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Smithton Schools Preceding the
City of Smithton were Priceville (organizied and laid out by David
Kernodle, an early pioneer of Pettis County) and Farmers City, both
located northwest of Smithton alongside the old Highway 50 in the
vicinity of the Lamm acreage and the Charles Bluhm farm. 1 The Sedalia Democrat, 1925. “Priceville was short lived. In some manner in which the records do not explain, there was a dispute over property rights. The report was a sent out that property owners had been swindled and general dissatisfaction prevailed and the village fell into decay.” 2 The Sedalia Democrat, ibid. “With the fall of Priceville, it was essential that some sort of civic center be established, and Farmers City sprang up in the place of Priceville. The little city prospered and grew in population to be the outstanding trading point of that territory. ... With the location of Smithton offering better transportation and trading facilities, practically the entire population of Farmers City moved to Smithton, leaving the old town deserted. Trade relations with Springfield were abandoned, and Smithton became a prominent shipping point to towns of eastern Missouri located on the new railroad. ... The first school for the vicinity was constructed in 1832 and was taught by William Miller who later became a judge of Pettis County.” Page 1
One school in operation prior to the Smithton School was Lizzard Hill, located on the old John Kruse farm (southeast of town before the town was built). At this school, parents paid tuition. The seats were slabs with holes bored in them for the legs. There was a row of desks along the walls, and when it was time for the writing lesson, the students stood up and wrote. The mice sometimes would help them eat their dinner, but they would eat at the first table. W. H. Bohon and Jacob Farner attended the school called Lizzard Hill. Mr. Farner said that they would often pass herds of cattle being grazed on the prarie between town and the school house, and that M. T. Homan, a neighbor east of town, sometimes herded cattle there. The snow was often drifted in the winter so that children from town could not attend. Reverend J. K. Goodby of Pleasant Memory is one of the teachers the boys spoke of. Sometimes this school was full to overflowing and they built an arbor outside of the building for the boys. From the report of the fun they had, we infer that the boys and girls were much the same as they are today. There
was a school in early times where the White School used to stand,
first called Gooney, later, Hazel Grove, and then White. There was
also a school named Arator. Page 2
addition to Gillum School, where my dad attended school. He always jokingly said that his mother sent him to school when he was three because she wanted to get him out of the house! School was also conducted in the former Baptist Church, located where the present Baptist Church now stands. There were private schools to attend also in which the students paid the stipulated price. In 1859, the Missouri Pacific Railroad was built to Smithton, and this was the terminal. While this was the end of the road, the town grew rapidly; a number of wholesale houses were built; freight wagon trains were established with southwest towns and everything flourished, but when the road was built to Sedalia, the wholesale men moved their businesses there, and Smithton settled down to a town of about 450 people. The colored population was about 100 people and a good school for their children was maintained. Later, on account of the better demand for labor in Sedalia, all but a dozen moved to that city, and the school was discontinued. The
Present Smithton District was laid out in 1869. It extended on the
County Line on the East to the road just east of a school, it
was told to Ted Henderson who converted it into a house. Page 3
August Klein’s residence on the west, and from Flat Creek on the South to the South line of Frank Griffin’s farm on the North. 3 The first school building was erected in 1870. It was a two-story frame structure which was divided into three rooms. Later, in order to make more room for a high school, the upper room was divided, making four nice rooms. Mr. Martin Monsees, now 90 years old (this was in 1929), was given the contract for erecting the building. He received $1,080 for the work he did. The material was furnished by him, and others did the plastering and finishing. He could not tell us the entire cost. It was built of oak and white pine lumber. It was located between 5th and 6th streets east of Myrtle on a beautiful block, level on the west and sloping on the east. In early
years of Smithton’s history, much interest was shown in planting
shade trees around public buildings and the school campus was
skirted with beautiful trees. The building was painted white and
made a fine appearance as one approached the town from the south. 5 Ihrig, ibid. “The building was almost square and was two stories high. There was a kind of railing around the top, and the oldtimers delighted the younger ones by telling them that they were living in Osage Indian Territory and that in case of attack, this railed-in area could be used as a fortress!” Page 4
