HARRISON COUNTY, MISSOURI
COUNTRY SCHOOLS

COUNTRY SCHOOLS

THERE WAS A COUNTRY SCHOOL USUALLY LOCATED ABOUT EVERY TWO MILES, WITH NO SCHOOL BUSSES. THE TEACHERS WERE THEIR OWN JANITORS AND HAD TO GET THERE EARLY ENOUGH IN THE WINTER TO "GET THE FIRE" GOING. THE TEACHER TAUGHT EIGHT GRADES AND SOMETIMES BOARDED WITH LOCAL FAMILIES. THESE "COUNTRY" SCHOOLS WERE A VERY IMPORTANT ELEMENT OF LIFE IN THE COUNTRY. THEY WERE USUALLY THE MAIN SOURCE OF THE SOCIAL LIFE OF THE HARD WORKING FOLKS WHO LIVED IN THE COUNTRY. THE SCHOOLS HAD LITERARY SOCITIES, DEBATES, CIPHERING, SPELLING CONTEST, SKATING PARTIES AND BASEBALL GAMES. SOMETIMES THESE SCHOOLS WERE USED AS HOUSES OF WORSHIP, AS WELL AS PLACES OF LEARNING. THE LAST DAY OF SCHOOL WAS ALWAYS "AN EVENT" AND USUALLY THE WHOLE FAMILY WOULD ATTEND.

TIME MARCHES ON AND ALTHOUGH WE LIVE IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY, WHERE THERE IS USUALLY A COMPUTER IN EVERY CLASS AND INSTANT ACESS TO FAR AWAY PLACES....WE SOMETIMES WONDER IF THE FOLKS WHO HAD THE PRIVELEGE OF ATTENDING THESE "COUNTRY SCHOOLS" WEREN'T THE LUCKIEST" OF US ALL....

BELOW ARE LINKS TO SOME OF THE COUNTRY SCHOOLS IN HARRISON COUNTY, MISSOURI... AS YOU READ THE INFORMATION PROVIDED, TRY TO PUT YOURSELF BACK IN TIME...FOR JUST A BIT AND REALIZE HOW CLOSE KNIT THESE COMMUNITIES OF "COUNTRY FOLKS" WERE AND HOW VERY IMPORTANT "SCHOOL" WAS IN THEIR LIVES: