875-$409.
E.M. Kirklan-for building school house
1868-Twp.
54 Range 8 $72.25-amount due colored children 1869-70-Twp
54, Range 8 $79.56—amount due colored children 1871-R.J.
Johnson was the town treasurer 1871-W.A.
Beauchamp…teacher $25 to 40. 1872-A.W.
Johnson, teacher in Sub. Dist 3 1873-L.
B. Lunsford 1872-F.
V. Young 1871-
S. A. Quarles 1872-R.
H. Crump 1872-Maggie
Engle 1870-Crump 1872-T.
Burnett 1873-Annie
Reavis…No. 3 set off from South Fork 1871-J.
A. Hickman, teacher 1873-Jas.
Abbery, teacher June
4, 1873. . .Negro fund $323.86 paid out to R. Scobee, L. Rouse and S.
Heavenridge R.M.
Burgess, Twp. Sch. Treas. 1875,
Dec. 18, Sub Dist. 1 paid to Underwood Dooley, Stoutsville, #361.00 for
building schoolhouse and furnishing benches Clerk,
Wm. J. Henderson, sub-dist 1870—May
16--$124.44 to D.L. Drury Woodson, part payment as teacher 1874—March
11—Ditto to Mr. Woodson $11.62. . . still teacher 1873—Jasper
Henderson $8.00 for furnishing wood 1871--$152.00
paid May 11 to Theodore Burnett for teaching service 1870—Drury
Dooley received $35.11 for teaching in the Dooley school house 1869—Drury
Dooley was teaching in the Henderson dist. 1871-2—J.
W. McKenzie—s warrants $51.50 and $25.00 Sub
district 2 was N.E. of Goss May
30, 1872 Philip G. Marr, teacher $160.00 for teaching, S.C. Hendricks,
sub district clerk Oct
25 1869 to Feb 25, 1870—T.W. Burnett received $178.50 for 17
weeks--$42.00 per month—S.C. Hendricks, sub-district clerk Sub
Dist 3 (could be around Goss or E. of Goss from name March 1873 W. G.
Gosney received $220 for teaching a 4 month school 1872—J.
H. Thomas, teacher, $225. for 4 months teaching Enumeration
shows 44 white males
30
white females
5 colored males
5 colored females Sub
Dist 4—Miles Johnson, director 1870—Ed
Rosell, D.H. Gillaspy Milas
Johnson received $385 for building schoolhouse D.
H. Gillaspy received $28.00 for painting it Theodore Burnett was teacher and T. R. Williams the clerk |