Jameson becomes Missouri ‘s first consolidated school

The following is one of a continuing series of articles on the Great Depression by local historian of that era, Wilbur Bush.
In the fall of 1872, a lot was purchased for $1 and set aside for the construction of Jameson’s first school building. A one-room frame schoolhouse was built on the site during the winter months of 1872-73. A three month subscription school was organized with an enrollment of approximately a dozen students, but because of a lack of support, it only lasted a few weeks. The following year the town organized the first regular school district which began in the fall of 1875. The building of the former school was divided into two rooms.
A second schoolhouse was erected in 1883. It was a frame building of four rooms and built two blocks west of the northwest corner of the city park. It had an enrollment of approximately 100 students.
On March 5, 1914, a special election was held for the voting of the proposition to consolidate six school districts into one, and for establishing free transportation for the students. Both measures passed with 158 in favor and 15 against.
The school was the first consolidated school in Missouri and was organized in Grand River township on March 19, 1914. The district included a portion of five school districts and the town of Jameson, an area of 37 square miles surrounding the town. The rural schools were Grant, Brown, Laswell, Brushy Creek, and Beck of Liberty township.
With the consolidation, a larger facility had to be constructed at a new location. Children living within a radius of five miles would have the opportunity to attend the school free. Transportation would be provided to and from school. Nine transportation routes were established as well as eight new horse drawn wagons purchased. In addition, a new barn would be built to house the wagons and the horses.
The new consolidated school also had the first vocational home economics and vocational agriculture departments in the state. Other assets included 10 recitation rooms, a large auditorium, basement, office, and library. It was heated by steam, lit by electricity, drinking water in connection with a fountain placed on each floor, and restrooms on the first floor and connected to the waterworks.
Even with all the benefits provided with the new school, everyone wasn’t in favor of the reorganization and the law allowed the town’s people to vote the districts into consolidation. Opposition was so great, many boycotted the Jameson merchants for years.
In April 1915, the school district began to construct a new $20,000 three story, brick building under the supervision of the contractor Henry Sutton of Bethany, Mo. (Although the majority of sources say the cost was $20,000, other sources refer to the cost as being $30,000.) The building was completed in time for the students to attend the first day of school on Oct. 4, 1915, with 257 students enrolled. This was during World War I, and all the people were requested to have a garden. Following the people’s requirements, the school kept pace and planted a large garden on the school grounds.
In February 1918, the Jameson school was approved by the state board of education. Other rural schools added to the district in the late 1940’s or early 1950’s were Scotland, Barnett, Goodbar, Stony Point, and one-half of Netherland.
More about subscription schools
This type of school originated with the early settlers. When enough children were in a community, the men would build a log school house. Families paid according to the number of children they had in school. Teachers were often paid with such things as meat, corn, etc. It was an exception to receive all their wages in money. They often boarded with the different families for short periods of time.
School usually lasted for three months beginning in the fall. Attendance was irregular since the boys usually stayed home and helped shuck the corn, plow the ground, etc. The scholars might range from a very small child to adult men and women.