Clay County, Missouri - Miscellaneous, 1885

The first schools taught in the county were made up by subscription and taught during the summer or autumn. The school-houses were generally hastily improvised without much attention being paid to comfort or convenience. Sometimes a winter school was provided if a house could be found comfortable enough.

In township 52, range 30, - in the southeastern portion of the county - the people first thoroughly organized for school purposes. In February, 1836, the township was organized into two school districts, with Fishing river the dividing line between them. The southern district was called Franklin, and the trustees were James Dagley, George Withers and Sam Crowley. The northern district was called Jefferson: trustees, Winfrey E. Price, Michael Welton, Joel. P. Moore. In the spring Jefferson was divided into two districts, and the western or northwestern was called Clark, in honor of Jesse Clark.

In April, 1836, township 52, i-ange 31, lying northeast of the town of Liberty, was divided into four school districts, Clay, Washington, White and Bell. Schools were established soon after in all these districts, and already there were good schools at Liberty. From the earliest period of its official existence Clay county has always taken a leading part in school matters among the best counties of the State.

The sixteenth sections in every congressional township in Missouri were from the first set aside for public school purposes, to be sold to the best advantage and the proceeds thereof properly applied, upon petition of two-thirds of the inhabitants of said congressional township. The Clay county court, in February, 1831, appointed Ware S. May to select the sixteenth sections in this county. Samuel Tillery was appointed commissioner, and he made sales from time to time up to the spring of 1834.

Under the act of February 9, 1839, public schools were instituted, and were aided from the interest of the township fund arising from the sales before mentioned. In 1842, the State l)egan the distribution of a small fund. These schools were rather meager in their results until the act of February, 1853, set apai-t twenty-five per cent of the State revenue for the support of common schools. This act also created the office of county school commissioner, and Col. A. W. Doniphan was appointed to the office in November, 1853, which he filled until August 8, 1854, when he resigned, having been elected county representative. George Hughes was then appointed to fill the vacancy, and has held the office up to this writing (February, 1885,) with complete satisfaction to all.

The first annual report to the State Superintendent, by County Commissioner Hughes, was made November 4, 1854. The whole number of white cliildren over 5 and under 20 years of age in the organized school township for that year was 2,426, and in the unorganized territory the children of school age were estimated to be about 500. The number of public schools was 32, and the number of teachers employed was 34. The average number of children attending public school was 1,264. The average salary paid teachers was $29 per month, and the length of school term was about five months and a fourth.

According to the report for 1884, the number of children in the county, between 6 and 20 years of age, was 4,708 whites and 420 colored. The total number attending public schools was 3,530 white children and 227 colored. The average number of days' attendance by each child was 80. The number of teachers employed during the year, 42 males and 53 females. The average monthly salary paid males was $47.82, and females $34.16. The whole number of white schools in operation during the year was 63, and for colored children there were eight. The total number of pupils that might be seated in the school rooms of the county was 4,125. The number of school houses was 61, of which 55 were frame, and six were brick. The total value of school property was $44,770.00. The average rate per $100 levied for school purposes was 49 cents. The whole amount received from public funds was $8,340.31, and the whole amount realized from ta.xation was $19,044.68. The amount paid teachers during the year was $20,445.45. The cost for tuition of each scholar was seven and a half cents. The average length of school term in each district was 1 24 '/2 days.

County leachevs' Institute. - The County Teachers' Institute was first organized in 1854, and held its first annual session at Mt. Gilead Church, August 29, 1855 (James Love was president and L. R. Slone secretary). This is believed to be the first county teachers' institute ever held in the State. It continued to hold annual, and, sometimes semi-annual sessions, until the public schools were suspended, in 1861. When the public schools were again organized after the close of the Civil War, the county institute was also reorganized, and held annual sessions until monthly institutes and county normal institutes supplied its place in the educational work of the county.

The founding of this institution is the result of a necessity for higher education which was felt by the Baptists of Missouri at an early day in the history of the State. This feeling was manifested as far back as the year 1833. The Baptists in the State, even at that date, appreciated the supreme importance of establishing a college of the first order, wherein their youths, under denominational influences, might receive the benefits of education beyond an academic course.

TheirGeneral Association, on the 25th day of August, 1843, appointed Uriah Sebree, Wade M. Jackson, Roland Hughes, Fielding Wilhoite, David Perkins, Eli Bass, Jordan O'Brien, R. E. McDaniel, Wm. Carson, G. M. Bower, Jason Harrison, James W. Waddell and I. T. Hinton, trustees, to receive the oft'er of Dr. William Jewell of $10,000 toward the endowment of a college to be under the direction of the Baptist denomination, fix the same within 15 miles of the Missouri river, not east of Jefferson City, nor west of Glasgow, and "to do all other acts usual and necessary to organize and carry on a litei'ary institution." On the 26th day of August, 1844, the General Association declined the ofl:er of $10,000 made by Dr. Jewell, for the reason that in the opinion of that body it was not possible, under the circumstances of the Baptist denomination in Missouri at that time, to raise the sum required by him, as the condition of his donation ; and so the persons named as trustees - in effect the committee on college organization - were discharged. The General Association met in August, 1847, at Walnut Grove, Boone county. The attendance of delegates was large and embraced quite a number of leading gentlemen of the Baptist denomination in, the State. The movement in favor of the founding of a college was plainly taking a more definite shape and becoming more energetic. The General Association, with-

1 Much of the iuforraation iu this article has been derived from a slvetch written by HoQ. D. C. Allea and published in the History of the Baptists of Missouri. In many Instances Mr. Allen's exact language is used.

