Morgan County History Book

SCHOOLS

Morgan county has seventy-five public district free schoolhouses, and a school population of 4,365.
The degree of the efficiency and excellence is well maintained in the schools of the county. Under the
circumstances, the surroundings of the ante-bellum period, the disorganized condition of society for the five
years of the war and the five years immediately after, surely these figures show a remarkable degree of
intelligent energy in the cause of education. The ex-slaves have been kindly considered, and the white man
has paid the taxes freely to supply the colored children with the means of education. The people seemed to
realize that the best thing for all was to improve the intelligence of their former slaves, now that they are
fellow citizens. Therefore, there have been no symptoms of race trouble in Morgan county. And the
different church denominations have exhibited the broadest spirit of liberality toward each other, and have
been ever ready to join

hands in the good work. Still no people have ever been more watchful and conservative in the matter of
going in debt for any kind of public purposes. They have put up such schoolhouses only as they could
without going deeply in debt or greatly distressing the tax payers. For this reason they have not made much
noise and commotion as have some communities, but they have acted wisely, as time will abundantly prove.

FIRST & LATER SCHOOLS -- As early as 1833 Thomas G. Davis taught a school in a small log
house near Joshua McPherson’s about twelve miles northeast of Versailles.
Soon after the county was organized, in 1833, it was divided into twenty-four districts and
numbered from one to twenty-four. Of course, schools were opened in these districts as rapidly as
settlements became numerous enough to sustain them, and in some localities this condition did not occur for
several years.
The next school was at the Walton settlement, afterward the postoffice and town or named place in
the county. Walton had built his mill, and the place took the name of Millville. When the county seat was
taken from Millville and brought permanently to Versailles, the people of that place in 1836 built a log
schoolhouse and employed as teacher, an man named Thomas. A two story frame schoolhouse, two large
rooms, was put up, and answered for many years the school purposes of Versailles
In 1885 the present brick edifice with four spacious rooms was built, at a cost of $6,000. An
excellent graded school in maintained. An addition of two rooms was made in 1899 and the Versailles
public schools now one of the best in the state. The people of Versailles take great pride in their school and
tax themselves very readily for its support. The increase in the population of Versailles has been such during
the last two years that another addition will have to be made. A high school is maintained with a four year’s
course. The principal of the school this year is Prof. J.A. Livesay, and experienced teacher from Virginia.

BUILDINGS -- One of the very early schools in the county was at the place now Hopewell church.
This is the oldest settled neighborhood in the county, and the neighbors met and by their labor put up a log
building for school and church purposes. Here the primitive subscription school was taught for many
winters. Three months’ school then during the year was the limit that many good people supposed would
never be surpassed. Their first school term was taught in the winter of 1832-33. The next one was near
McPherson’s, north of Hopewell. Near the same the

time a log school house was built and a school taught in the north part of the county. Some of the pioneer
children walked as far as three and a half miles daily to school, when there were no other roads, often, than
narrow paths or trails, and o the way they would see the wild animals of that time, especially the deer and
wolves. One of these former school-boys will tell now that he had no fears of the wild animals, but always
passed certain points o the way in mortal dread of its concealing a band of war-painted Indians.
Indeed the boys and girls of Morgan county have great reasons for being thankful that they live in a
later day in the county’s history. They should congratulate themselves for various reasons. In the first place
the schools were not near so efficient then as now. Money was scarce and parents could not send their
children to school then as they do now. This accounts for many of our fathers and mothers not being as well
educated as they would like to be. But the boys and girls that have been born since about 1880 have had,
with very few exceptions, a splendid opportunity to get a good common school education.
Wray Witten is the present county school commissioner. He succeeded J.F. Johnson who had been
elected twice by the popular vote of the people of the county but resigned before his second term expired.
Mr. Witten was appointed by Governor Folk to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Mr. Johnson.
Mr. Witten’s term ended April 1, 1907, but he was re-elected at the April school meetings, not because he
wanted the place but at the urgent solicitations of the teachers and others. He has made a good
commissioner. There is less than $100 salary per year in this office and the wonder is that a man could be
found who would accept the responsibilities of the place for such a meager compensation. The school
affairs of the county are vested in the hands of a County Board of Education, composed of the school
commissioner as president, and two other teachers, one appointed by the Governor of the state and the other
appointed by the county court. The school commissioner is the active, managing member of the board.
At present (1907) there are 79 school districts in Morgan county and 100 school teachers holding
certificates now in force. The names of the teachers follow: Grace Hamlin, Sallie Merriott, Sadie Young,
Ethel Jones, Annie Yarnell, Jennie O’neal, Edna Blackburn, Julia Kring, Lillian Chilcoat, Bennett Gehlken,
Marie Thomp-

