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Cole County & Jefferson City Historic Schools |
Jefferson City Historic Schools
by: Nancy Arnold Thompson
When the first settlers came to Cole County no free public school system existed in America. A good many colleges and universities, now famous, had been long in existence, but elementary as well as higher education was only for those who had the means to pay for it and illiteracy was common. A large per cent of the early legal documents of this county are signed by mark, the men and women making them being unable to sign their names.
The first school houses in Cole County were built of logs. The average room was about twenty feet square, with a ceiling eight or ten feet high. On two sides of the house a log was left out and windows inserted. Under each window a long, wide board, fastened to the wall with pegs, served as a writing desk; one for the boys and one for the girls. The teacher had a chair. Pupils sat on benches made of split logs, flat side uppermost. Six or eight might sit on each bench. The first schools had a fireplace with stick chimney, later ones a stove in the center with benches around it on four sides. On cold days the pupils, then called the scholars, changed seats often to keep comfortable. A small shelf near the door held the water bucket with a gourd for a drinking cup.
The subjects taught included reading, spelling, arithmetic, grammar and writing. In the latter subject the teacher would write the copy and the pupils imitate it. Three months was the ordinary term of the first schools.
Cole County's first school was taught by Lashley L. Wood in the court house at Marion in the spring of 1827. In addition to the children of the community his pupils included twenty grown men and women from this and adjoining counties. Mr. Wood afterwards owned and operated the first store in California, Moniteau County, and built and operated the only hotel at that place for many years.
In the year 1840 statistics showed that one-fourth of the population of Cole County above the age of twenty years could not read nor write. In that year the county contained fourteen common schools with an enrollment of three hundred fourteen, and two academies with an enrollment of seventy-four.
The act of congress admitting Missouri as a state set apart the sixteenth section of land in every township for the support of schools. The sale of this land went to establish a permanent school fund. The state's first constitution provided that one school or more shall be established in each township as soon as practicable and necessary, where the charges will be taught gratis. Thus the township was the first unit for school administration. It remained so until 1853.
Nearly all the early teachers were men. An important qualification for a teacher in those days was the ability to whip any pupil who might need it. There were few who did not need it frequently according to the standards of the time. The Tribune of October 14th, 1874, contains the following item: There were in this progressive month thirty-cases of corporal punishment with a raw hide, ferule in hand, and otherwise, in a school of less than five hundred pupils. Whereby, it is apparent that the old custom of flogging had declined very materially.
-A History of Jefferson City and Cole County, by James E. Ford
by: Nancy Arnold Thompson
In the 1820 Constitution of the State of Missouri, when Missouri first became a state, Article VI, Sec. 1, page 21 set forth the requirement for free public schools. It required at least one free, public school per township "as soon as practicable or necessary". It was not until later that a plan for the location of these free, public schools was devised and set forth by the early Missouri Department of Education. The plan was a simple, but direct plan that, if adhered to, would assure that every child of the prescribed age would have a school within walking distance, a maximum of 2.5 miles. The plan, as prescribed, would locate a school in the center section of land of a survey township that was divided into quadrants. A survey township, having thirty-six sections, divided into quadrants would assign placement of the school in sections eight (8), eleven (11), twenty-six (26) and twenty-nine (29). The following image from Cole County's Township 43 N, Range 12 W, is used as an example. Obviously, schools were not necessarily placed in center of those prescribed sections, but slightly offset to take advantage to proximity to population centers, availability of free or donated lands or simply to take advantage of terrain. In many cases, the school might be located in an adjacent section.
Cole County Township 43 N, Range 12 W
The Jefferson City Seminary is now in operation. It consists of a Male and Female department, besides the principal, who has the superintendency off the whole school. There will be in the Male Department a well qualified preceptor, and in the Female Department a preceptress. With this number of teachers all the classes will have as much attention as they would receive in a private school. So will the young ladies and young gentlemen enjoy the academic course. Those who are studying the rudiments of education are not at all neglected. The school year consists of two sessions of five months each. Rates of tuition are from $7.50 to $14.00. Strict measures are taken to prevent any mingling between the two departments. (A letter to the editor, published the following week, states that this new school of Mr. Lewis contains eighty scholars, divided into two departments, Male and Female, and subdivided into several classes.)