This building was the school center of the community for forty-five years, and hundreds of boys and girls were educated and trained to meet life’s problems, the most of them making a life, in after years, instead of just making a living. It would
be interesting if we had the names of all the teachers that have
taught in the Smithton Schools and the name of each pupil that has
been enrolled since the first school house was erected in 1870. 6 The 1882 edition of the Pettis County History by North states that “The schools of the township are in number, outside of the Smithton Academy. The early schools were primitive affairs, the buildings and seats being made of hewn logs, and the teachers of that stern old type who taught “readin’”, “riten’” and “’rithmetic”, and ruled by the use of the rod the few pupils that braved the winter weather to attend the two or three months school each year. The buildings of the township are mostly frame and five to seven months school is now taught. …The first teachers in the building were Mr. and Mrs. E.M. Brundige. The teachers for the past year have been Prof. W.P. Kelly, principal: D.J. Shy, Jr., first assistant; Mrs E.G. Haire, Primary department. The colored school is under the supervision of W.J. Boucher. Prof. Kelly is a worthy and efficient teacher, and his services are in constant demand. The school now gives a common school course as can be obtained anywhere. Page 5
[Members of the 1894-95 graduating class were Eva Hotsenpiller, Lena Jackson, Carrie Boucher, Katie Wright, Grace Ringen, Walter Stotts, Maude Kastens, Winston Howell, and Edward Albers. Graduates of the 1896 were Leo S. Harris, Clilton Hampton, Willie B. Stober, Emma Wilson, Edith L. Boucher, Clarence Godby, Olive Wilson, 8 Harry T. Black, Ethel L Boucher, and J. Fred Tavenner. The Board of Education at the time was J.A. Stober, president; F.L. Wright, secretary; James Ringen, George Demand, Charles Monsees and Adolph Preuss. The program for the Closing exercises for the Smithton Public school was as follows: Wednesday, April 1st, 1:30 p.m. in the public school building Thursday Evening, April 2nd, 8 o’clock, First Annual Commencement at the M.E. Church ________________
7 Ihave a picture of this lady. It came from ny Grandmother Culp/Wuellner’s collection. 8 My first grade teacher, Hattie Farrelly, made contact with Harrry T. Black’s daughter who kindly furnished me with a picture of her father. Wouldn’t it be neat if pictures of all the 1894, 1895 1nd 1896 graduates could be procured?
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Friday Evening, April 3rd, 8 o’clock, Entertainment in Room 3 of the School Building.] ___________ One night in the year 1914, the call of Fire! Fire! The schoolhouse is on fire! Was heard and the people hurrying there found the fire located in the roof, which would have beed easily extinguished if the town had possed long ladders and fire extinguishing apparatus. The building burned down. The term of school was completed using public halls and private rooms to house the pupils. In 1915 a brick school building was erected, our townsman Harvey Reid being the contractor and builder at a cost of $9,000. It had four rooms in the basement. One was occupied by the furnace, one by the vocational agriculture shop, one for a recitation room and one a gym. On the first floor were three recitation rooms occupied by the grade schools, the laboratory and superintendent’s office. Upstairs was the auditorium. Study hall and library, with two recitation rooms. The high school occupied the upper rooms. A fire escape opened to the south. The seating and equipping cost about $2,000. A library valued at $6,000, was consumed with the school building. The school board in 1914 consisted of David White, president, and F. H. Selken,
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C.H. Lindeman, E. H. Scholotozhauer, John Bolte, Ira Smith; James Burgermeister, secretary and E. H. Schlotzhauer, treasurer. James Burgerm\eister gave us the names of the teachers for the first year in the brick building and the salaries they received: P. L. Krumme, principal, $87.50/month; Ella Moriarty, high school, $50./month; Velma Hodges, high school, $50./month; Emma Dennison, 7th and 8th grade, $45./month; Lucille Allee, Room 2, $40./month; Lillian Bluhm, Room 1, $42.50/month. This building burned November 28, 1928. The remainder of the term the school occupied the Christian, Baptist and Methodist churches, and did not lose a day on account of the fire; the building burned on a Wednesday, Thursday being Thanksgiving Day, they had dismissed until- - - - - - -. During the fourteen years the school occupied this building, they added Vocational Agriculture and Home Economics and became a state-accredited high school. In 1928 there was erected a very convenient building to house the Vocational Agricultural Department. This is well-equipped, and good work is done in this department. It is hoped when the new building is completed, the Home Economics Department will have a convenient department. This ________________________ James Burgermeister is my great-uncle, brother to my Grandmother Nevada Burgermeister/Culp/ Wuellner.
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Department, as well as all other departments, are doing nice work. (The Vocational Agriculture Department was discontinued in 1932. This building remained vacant until 1937 when it was equipped to be used as an Industrial Arts Department. Homer D Henley was its first teacher.) The playgrounds are equipped with swings, sandbox, giant stride (slide?), basketball and tennis courts, baseball, volleyball, etc.
New School Building
The smoke had not died away before a new building was being talked.
The Smithton School burned down on the morning of November 28, 1928 at 3 o’clock a.m. The fire was discovered by Charles R. Ellison who lives nearby and who gave the alarm. The afternoon of the 28th the Board of Education called a mass meeting at the M. E. Church where plans were made to continue the school by using the three churches. The high school and primary grades held their school in the M. E. Church and the 7th and 8th in the Christian Church. The teachers employed at the time of the fire were L. H. LaRue, Superintendent, Miss Lillian Thomson, Principal, Miss Beulah Wohlbeck and Miss Margaret Squires in the high school and Miss Alpha Gallihugh, Principal, Miss Mary Roberts and Mrs. Blanche Gilmore in the grades. The Board members were H. S. Ramseyer, President, O. G. Bolte, Vice-President, W. G. Homan, C. K. White, Ira DeHaven and V. F. Carpenter, James Burgermeister, Secretary-Treasurer.
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In January the Board called a special election to vote $25,000. bonds with which to rebuild. The election was held on January 26, 1929, and carried by a vote of 164 for to 49 against. The bonds were sold to Commerce Trust Company of Kansas City, Missouri and were to run for twenty years at 4-3/4% interest. Owen, Sayler and Payson, a firm of architects in Kansas City, Missouri, were employed by the Board to draw plans for the new building. The contract was let Marc 19, 1929 to H. R. Willems of Holden, Missouri, for $29, 165. The heating contract went to the Kansas City Heating and Ventilating Company, Kansas City, Missouir for $3,605. The plumbing went to George W. Yeager. ----------- to buy an ------------------------- and pay for the labor. The estimated cost was to be $2,000. for the plumbing. Mr. Carpenter resigned from the Board before his term expired on account of leaving the district. Fred G. Page was appointed to serve on the Board in his place until the annual election. E. R. Knox and E. W. Goetz were appointed by the Board as building committee to work with and assist the regular board members. At the annual election, Charles McBride was elected a new member and C. K. White was re-elected, both to serve a term of three years. Work was started the middle of April and at this time is progressing nicely. The building contains seven rooms, a study hall and auditorium/gymnasium and will be completed by September 1st. The old building was insured for $12,000., and the equipment for $1,500.
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The cornerstone will be laid in about two weeks, and a copy of this issue of the Smithton Times will be placed in the cornerstone box, together with other articles which might be of interest to future citizens of this district. We hope I twill be many years before this box will be opened as we believe this building is large enough to take care of our needs for many years to come unless we should lose our building again by fire or a cyclone. --- Official
Teachers’ Salaries, 1929
Superintendent, $2,700. per year; Principal of High School, $133.33 per month; High School teachers, $120. per month; Principal of Grade School, $90. per month; others, $85. per month.
Shy School
Shy schoolhouse was built in the early 50’s (1850s) by the neighborhood, of hewn logs 18 x 14, one window in the east and one in th west, door in the south end. It was on land that belonged to Doc Shy. The first teacher, I think, was a big Irishman by the name of Magee. There were a lot of children who went to school there. The boys named it Lizzard Hill on account of so many striped lizards. Two of the Cugert boys cut the stove wood for a week, and two of the girls kept the house clean, and two boys carried water. There were some fine boys and girls who went to school there, like Aunt Nanny Clagett and Mrs. H- -r and Mrs. Reynolds’ mother. We never had a school marm teacher. Just before the Civil War, a lady came from ----.
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She thought it was awful that the negro children had no school. There were four families of them close, so she proposed to teach a night school for them, but the owners objected so strongly she gave up her school and went home. Then the War broke out and school didn’t amount to much. There are some old boys in Smithton who went to school there; Jake Farner and I think Uncle John Monsees. One cold rainy afternoon someone knocked at the door. A little girl from Smithton by the name of Maggie Holbert sat next to the door; she opened it and fourteen big Indians in their feathers walked in; they wanted to warm. We gave them the seats near the stove. They stayed an hour, then told us goodbye and left. Teacher and all were glad. We are indebted to M.T. Homan, 80 years old, for this reminiscence. ________________
Smithton in 1929
The town of Smithton in 1929 has a population of 350. There has been a great improvement in the roads in the past twenty-five years. Highway No. 50 passes the town three blocks north, gravel roads connect with Main Street, which is hard-surfaces; three streets North and South and two streets East and West are paved; hard-surfaces roads connect us with the world North and South and East and West.
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The farmers follow dairying and stock raising, but raise less grain than formerly. There are many farms with fine residence and other buildings, and the country is beautiful. The churches and Sunday Schools are very well attended. Rev. William H. Hackman, pastor of the M.E. Church, is the only resident, active pastor. Rev. Davis, of Sedalia, is the pastor of the Christian Church, and Rev. Williams of Sedalia is the pastor for the Baptist Church. The Epworth orchestra is an organization we are proud of. Business firms-- Traveling on Main from the East, the first business firm is a big steel building, the Farmers Elevator, doing a good business in buying and selling grain and feed. Otto Preuss is manager. Harry Ramseyer has charge of the Standard Oil trade. They have steel buildings. The Smithton Creamery and Produce firm do an immense business. Their buildings are brick and stucco with tile roof. S.C. Bremer is in charge. The Missouri-Pacific depot is and attractive building with well-kept grounds, and doing a good grain and feed shipping business is Willian Covher, Agent. Smithton Motor Company, housed in a fire-proof tile building, is an auto repairing center. They handle Chevrolet cars and do a fine business. The firm is Neumeyer, Goetz and Bolte. WE have two banks. E.R. Knox is cashier of the Smithton Bank and Fred Page of the Community Bank. Each bank is firm and
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Reliable. WE have two general stores: Scrivner & Wagenknecht and C.J. Eichholz and son-in-law, Leonard Hoehns. These stores are doing a good business. W.B. Myers is still at the old stand ready to greet you with a smile as he has done for the past forty years. Charles Wagenknecht is our efficient real estate agent. Mrs. Rose B. Myers, known over half the state for her good meals, presides at the “Cafe”. Our efficient barbers are Mr. Sartain and J.L. Verts. Dr. E.E. Holtzen, our physician, is kept busy having calls for his services from other points of the compass. Dr. William Reynolds, our postmaster and druggist, is enlarging the postal services here. J.W. Hoehns and Son have a good hardware trade. A. Richter is in the farm machinery business, and his son Carl is our blacksmith. W.L. Jackson is in the lumber business. These buildings are nearly all brick and stone. _________
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SCHOOL DAY REMINISCENCE
Now that the beautiful new school building is being built, one’s thoughts go back to childhood days, and to the big white schoolhouse with its many windows and its cupola surmounting the square roof that used to stand on the very same site on which the new one is being erected. Those were different days from these, and school was just as different. We were promoted when we got old enough, or when our teacher thought we could keep up with the next class higher up; but notwithstanding these and other handicaps, we must have absorbed some small degree of knowledge for I remember that, when I had been a big girl “upstairs” several terms and went away to college, I was admitted without any other preparatory work; and it is with grateful pleasure that this acknowledgement to my teachers is made. Fire has always been the deadly foe of the Smithton schools, even from the very beginning; for when the first building was new, and in the first school year, it came very near being burned down. It was in the daytime, and when we little tots in the primary room saw smoke coming through the cracks of the floor, we stampeded. I, for one, ran screaming home to my mother, and in utter terror watched smoke and flames burst from the windows. But so heroically did teachers, pupils and townspeople work, fighting with buckets and tubs, emptying nearby wells and cisterns, that the fire was put out before it could do fatal damage.
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What a splendid, devoted band of teachers have given their fine service of training through the years. As highlights among those of the long ago, we think of Miss Jeddie Arnold, Miss Gussie Heismeyer, and just a few years later, of Miss Nettie Combs and Miss Bessie Griffin; and still a little later, of our own Mrs. August Selken, who as Miss Mayme Muri was so dearly loved by her little charges. But there are still a few of us who, when we think of teachers, just think of “Miss Ellen”. She started our little feet on the upward climb, and was ever our comfort and sure refuge, and just loved us into trying to do what she wanted us to do. She is Mrs. Haire to her friends of a lifetime in Smithton, but to us, whose wonderful teacher she was, she will always be our dear “Miss Ellen.” God bless her forever. --- Fanny Ringen The foregoing material was copied directly from the commemorative article appearing in The Smithton Times under date of Thursday, May 9, 1929, Volume 22, No. 36, the newspaper that was placed in the cornerstone of the 1929 building. Stony Point School Mr. Charlie Wagenknecht states that he attended his first school in 1875 when he was five years old. It was a subscription school held in a home on the old Wagenknecht farm in
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the south part of what is now Stony Point. The teacher was Agnes Meese, an aunt of O. R. Demand. Shortly after a public school was organized. A meeting was called to name the new school district. The meeting dragged on and they were unable to agree on a name. A young man who was working in the community suggested that they allow him to name it. Someone asked him what he would suggest that they call the district. His prompt reply was the hill itself suggested the name. No one had a better suggestion and so the name was not rejected and the name is applied to the district to this day. The Smithton Times of April 20, 1916 reports: “A very successful school term closed on Tuesday at the Bente School, Miss Fanny Knox the teacher. Note: From the names of the children, we would assume that this was a school now closed but formerly stood north of Griffins and the highway. Some of the children mentioned are: Georgia Edwards, George Griffin, William Sawford, John Griffin, Zilla Lopp, Esther Griffin, Dollie Edwards, George Burford, Dueward Edwards and Verda Lopp. _______ Ihrig, ibid. The “boy” mentioned above was Lilton Homan, a grandfather to Milo Homan, and is now given credit for naming the “Stony Point” school.
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From the May 11, 1916 issue of The Smithton Times:
Commencement exercises were held at the Smithton High School Thursday night, May 25th. The speaker was R. C. Journey. The five graduating: Miss Nellie Winstead, Miss Marie Homan, Miss Sylvia Monsees, Mr. Oliver Bolte and Mr. Gordon Montgomery. ________ B. B. Ihrig became Superintendent of Smithton School in 1933 and at that time, the rocks that had been blown out of the basement for reconstruction purposes were still scattered around the building. There was a very large rock in the back that could not be broken apart nor dragged away. Enormous weeds had been allowed to grow in the year and sharp projections about six inches high were all over the school ground where they had been cut off just before school began. The Superintendent made application and secured a WPA project to get things leveled up, etc. The east side of the schoolground sloped eastward and was so steep that the water had washed ditches and there was no place level enough to use for a playground. After leveling the front yard and removing the rocks there, a row of large soft maple trees on the west side of the yard were cut down and the stumps removed. Beginning on the east side of the school building, dirt was removed to the low part on the east side of the yard. The big rock was shoved into a big hole dub for it, and there it remains safely buried and out of the way! From C. F. Scotten’s book Pettis County School, pp. 105-107, comes further school history: The 1929 yellow brick structure provided for both grade and high school pupils. Adequate space was provided for records and administrative work. This new building contained a combination area for a gymnasium, a music room and an assembly room. Also, a large area of the building consisted of a combined study hall and library. This . . . . . . . was adequate in classroom space for eighteen years. . . . . . . . .The school board provided for the erection of Ihrig Hall to secure, in the main, additional classroom space. In December, 1948, Ihrig Hall, named for B. B. Ihrig, was erected and put into classroom use. This structure was also used as a workshop and as a lunch room. Final use of Ihrig Hall was for music and Industrial Arts. It was razed about 1958. Ihrig Hall, a frame building, was erected to the east and in close proximity to the 1929 school building. . . . . . . . . The 1931 school survey of Pettis County Schools provided that Smithton No. 7 town school be one of the seven proposed “School Centers.” The eight rural school districts of this “Center” for Smithton included Ringen No. 1, Bunker Hill No. 2, Lone Star No. 3, Pacific No. 4. Brushy No. 5, White No. 8, Arator No. 10, and Lovelace No. 11. 19
A majority of the members of the County School Board did not agree to submit to the people a voting on this proposed “School Center” of Pettis County, it did not become a reality. Hence, Smithton No. 7 was to remain a town school system for eighteen more years. At length on November 1, 1949, the Smithton No. 7 town school district lost its identity as it became a part of the Smithton Reorganized R-VI School District. The twelve component school districts of the Smithton Reorganized R-VI School District included Smithton No. 7 and the following rural schools: Ringen No. 1, Brushy No. 5, Pin Oak No. 6, White No. 8, Arator No. 10, Lovelace No. 11, Olive Branch No. 12, Salem No. 13, Lookout No. 17, Lamine (Cooper County) and Black Jack (Morgan County). Observe that this reorganization consisted of the town school district of Smithton, that is, Smithton No. 7, and nine rural schools in Pettis County, one rural school in Morgan County. Records reveal that 438 citizens voted for the Smithton Reorganized R-VI School District and 252 voted against it. The land area of original Smithton No. 7 School District was about nine square miles. The school district is approximately twenty-one miles in length and seven miles in width. In the main, the boundary lines of Smithton Reorganized R-VI School District are regular, except on the east, the boundary line is irregular due to the inclusion of Lamine School District in Cooper County and Black Jack District.
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From north to south, the Smithton School building is near the center of the district, whereas from west to east, the building is near the east border of the district. At the close of the 1952 school year, all rural schools of Smithton R-VI School District ceased to operate, and all grade and high school pupils were transported to Smithton School. As the years went by and the school population increased in the Smithton Reorganized R-VI School District, it became necessary to expand the existing school building. During the year 1953, a school building addition was made to the 1929 yellow brick structure (to the north). It consisted of an increase of several classrooms, a library, and the erection of a larger gymnasium. This building program met the needs of the Smithton School System until the year 1960. The ceremony of the placement of the cornerstone to the new high school building was held on March 19, 1954 at 2:15 p.m. (I know because I was there!) . . . . . . During this school day, the cornerstone was placed with pupils, teachers, administrators, as well as the architects and contractors, taking part. The dedication of the school building was directed by the Smithton Parent-Teacher Association with Ralph Grimes as their representative. Master of Ceremonies and a speaker was Olen Monsees. Other speakers for the occasion were Ralph Lewis, President of the Smithton School Board, and Ralph Grimes.