son, Nellie Clark, Minnie Smiley, John H. Gehrs, Josephine Ross, L.L. Foster, Pearl Beanland, Kate Temme
Sallie Hirst, Virginia Richardson, Harve Murray, Myrtle Drake, Rhoda Richards, Hiram Holst, Mary
Carpenter, Francis Pontius, M.E. Johnson, Will Stephens, Jennie Houser, Bessie Lockwood, Clara Siegel,
Prissie McClanahan, Albert Lutman, Nannie Bowles, Katherine Chism, Lynda Sydebottom, Mary Kauffman,
Alpha Porter, Ethel Peoples, Bessie Salmon, Ola Holst, Eva Stockton, Wila Sydebottom, Dixa Phillips, Fred
Page, Nettie Draffen, Nellie Alllen, Eva Holloway, Charles Holloway, Emma Brunkhorst, P.H. Hull, A. Ball,
Elsa Miller, Clara Klein, Myrtle Ivy, Eugene Keyes, Julius Lafever, Etta Adams, Linda Driver, John Draffen,
Mrs. N.E. Kidwell, David Short, Ida Etter, Larua Etter, E. Hodges, J.S. Boyce, Ursie Hatfield, (now
married), Rose McDonnald, Floyd Rowland, Nellie Marriott, Eunice Decker, Dollie Igo, Claude Sanford,
Gorda Bazan, Thruston Hawks, Lillie Clark, Walter Daniels, Minnie Marsh, Nettie Carder, Annie
McDonald, Cora Dawson, Etta Wrieden, Lucy Crosswhite, Mary Ramer, Etta Sherman, L.F. Krushen, Boss
Shoemaker, Phoebe Lutjen, Mary Parks, Lula Roark, Gertrude Roark, Augusta Temme, Cora Temme, F.A.
Bremet, Ida Alberts, W.L. Boner, Brooksie Goodman, Lizzie Donahue, Louise Gray, Loven Hicham, Dell
Moon, Pearl Mobley, J.E. Aeschbacher, Bert Lutman, Mabel Livingston./
At the first of the year school commissioner Wray Witten made his annual report to the state school
superintendent and this report showed that the average monthly wages paid male teachers in this county was
$34.99, while the average salary paid lady teachers was $32 for the year 1905. This is an average of about
$33 per month and is five dollars below than was paid 25 years ago. Teachers salaries are far too low. If
the average price was about $45 the quality of the work accomplished would be much improved. The
teachers of the county have been passing resolutions at their annual meetings for years asking for county
supervision, but up to the present time the tax payers and parents have taken no active steps toward bringing
this about.
The teachers in the Versailles public school for the year 1906-07 are: J.A. Livesay, principal, at $75
per month; Wray Witten, first assistant, at $50 per month; Alberta Brackney, $60; J.S. Boyce, Annie
Yarnell, Nellie Allen, Mabel Livingston and Edna Blackburn, all at $35 per month. This school maintains a
high school course of four years and is a good school but the building is too small.
The schools of the county are fully up to the average Missouri

counties in school matters and the people of the county are cordial supporters and patrons of the
public schools.
Morgan county has no college at present though it needs one and a good one would pay here and
be well patronized. In 1884 Prof. J.K. Gwyn came here from Kentucky and stated an academy and was
principal of that institution for about five years, part of the time editing the Morgan County Messenger in
connection with his school work. Several boys and girls of Morgan county and Versailles got their
education at this school. After J.K. Gwynn quit school work his brother, Frank Gwynn, conducted the
school a term or so. In 1884 Prof. S.A. Weitmer, son-in-law of Rev. B.D. Stone of Akinsville, started an
academy at Akinsville and conducted the school a year or so and gave it up. In the early nineties Prof.
George W. Innes, of Pennsylvania, came here and started an academy. He was assisted the first year by a
man by the name of Taylor from Kentucky. Prof. Innes conducted the school till 1898 and returned to his
old home in Pennsylvania. He was about 75 years old and a fine instructor.

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