Jefferson City Inquirer, January 2, 1845
The old Central School was Jefferson City's first high school and was built about 1871. The first and second floors were occupied by the grades, the high school using the third floor. The first graduating class, consisting of Misses Louise Yost, Katie Bolton and Lola Murphey, received their diplomas in 1875.
In February of 1876 a total of thirteen pupils were enrolled in the high school. F.A. Nitchey, principal of the high school and superintendent of the grades, taught all high school classes except German, which was taught by E.A. Zuendt. During the first twenty years of its existence the Jefferson City high school produced eighty-seven graduates.
Central School, Jefferson City - 1876 Northwest corner East Miller & Monroe Street Clockwise: A. E. Wardner, Superintendent J. M. Johnson, Teacher, Writing Mrs. L. P. Coe, No. 7 Miss H. Scharp, Asst. No. 1 Miss E. Reynolds, No. 5 Miss K. Southard, No. 2 E. A. Zuendt, Teacher, German F. A. Nitchy, Principal, High School Mrs. M. H. Holmes, No. 3 Miss R. Condict, No. 4 Mrs. E. L. Rowe, No. 1 Mrs. M. W. Galbraith, No. 6
Central School - 408 Monroe
The fancy mansard roof was removed from the building in a renovation in 1904. The structure was sold in 1923 to the Lutheran Church which used it for a school until 1961. The building was razed in 1962.
New Central School - 315 E. Dunklin Street
The New Central School was completed in 1919. It replaced the original Central school built nearly 50 years earlier at the corner of Monroe and Miller Streets. The Dunklin Street building was used as an elementary school until Thorpe J. Gordon School at 1201 Jackson Street, was occupied in the fall of 1956. For a time in the mid to late 1950s it was used as an annex to the Senior High School/Junior College. It presently houses the administrative offices of the school system.
Simonsen School
In 1890 a new high school building on the Hobo Hill site was under construction. In 1892, R.E. Oldham superintendent, the Jefferson City school was placed on the approved list of the state university. In the year 1896-7 the high school had a faculty.
High School (Simonsen) - corner Jackson and Miller
This was the first separate high school building constructed by the Jefferson City public school system. Construction started in 1904 with occupancy in the fall of 1905. This building was constructed on "Hobo Hill", the site of the original school land purchased in 1835. The building was remodeled in 1914 and a new section was placed to the north of the original structure. A $5,000 donation made by Mrs. Fredrica Simonsen in memory of her husband, Ernst Simonsen, prompted the Board of Education to name the school in honor of Mr. Simonsen.
J. W. Richardson
Prof. John W. Richardson had the degree of A.M. conferred upon him by the College of Emporia, Emporia, Kansas. Upon completion of his education, he worked for a few years as publisher and editor of a newspaper before devoting his time to educational work. He was principal of a number of schools and academies of Kansas and Missouri. He served a number of terms as County Superintendent of different counties in the state of Kansas, and was U.S. Supervisor of Education of the Fourth District, composed of Kansas Oklahoma and Indian Territory. He was first elected to the post of Superintendent of the Public Schools of Jefferson City in 1899.
Graduating Class of 1900 - Jefferson City High School
Senior High School/Junior College - Miller between Madison & Monroe
The land for the new high school was purchased in September 1924 on the site of the original residence of Dr. G. B. Winston, a member of the Board of Education in the 1870s. It fronted on Miller Street between Madison and Monroe streets, across Miller from the location of the first Central School. With completion and occupation of the building in 1926, the city opened its first two-year junior college. Most of the college classes were held on the third floor of the building and high school grades 10, 11 and 12 occupied the first and second floors. Grades 7, 8 and 9 remained at the former high school building and it was renamed Simonsen Junior High School.
In April 1929 the administration of the junior college and high school programs was separated, creating two positions, college dean and high school principal. The final year of the Jefferson City Junior College, 1957-1958, there were 101 students enrolled. In the spring of 1958, 36 students were the last to receive their college degrees from this school.
Broadway School - 226 W. Dunklin
Built in 1904 on the northeast corner of Broadway and Dunklin Streets, the new building replaced a two-room school constructed on the same site in 1891. Broadway School was used by the elementary grades until it was replaced in 1955 by the new South School at 301 Linden Drive. This building has been converted to office space.
Fairview School - 903 E. High
Built in 1903 on the northeast corner of High and Chestnut Streets, the grade school building was replaced in 1938 with the construction of East School.
East School - 1400 East High Street
Completed in 1938, this school replaced the Fairview School. Later construction added classrooms and a cafeteria.
Old Moreau Heights School - Hillcrest and Moreau Drive
The original section of this building was first occupied in 1914. This picture shows the additional construction in 1931. This elementary school was replaced in 1955 with completion of the new Moreau Heights School at 1404 Hough Park Road. That building was expanded in 1962 with the addition of four classrooms.
Park School - 800 block St. Mary's Boulevard
This photograph shows the school with its second story as it was finished in 1916. Park School was used as an elementary building until it was replaced in 1954 by the completion of the new Southwest School on the same site.
West End School - 1115 W. Main
Built in 1903 at 1107 West Main Street, West End was replaced in 1938 with the construction of a new West school. This building has been converted to apartments and is still in use.
New West End School - Dix Road and W. Main Street
Built in 1938 to replace the old West End School, the above picture shows the building with later additions of eight classrooms and a cafeteria.
Washington School - on Elm between Lafayette & Cherry
Built in 1903, this school served the African American students prior to integration. A gymnasium was added in 1938 and the building was used as a Negro elementary school. Simultaneous with the move into the new junior college-senior high school building, the first high school classes were opened in the Washington School for Negroes. The faculty at Washington was increased by two teachers and instruction was started for Negro pupils in grades nine and ten. Students attended the Lincoln Laboratory High School for grades 11 and 12. This arrangement lasted four years until grades nine and ten at Washington were dropped and the Negro students again attended all four years at Lincoln. When the city public schools were integrated completely in 1956, Washington was leased and later sold to Lincoln University.
In 1951, two Negroes applied for admission for their daughters to the Simonsen Junior High School. They charged the educational offerings at Washington were not equivalent to the white school as required by law. This case was settled out of court and no Negroes were admitted to the junior high school. Negro high school students at this time were attending grades nine through 12 at the Laboratory School of Lincoln University.
An excellent history of the Jefferson City School system, The House on Hobo Hill, was written by Jerena East Giffin and published in 1964. If you are seeking an in-depth history, we highly recommend this book.
Unknown (Black) School - on W. McCarty between Broadway & Washington
Sometimes, schools for African-Americans were established in buildings that had been discarded by the white community. A case in point was the so-called ?House on Hobo Hill? on the outskirts of Jefferson City. Discarded by the white community as unfit for white students, the log structure became the school for African-Americans in 1868. Later, African-Americans went to school in a second building abandoned by white students. The Jefferson City Board of Education spent more than $26,000 during the early 1870s to build a new, 3-story brick school building for white students known as the ?Central School.? When the white children moved into this new building in the Fall of 1871, that freed up the old white school (known as the ?German-English Building?), located in the 100-block of West McCarty St. Initially, the old school was rented to the publisher of a local newspaper, who happened also to be a member of the board of education. In 1873, the school board tried to persuade the publisher to allow one room of the building to be used for a school for African Americans, but he refused. Finally, in the Fall of 1875, after the black student population had swelled to more than 150 students, and the printing office had moved to another location, the board of education established a school for African Americans in one room of the German-English Building. This building became known as the ?Washington School? during the early 1890s and continued to serve the black students of Jefferson City throughout the remainder of the century.
Giffen, The House on Hobo Hill, pp. 58-59.
German Evangelical School - 709 Washington
Members of the German Evangelical Central Church wanted their children instructed in the German language and in religion, so this school was established. Sending children to this school was not compulsory but optional with the members of the church.
The two-story brick building was erected in 1871, when a school was organized and continued the following three years, after which there was no school under the Evangelical Central Church until 1892, when it was reorganized with 65 pupils. Prof. Theo. Braun of Evansville, Ind. was in charge. He resigned in 1894 to prepare for the ministry. He was followed by Prof. Carl Braun who resigned in the summer of 1900 to accept a position in a German Evangelical school in St. Louis.
Students were instructed in German and English and the curriculum conformed as much as possible to that of the public schools.
Trinity Evangelical Lutheran - 327 Monroe
It was an invariable rule of the Lutheran ministers of the Missouri Synod to establish a school wherever they gather a congregation. The Lutheran Trinity congregation of Jefferson City following this idea established a school and called a teacher even before they had a church and a minister. The beginning of the school was in 1870, different students teaching. Two years later the congregation called their first Minister, Rev. J. Walker, who began teaching the day after his installment as pastor.
After his departure students again instructed until the second minister was called, Rev. H. Wesche, who served other charges in his pastoral work in addition to this one, teaching at the same time. After faithfully serving some seven years, he accepted a call to another charge, Rev. H. Kaeppel being his successor. His father, Mr. John Kaeppel, was a teacher by profession, and had charge of the school, except the English branches, which were taught by the son. Rev. Kaeppel left to become a professor at Concordia College and his father continued in charge of this school for one year, when Rev. C. Purzner was called. Under his care the school became so large an assistant was necessary and J. S. L. Deffner was engaged, who continued several years, when he accepted a position to teach in St. Louis.
The minister taught for a while, when the congregation called W. C. Poll, a graduate of the Addision (Ill.) Normal. Both minister and teacher were called to other fields, and Pastor Fred Meyer was called; he had charge of both school and church one year, when Prof. H. H. Beiderwieden was engaged for the school. The attendance grew to 100 and an assistant, Miss Minnie Wolfrum, was employed. During Prof. Beiderwieden's term the school building was remodeled. He left to accept a call to St. Louis and his successor, A. Ameiss, a graduate of Addison Normal School was hired as his replacement.
Miss Eppes' Private School - 101 W. McCarty
After several years of teaching in the public schools, Miss Julia Eppes opened a private school at her home, 101 W. McCarty, in 1896. Many pupils whom she taught in the public schools came and finished under her instruction. The average enrollment was about twenty-five pupils, coming largely from prominent families.
Notre Dame Convent - 232 Broadway
St. Peter's Parochial School - 316 W. High Street
St. Peter's Parish was organized in 1846, at which time their first church building was erected. The organization not feeling equal to the task of providing a school building, Francis Roer opened his spacious home and invited students to gather there for instruction. Mr. Roer taught them to read and write and also gave them religious instruction.
In 1854, under the administration of Father Blaarer, the first parochial school building was erected east of the little frame church on High Street, on the ground later included in the convent garden. It was a one-story brick building, and served as a parochial school until the completion of the second church under Father Walsh in 1857, when the school was removed to the old frame church, the first building erected by Catholics in the city. This building was used for school purposes until 1868, when the convent was built and placed in charge of four sisters of the Notre Dame Order, who had been sent from Milwaukee, Wis., at the request of Father Mueller. January 12 the convent school (a three-and-a-half-story brick building, including basement) was blessed by the Rev. Father Mueller, in the presence of the congregation, and on Monday, January 13, Sister M. Clara, the Superioress, opened school with 38 pupils, which during the year increased to 120.