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(My graduating class of 1954 was the first class to graduate from the new building.) About 1960, space was provided for industrial arts and a cafeteria (They were added to the 1953 structure (east). Also about this same time, classrooms were added to the 1929 school building. In 1966, due to increased interest in music, a metal building was constructed near the big gymnasium (east). Until June, 1972, the school building facilities of Smithton Reorganized R-VI School District were reasonably adequate to meet the instructional needs of its pupils. The 1972-73 PTA president was Norma Jean Bremer. Members of the Board of Education for 1972-73 were: Cleo (Bill) Hampy, president; Harold (Pete) Siegel, vice-president; Donald Eldenburg, secretary; Matt Green III, member; Ralph Thomas, member; and Gary Griffin, member. Ground breaking ceremony for the new elementary addition to the new school was held on October 30, 1972 with Board President Bill Hampy turning over the first spade of dirt.
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Among others present were members of the Board of Education, school administrators and officials of Borchers and Heisoth Construction Company. This building addition is attached to the south end of the original 1929 building and extends west and south. During this 1994-95 school year, more additions are being built which will fill in the area in front of the original 1929 school building . . . . . . connecting the 1953 addition to the south. They are at this time incomplete. It is difficult to speculate in which direction any future additions may be built.
ALLIN INSTITUTE Farmer City, Missouri
In 1865, the above facility was offered as a method to prepare pupils for the duties of life and the bliss of eternity, being taught the principles of physical, intellectual and moral science by disciplining and developing the mind. They were to be encouraged and enabled to walk in the light of science and to regulate their lives by the teachings of the Bible. As to the arrangement of their schedules, it is stated that “the time of the pupils is divided into recitation, study, recreation and sleeping hours. Each pupil has as many studies as he can pursue without injury to
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health; hence, we have no definite number of recitation hours. During study hours, there is a well-lighted room for each sex, over which a teacher or assistant preserves order. There is no opportunity for conversation, perusal of unimproving works or idleness; and no one inclined to study is troubled by the mischief or conversation or others. At nine, the retiring bell is rung, all assemble in the same room, engage in closing exercise of the day, and then retire promptly. Recreation is given at meal time because pupils should not then apply themselves. Those who have housekeeping to do are not required to exercise during breakfast hour. Only young ladies occupy the second and third stories. We are confident that no better system can be planned for health, intellectual culture, and the promotion of good morals than that indicated in the following arrangement; no fire in bedrooms, a convenient bathroom containing tubs, lines, means of heating water, wash stands, mirrors, etc. – which will be heated every morning for dressing and bathing, and every Saturday for washing and ironing clothes. Thus we have pupils retire and rise at the proper hour instead of sitting around a stove engaged in unimproving or injurious conversation and sleeping late in the morning; thus we avoid fires originating in bedrooms after pupils, especially young ladies, have retired, and left their clothes
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in various parts of the room; thus we secure harmony and application.
ADMISSION OF BOYS
The association of boys and girls in the schoolroom when judiciously supervised and regulated by faithful and conscientious teachers, cultivates correct personal and social habits, stimulate to more diligent efforts, and better prepared both for their future lives. Boys will therefore be received, but only upon recommendation by responsible friends. They will have a separate study room and exercising ground, and be under the special care of the Vice Principal, W. Leroy Felix. Eighty-nine students were enrolled at the beginning of the school year in 1865. The faculty consisted of Miss Frankie Felix, principal; W. Leroy Felix, vice principal; Dr. W. L. Felix, patron and financial officer; Mrs. Susanna Felix, matron; and Mrs. M. E. Edwards, instrumental and vocal music; assistants: Miss Katie Logan, Miss Emma Huff and Miss Ella Gentry.” It is unknown the number of years the Allin Institute was in operation.
