The First High School Paris
had the third high school to be established in Missouri about the year
1870. The building shown above was constructed about that time. It was
torn down and replaced by the present grade building. The
old school building, as can be seen from the above picture, was two
stories high. It contained seven rooms, two downstairs and three upstairs.
Instead, of being divided into grades, the division was downstairs, in
which elementary courses were taught, and upstairs, in which higher
courses were taught. There
were no written examinations. In every room they were oral, and a sort of
Roman holiday for the community. Every room would be gay with flowers and
crowded with visitors. Men like Temple B. Robinson, the town’s best Higher
courses than at present were taught. They included Geology, Astronomy,
Psychology, Latin, Trigonometry, Ancient history and Rhetoric. The
Senior classes usually had no more than half a dozen members, sometimes
only one or two. Not many boys belonged to what is now known as High
School. Ninety per cent of them quit when due to go “upstairs”, in
order to learn trades in the town's numerous industries or to help make a
living for their families. There
was no free transportation from rural districts. Usually, only one or two
farm boys or girls came to Paris for an education.
They had to get room and board in local homes. There
was no sentiment against corporal punishment. Every room had a supply of
keen hickory switches. The Appeal editor was whipped in every room except
the primary. When Seniors, he and the late Tom Bodine were soundly
thrashed The
school had no athletic coach. It had no music department. It had no home
economics department. It had no commercial or vocational Ag. department.
Book learning was all they gave. The
boys were not lacking in diversions. Baseball; racing, top spining,
marbles, wrestling, fencing with imitation swords, fist fighting and other
activities kept them pretty busy when time was permitted. The girls played
jax, skipped the rope and did a lot of singing. Only
once or twice during the term were there night gatherings. Illumination
was by coal oil lamps and only in one room, the one which ran entirely
across the upstairs south room had them. The Senior class did not get off with a dress parade during commencement exercises, as at present. A requirement for diplomas was that each boy must deliver an oration and each girl an essay, supposedly written by themselves. It was hard on the students, as well as The audience. H.
J. Blanton The Monroe County Appeal ALUMNI
OF THE EARLY DAYS OF THE PARIS HIGH SCHOOL The
records are not complete for the first 1876 Robinson,
Willie Ford,
Tirey McGee, Ed 1877-78 Alexander,
Paul Buckner,
Charley Long,
Emma (Mrs. Arthur Armstrong) 1878-1879 Alexander,
Eben H. Dawson, Mollie (Mrs. Sam Sproul) Moss,
Kate McNutt,
Lucy V. (Mrs. J. F. Welch) Rawlings,
Viola (Mrs. Kan Poage) Wilson,
Carrie B. (Mrs. A. T. Vaughn) West,
Samuel
1879-1880 Broughton, Callie
(Mrs. Wm. Blackford) Broughton, Molly
(Mrs. Waller Bridford) Buckner, Anderson Blakey, Kate M
(Mrs. Adolphus Carter) Graham, Maggie
(Mrs. Owens) Lasley, Nora
(Mrs. Digs) Mcnutt, Sallie B.
(Mrs. Jas. Elgin) Mcgee, Ed
1880-1881 Burgess, Jennie Burgess, John 1881-1882 Alexander, Wm. Bassett, William Haydon, Willie Holdsworth, Jessie 1882-1883 Alexander, Mary
(Mrs. Irvine Shedd) Bean, Carrie
(Mrs. Gray) Bryan, Ida Blanton, Lillie Burgess, Nora
(Mrs. Wm. Alexander) Caplinger, Pattie
(Mrs. Geo. Tucker)
1883-1884 Bassett, Stella
(Mrs. Elliot Grimes) Dawson, Eva (Mrs.
T. R. Roane) Harley, Ida (Mrs.
W. L. Smith) Holdsworth,
Gussie West, Carlotta (Mrs. D. W. Cunning) 1884-1885 Brace, Jessie
(Mrs. A. H . Weber) Fowkes. Lulu
1885-1886 Ashcraft, Carrie
(Mrs. Ples Burgess) Caplinger, Susie
(Mrs. Skinner) Manuel, Bessie (Mrs
Ed Scearce) Noel, Mary (Mrs.
Wm. Barr) Jones., W. S. 1886-1887 Asmuth, Angie
(Mrs. Dr. Mcmurry) Blanton, Jack Bodine, Tom Smizer, Ernest West, Myrtle
(Mrs. D. W. Hein) 1887-1888 Brace, Pauline
(Mrs. Lieut. Crawford) Caldwell, Clara
(Mrs. Fred Bristor) Long, Leta (Mrs
Ed Priest) Moss, Laur (Mrs.
E. L. Major) Noel, Frankie
(Mrs. Fred Davis) Nolen, Genie Rodes, Jennie
(Mrs. T. J. Buerk) Shearman, Tomsie Woods, Ella (Mrs.
H. Glascock) 1888-1889 Burgess, Mary
(Mrs. S. E. Harley) Burnett, Cleo
(Mrs. S. P. Spalding) Cooper, Mabel
(Mrs. Weldon Cotton) Pitts, Carrie Powell, Mamie (Mrs. Jack Blanton) 1889-1890 Bickner, Emma Irvine, Pauline
(Mrs. Harry Noel) Moss, Georgia
(Mrs. Morris Arnold) Shrader, Eugene 1890-1891 Allen, Wm. Blanton, Pearl
(Mrs. E. M. Alexander) Bodine, Clara
(Mrs. H. G. Stavely) Hawkins, Allie B. Hocker, Nina
(Mrs. A. E. Patterson) Pitts, Bessie
(Mrs. Dr. Chilton) Reid, Birdie Smith, Annie Lee
(Mrs. John F. Smock) Stone, Leon West, Jennie
(Mrs. Dr. Eimbeck) Wetmore, Ed 1891-1892 Blakey, Harry Farrell, Emma
(Mrs. Robt Burgess) Greer, Ardena
(Mrs. Frank Coats) Mcbride, Bina
(Mrs. Anderson Blanton) Noel, Lucy (Mrs.
Chas. Seibel) Phillips, Davis Smith, Amber Smith, Jesse Smizer, J. F. 1892-1893 Bean, Hardin Buckner, Frank Gore, Lina (Mrs.
Lacrossett) Pitts, Sadie Reynolds, Lollie
(Mrs. Dave Buerk) Stone, Joe Stavely, Mary
(Mrs. H. F. Warren) Wilson, Addie 1893-1894 Bassett, Marie
(Mrs. Dyson) Bower, Kate (Mrs.
Browman) Dawson, Jessie
(Mrs. Ernest Randall) Hawkins, Katie
(Mrs. Maurice Powers) Heath, Ella Moreland, Luch
(Mrs. Louis Shaeffer) Reid, Angie 1894-1895 Crutcher, Belle,
(Mrs. A. C. Peterson) Craig, Dallies Curtright,
Virginia (Mrs. Harry Blakey) Hugely, Chas. Noel, Georgia
(Mrs. Dr. Proctor) Stone, Nell (Mrs.
Penn Brace) Stone, Mary Smith, Gertrude |