Another edifice was built during Father Mueller's administration in 1872, where St. Peter's Parochial School building now stands. It was a two-story brick building, the first floor serving as a school for boys, while the second was occupied by the assistant priest. The building was removed to give place to the building shown below. The building was completed in 1890, the dedicatory ceremony being performed on Easter Monday (April &) by Right Rev. Mgr. H. Muehisiepen, V.G.
The length of the building was 109 feet; width 87 feet, and height, 52 feet. The basement contained six rooms, divided by a passage or hallway, running the entire length of the edifice. Three of the rooms were used as a meeting place for the Benevolent Society and C. K. of A., two as club room and gymnasium of the Young Men's Sodality, containing billiard tables and other appliances for healthful sport and physical development. The central passage was traversed by a bowling alley 68 feet long. The six school rooms were on the first floor and five were presided over by the School Sisters of Notre Dame, with Sister M. Illydia, Superioress, while the boy's High School was conducted by Prof H. A. Smihausen, all under the charge of the pastor, Father O.J.S. Hoog.
The second floor was used as a parochial hall, familiarly known as St. Peter's Hall. The length of the hall is 65 feet; width, 83, and in addition has a large stage 60 feet wide and 40 feet deep. During the day thirty-four arched windows admit light. The entire building was furnished with gas light, steam heat and water conduits. St. Peter's School boasted that they were the only school of the kind in Central Missouri whose graduates were received at the State university of Missouri without re-examination.
St. Peter's Catholic - 316 W. High - 1891
In 1938, the two Catholic schools, St. Peter's and Immaculate Conception, enrolled 680 and 350, respectively, and employed 28 teachers. St. Peter's School offered eight years of elementary and four years of secondary training. A new high school building was erected in 1933, at a cost of $70,000 and Selinger Centre, which provided athletic, dramatic and recreational facilities for the school, was built in 1937 at a cost of $80,000. Immaculate Conception school offered eight years of elementary and two years of secondary training.
According to James Ford's History of Jefferson City and Cole County, in 1938 there were forty-six elementary schools in rural Cole County, thirty-two had one teacher each, seven had two, six had three and one had four. The total number of elementary teachers was 68 and the enrollment was approximately 1600. The trend was to close the small, one-room schools and transport the pupils to centers where better organization, equipment and libraries could be provided.
At that time, there were three rural high schools, at Eugene, Centertown and Russellville, offering four years of training, and one at Taos offering two years, with a total of thirteen teachers and 325 enrolled students. These four rural high schools and the Jefferson City high schools placed secondary education within easy reach of every boy and girl of Cole County. They were also attended by students from parts of Callaway, Miller and Moniteau Counties.
County Schools
Old Russellville School
In 1899, this modern two-story, four-bedroom school was erected on what is now known as the Otto Hittenmeyer property on N. Smith Street, in order to benefit the resident and non-resident pupils of the county. The previous school was held in an old Methodist Church building, located on Jefferson Street, between N. Smith and Marion Streets.
In 1910, this school offered a one year high school credit for the first time. Not until the fall of 1914, were high school subjects offered again. The school was in use until 1940, when it was torn down in order to salvage any usable materials for the new high school that was being built. This new high school still stands today at its original location on Hwy. C in west Russellville.
Immanuel Lutheran School - Honey Creek
Before Immanuel was formally organized, school was held in 1868 when student Hahn taught, and in 1869, when student Klindworth taught. The old log church was also used for the school.
After Immanuel Congregation was formally organized, the pastor taught the school except in 1890-91, when Miss Deffner taught, in 1895-96 when student Henry Hamm taught, and in 1902 when Rev. Lehr was ill and Miss Deffner and student Gundlach taught.