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SMITHTON ACADEMY ASSOCIATION
Two weeks ago, Darlene Thomas mentioned to me that while some state official was in the Office of the Recorder of Deeds, he managed to locate some papers setting forth the formation of the Smithton Academy. This was news to me! It appears that “after due consideration of the demands of the youth of our community and after weighing the good influences that come from an institution of learning, (we) do hereby associate ourselves together to establish an Academy at the Village of Smithton, Pettis County, Missouri, and to buy and own grounds and build suitable buildings thereon and control, regulate and carry on an institution of learning in the same. …..This agreement and association is for the purpose of being incorporated under the provisions of Article X of the chapter on Corporations in the revised Statutes of Missouri. Article VII says “Daily chapel services shall be held for pupils. But no distinctively denominational doctrine shall be taught in the school.” Article VIII says “The teachers employed shall be moral men and women, members in good standing in some orthodox Christian church.” Fifty-three members pledged money amounts from $2. to $75. with the agreement to pay half of that amount when the list was completed and the remainder at the commencement of building. If materials or work were donated rather than money, then that material or work was due on demand. Their goal was $2,500. This document was dated May,
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1883. On May 15, 1883, the petition and order covering the incorporation were presented to the Circuit Court of Pettis County. The Court decreed them incorporated and the document was filed for record on June 5, 1883. After reading the contents of the section on Schools that appeared in the History of Pettis County by North, it appears that the Smithton Academy was indeed the first evidence of an incorporated Smithton School. If there is any other explanation for it, I am not aware of it.
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SMITHTON HIGH SCHOOL ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
One day while I was at school about some matter or other, I noticed that the group picture of my graduating class of 1954 was no longer on the wall in the hallway. I must have been upset because I called Superintendent Ware about it. He informed me that they had run out of wall space and had to take down the earlier pictures. (I didn’t find out where it went to!) At any rate, he suggested a space-saving idea which, after I thought about it, really was in inspiration. He indicated that he had been in a previous school where this same thing happened and that the school had ended up purchasing a large set of wall picture frames that were all hinged together in order to offer viewing like in a very large photo
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album. After spending months contacting other alumni, and while at it, also collecting names of graduates for the various years, I determined that it could be funded…and set about doing just that. By the time the pictures were gathered, identified and placed in frames, it was time for the first alumni reunion….December 28, 1976. The picture project occupied our time preceding the first reunion. This year of 1995 observes the alumni association raising money for alumni scholarships. We hope that these can be given out annually beginning in 1996. Echoing the sentiments of another alumni, “We should be doing more than just meeting; we should work at doing something beneficial.” In essence, with your help, we want to make a difference! While mulling over the feasibility of doing any sort of reunion of this proportion in 1976, I consulted with my experts (my cousin Wilma Teter and Max Birdsong and perhaps some others) and discussed it with them. There were others…I remember these two for sure! At any rate, we jumped into it with vigor and managed to get it accomplished. Later reunions were held on May 23, 1981, December 28, 1985 and May 26, 1990. Since that early date of 1976, this operation has become refined! We now have voted-into-office Officers who are, for the most part, willing to serve. It wasn’t like in the beginning when we had to fill offices by conscription.
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And, though it’s still hard work to try to locate graduates who have moved, changed names or any number of other things, I attempted to make my life a little easier by purchasing a CD-rom generated telephone directory for the Continental United States. So, now, if you don’t notify me of your address changes, if I know your middle name or initial and/or your birth date, I can probably find you. Instead of spending my time on the telephone, I may spend it at the computer instead! So, when you register your attendance today, May 27, 1995, would you please furnish me with your middle name or initial and your birth date? Perhaps then, you and I will not lose contact with each other! Thank you so very, very much! Otherwise, mail any name/address changes to me at the following address:
Dorothy A. Bass 301 South Locust, Box 8 Smithton, Missouri 65350
or call me at:
(816) 827-0164, office (816) 343-5519, residence
Thank you!
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