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
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 37: 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.
What a fun find in the newspaper! And wonderful to see the high grades of these ancestors being publicized.
ReplyDeleteGood insight that the students likely needed to be home to help with planting as evidence for the shortened school year. I wonder if they welcomed that or preferred to be in school?
ReplyDelete