The old church served as a school until 1924 when the original stone school (right) was built. The committee for building the new school was composed of Adam Ittner, Sebastian Sommerer, and August Henry. This building was dedicated November 2, 1924. The dedication committee was composed of Henry Schuert, Otto Ittner, and Albert Hirschman. The newer south part was built in 1955 and 1956. Classes were first held in it the fall of 1955. It was dedicated Nov. 11, 1956. Most of the work on this building was donated by members of the Congregation.
In 1928, Miss Janet Mayens was hired to teach the school. At this time the school board came into existence. The teachers who followed were: Ruth Borgelt 1929-30, Walter Gedes, 1930-31; Edwin Kirchoff, 1931-32; Elmer Meyer, 1932-33 and 1933-34; Erwin Rodenburg, 1934-35; Carl Fruedenburg, 1935-36; Paul Juengel, 1936-37 to 1937-38; Edwin Hollmanbrom, 1938-39 and 1941-42; Carl Trinklein 1942-43 to 1947-48; Donald Medler, 1948-49; Cleo Ehrhardt, 1949-50 and 1950-51.
Up until this time Immanuel had only a one classroom school. Many of the children who lived farther away attended public schools until they reached the age for confirmation instruction. Some walked 5 or 6 miles or rode horses or bicycles. After the public school system was reorganized, and the small one-room public schools were closed, bus transportation became available, and more children came to the Christian Day School. Son in 1951-52 Immanuel became a two-room school. Classes were held in the basement of the present north wing. Rev. and Mrs. Ziegler and Mrs. Raymond Newyahr taught school that year.
St. John's Evangelical Lutheran School - Schubert
The records do not indicate exactly when a parish school was begun at St. John's. Even during the time of the Osage Point Church, confirmation instruction was given when a pastor was available. After the brick church was built in 1889-1890, the former church was used as a school. Until 1943, the pastor was the teacher of the school.
Pastor Geyer and the School Children
For the school year 1943-1944, Mr. Orlyn Schlie was called to take on the post of teacher.
Orlyn Schlie
He was succeeded by Mr. Robert Dosien, who taught the 1944-1945 school year.
Robert Dosien
Since that time, the congregation has paid the tuition for the children of the parish to attend Trinity School, Jefferson City.
St. John's Lutheran School - Lohman (Stringtown)
This class photo was taken in 1905. first row, L-R: Fred Scheperle, Oscar Kautsch, Amelia Kautsch, Emma Engelbrecht, Augusta Kautsch, Amelia Eggers, Bertha Kautsch, Louis Scheperle.
Second row, L-R: Alma Heinrich, Bill Puchta, Pastor J. Mueller, John Hoffman, Nettie Eggers, Herman Freshley, August Fischer, Edna Scheperle, Elizabeth Allen, Elsie Kirchner, August Kirchner.
Draughon's Business College
A practical school for the training of our future business men is Draughon's Business College, located on East High Street. In this school one acquires those things which one must know to get on in this world and here those things are taught in the most direct manner and at the least expense. It is a practical common sense school, conducted by skillful teachers, and it is indorsed by prominent business men everywhere. The various departments of this college teach the necessary things; and the reputation of the Draughon colleges, place them at the head of commercial training schools.
The Draughon colleges compose the longest and strongest chain of business colleges in the world and this institution is on a par with all the rest. Bookkeeping, shorthand, typewriting, arithmetic, penmanship and full English courses are taught by experienced instructors. Practical office work is an important feature, which is demonstrated by the enormous demand from business men and bankers for the graduates of this college. This school has been established in this city but a few months, but in that short itme has enrolled eighty-two students.
R. W. Jacks
The local manager of this institution is the well-known educator, Mr. R. W. Jacks, whom this concern was extremely fortunate in obtaining. Mr. Jacks was born in Indiana, and was educated in the public schools of Frankfort and the State Normal at Terre Haute, Ind. For thirty-seven years Mr. Jacks has been a successful instructor.
From Jefferson City Past and Present Progress and Prosperity
Published 1912
