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Article Shows Gorrell Daughters as Top Students

Last week, while searching for articles about school census records, I discovered an article about Pleasant Grove School for the 1884-85 school year. Pleasant Grove School was in LaMine Township, Cooper County, Missouri. Amos Gorrell’s children attended the school.

The newspaper article gave great information about the school and the top students who attended during that term. The term lasted six months. Fifty-one students were enrolled.

Grades

The most interesting part of the article was the posting of the students’ grade standings. Two of Amos’s daughters, Lou Gorrell and Linnie Gorrell, had the highest standings at 98. Their sister, Ada, had 95, and their brother, Joe, had 90, and finally, their youngest brother, Arthur, had 80.[1]

In 1884-85, these children were the following ages by 14 March 1885, the end of the term.

  • Louella, 18
  • Linnie Sarah, 17
  • Ada Leah, 12
  • Joe, 16
  • Arthur, 9

The term ended earlier than it does now, probably so the children could be of use at home during the planting season.

Conclusion
I searched for other information about the school and discovered two schools in the county with the same name, so I had to be careful to select only the articles about the school in LaMine township and not the one in Nebo. I was hoping to find a photo of the school, but I had no luck. I may have to contact the Cooper County Historical Society.

It’s nice to know that the Gorrell family valued education and that the children worked hard to have good grades.

#52Ancestors: Week 36: In the News

This is my eighth year working on this year-long prompt, hosted by Amy Johnson Crow (https://www.amyjohnsoncrow.com/) at Generations Cafe.

I write each week in one of my two blogs, either Mam-ma’s Southern Family or My Trails into the Past. I have enjoyed writing about my children’s ancestors in new and exciting ways.


[1] “School Report,” The Boonville Weekly Advertiser, 20 Mar 1885, p. 1, col. 3.


Copyright © 2011-2025 by Lisa S. Gorrell, My Trails into the Past. All Rights Reserved.

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