HISTORY OF EDUCATION IN ST. FRANCOIS COUNTY
The history of education in St. Francois County is similar to that in the state of Missouri as a whole. When Missouri was admitted into the Union in 1821, there were provided 1,245,000 acres of land for school purposes with the township as the unit for administration of education. Four years later each township was practically compelled to form at least one school, and in 1833 there was formed a more complete system of common primary schools. It remained for the school laws of 1874 to establish the district system in school supervision and administration which we still have in this county with minor changes. Practically every district and community in St. Francois County had the same sort of beginning. At that time the only subjects taught to any great extent were Reading, Writing and Arithmetic, the traditional three R's, and often children were unable to have even these rudiments of instruction. As society became more advanced and the demands upon the individual greater, additional subjects were gradually added to the curriculum until now the courses cover an ever widening field.
The present status of the County Superintendent has come about in the customary progressive manner. Early in the county's history the schools were under the care of Township Trustees, and in 1853 laws were passed which provided for a County Commissioner of Common Schools who should have general supervision of the county, and the power to examine and license the teachers of the county. Except for a period of seven years the office of County School Commissioner continued until the office of County Superintendent was created in 1909. Prior to the establishment of this office there was in existence a County Board of Education which assisted in the examining and licensing of teachers. St. Francois County has had only two County School Superintendents, A. H. Akers served in this capacity until his death in 1915, when he was succeeded by his son, J. Clyde Akers, the present incumbent.
Neither time nor space will permit a detailed discussion of each of the schools of our county from their beginning to the present time, but there are certain vital and essential factors which cannot be overlooked. Lying deep in the thoughts of our first inhabitants here before the days of the public school were desires for the establishment of private institutions to educate the coming citizens. The first significant undertaking in this respect was as early as 1805 when Sarah Barton Murphy, through her own zeal and industry, started what might be termed as a "day school" for the religious and general training of the children of "Murphy's Settlement." These fortunate pupils arrived at the home of Mrs. Murphy early in the morning and there they remained throughout the entire day, being instructed in stories of the Bible, the three R's and playing various games. Another such pioneer was Eliza A. Carleton, who founded in 1854 Carleton Institute, which was located eight miles north of Farmington in a hickory log cabin. She received as compensation for her teaching $3.00 in trade and $2.00 in cash from each student. In 1859 Carleton College was given a charter by an act of the Missouri Legislature, and in 1876 Miss Carleton purchased 16 acres of land within the city limits of Farmington. Two years later Carleton College was opened in a four-story brick building on this location and for a period of over 35 years this institution was a vital factor in the educational life of not only St. Francois County, but Southeast Missouri as well. Its doors were closed in 1916. Other similar private schools were the Elmwood Seminary and Presbyterian Normal School, opened in 1886, and Farmington College, which was begun in the same year under the control of the Baptists of the Franklin Association.
Bonne Terre school district has the distinction of being the first district in the county to erect a modern school building and for establishing the first first-class high school. St. Francois County, being one of the most wealthy counties in the state of Missouri, supports a school system much above the average. The people of the county take pride in their schools, which causes continual development. Perhaps one can best understand the extent of our county educationally after reviewing a few facts.
The total assessed valuation of our county is $24,439,120, ranking 13th among the 106 counties which were reported in the most recent publication of the State Department of Public Schools, issued on June 30, 1937. The school population of St. Francois County is approximately 11,470, with a total of 315 teachers employed, extending from the first grade through the second year of college. There are 76 school buildings in the county, situated over 51 school districts.
During the present year there are 37 rural school districts employing 45 teachers, who instruct 1210 pupils. These rural districts are as follows: Rouggly, Blackwell, Primrose, Coonville, Mostiller, French Village, Cave Spring, Patterson, Lambeth, Pleasant Mound, Germania, Big River Mills, Cedar Falls, Barton, Mitchell-Davis Crossing, Gumbo, Oak Hill, Sugar Grove, Valley Forge, Clearview, Copenhagen, DeLassus, Flanrey, Stono, Iron Mountain, Mildebright, Cartee, Independence, Possum Hollow, Brightstone, King, Burch, Cross Roads, Rock Creek, and Rockwood. Four rural schools, Independence, Fairview, Patton Mountain and Koester, will transport their pupils to other school districts next year.
We find 193 elementary teachers who instruct an aggregate of 6507 pupils in the county. Two of these schools are maintained for the colored people located in Bonne Terre and Farmington, and there are three elementary parochial institutions affiliated with Catholic and Lutheran churches.
The eighty-eighth report of the public schools of the state of Missouri shows that St. Francois County has a total of twelve high schools. Ten of these are first-class and affiliated with the State University at Columbia. They are situated at Bismarck, Bonne Terre, Desloge, Doe Run, Elvins, Esther, Farmington, Flat River, Frankclay and Leadwood. Two others located at Knob Lick and Libertyville have third-class high schools. There is a total enrollment in these twelve high schools of 1851 pupils with 107 teachers employed.
The Public Junior College at Flat River is a new educational venture in this county. It is possibly the first institution of its kind begun in the state outside of Kansas City and St. Louis. In this respect it may be regarded as a pioneer in a new educational field and since its inception in 1922, a steady and consistent growth has been evident. The Junior College is a member of the North Central Association of Secondary Schools and Colleges. It is a great asset to the community in that it gives many an opportunity to attend college for two years and be at home, avoiding additional expense. It also affords students an opportunity of securing more individual attention from the teachers, which the larger universities cannot give. Last year the Flat River Junior College had a total of 170 students with a teaching staff of 10.
Those associated with the schools of St. Francois County may well feel proud of the fact that during the past few years when so many schools in the state were compelled due to a lack of funds, to either shorten the length of the term or in some instances to close the schools altogether, there has been no instance where a school in this county has been without at least an eight months' term. This speaks well for the administrative conduct of the educational affairs as well as for the economic stability of our county.
The inter-school activities which are carried on in the various communities of the county along the line of athletics, dramatics, music, declamation, debating, etc., are evidence as to how great an influence the public schools have in the lives of both young and old.
In response to a request from the County Superintendent of Schools there was conducted in 1932 an administrative survey of the schools of our county by the State Department of Education. This survey, in exhaustive detail, pictures vividly and graphically the entire county public educational set-up and may be had in pamphlet form for the asking from the County Superintendent of schools. Naturally, the elements of strength, as well as of weakness, are carefully analyzed and suggestive remedial procedure is indicated, wherein defects may be overcome through local initiative as well as by legislative action. While, as is so well known, our public schools stand second to none, it is equally true that they cannot be kept so without the continued support and interest of the people, which has been so loyally given in the past and which it is confidently believed will continue to abide.
(The County Superintendent of Schools, in preparing the above article, drew largely for historical data from the chapter, Private and Public Schools, which appears in "A Brief Authentic History of St. Francois County," recently published by J. Tom Miles, whom he was privileged to assist in the preparation of the chapter quoted.)
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