Resolved, That a committee of five persons be appointed as a provisional committee on education, whose duty it shall be to originate an institution of learning, for the Baptist denomination in this State, provided the same can be accomplished upon a plan b}' which its endowment and perpetuity may be secured.

Roland Hughes, William Carson, Wade M. Jackson, R. E. McDaniel and David Perkins were appointed the committee contemplated by the resolution.

The committee appointed in 1847 reported to the General Association on the 2()th day of August, 1848. The report of the committee in substance was : That for the purpose of erecting and endowing a college in the State, they had secured subscriptions to the amount of $16,936 and that they believed, from the success which had attended their limited exertions, that a vigorous prosecution of the enterprise would finirlly end in success. On the recommendation of the committee the General Association passed the following resolution, viz. : -

Rexolved, That so soon as the provisional committee may think it advisable to make a location, they be instructed to make such location according to the condition expressed in the subscription which the agents have been authorized to circulate.

At the same time the General Association appointed the gentlemen of the last preceding committee a committee also to make application to the General Assembly of the State for a charter for the college, and to appoint a board of trustees. Through the agency of this committee, the Fifteenth General Assembly of the State granted a charter for a college (which was approved by the Governor on the 27th day of February, 1849), in accordance with the wishes of the Baptists of Missouri. (Session Acts, 1849, page 232). The title of the act granting the charter is : " An act to charter a college in the State of Missouri." The i)reamble of the act begins as follows: -

The trustees named in the charter are as follows : Tyree C. Harris, Isaac Lionberger, Jordan O'Brien, W. C. Ligon, Robert S. Thomas, A. W. Doniphan, T. N. Thompson, W. D. Hubbell, Robert James,

It was about March 1, 1848, when the first definite and practical action was taken to secure the location of the college at Liberty. On that date a meeting was held at Libeity and committees were appointed for each township to solicit subscriptions to the endowment. J. T. V. Thompson, E. M. Samuel and Madison Miller were at the head of the movement. During the following summer the county was thoroughly canvassed and nothing left undone to secure for Clay county the location of the much desired institution. This work was continued for a year thereafter, or until the summer of 1849.

The provisional committee appointed by the Baptist General Association, August 26, 1848, called a meeting of the donors to the endowment, to be held at Boonville, August 21, 1849, for the purpose of determining the name of the college and fixing its location. The donors met pursuant to the call. The number of shares - each share being valued at $48 - represented was 883. The subscriptions, in addition, were $7,000 by the citizens of Clay county, for the erection of buildings only.

The Clay county donors were represented in the meeting by Col. A. W. Doniphan and Hon. J. T. V. Thompson, who, with E. M. Samuel, had been appointed at a meeting held in Liberty, August 3. Four towns in the State contested for the location - Liberty, Fulton, Palmyra and Boonville. Col. Doniphan presented the claims of Liberty. When it came to the vote on the location the contest was animated and eager. The subscription of Clay was larger than that of any other county, but did not constitute a majority of the votes, each share being entitled to a vote. Finalh', the location at Liberty, Clay county, was made by the votes of Howard county being cast solidly for it. The final vote stood : For Liberty, 528 ; for Palmyra 194 ; for Boonville, 107 ; for Fulton, 44.

Immediately after the fixing of the location. Rev. Wm. C. Ligon moved that the college be named William Jewell College, in honor of Dr. W^m. Jewell, a prominent, well known and universally respected citizen of Boone county. Col. Doniphan seconded the motion, and it was adopted unanimously. Dr. Jewell was present in the meeting, and arose and returned his thanks for the honor. In conclusion he said he had long had his will written remembering this institution, and he now desired the secretary to write his obligation for $10,000 worth of land - 3,951 acres situated in Mercer, Grundy and Sullivan counties - which he desired to donate to the college. The conveyance was immediately completed. Subsequently, Dr. Jewell, in his will and by sums of money voluntarily expended out of his own pocket to contractors for theerection of the college edifice, gave the corporation not less than $6,000.^

The certificate of location and naming of the college was filed in the recoi-der's office of Clay County, August 25, 1849, and thereupon the name of the corporation became that which it still retains - "The Trustees of William Jewell College."

The site of the college was donated by Hon. J. T. V. Thompson, who, though not a church member, was all his life a friend and liberal patron of the institution. At first the corporation was liberal and almost non-sectarian in the organization of its faculty. From September, 1853, to June, 1861, one of the professors was uniformly a member of some other church denomination than the Baptist. This liberality was of decided advantage to the institution, in one respect at least.

The first meeting of the board of trustees was held November 12, 1849. The members at that time were Dr. Wm. Jewell, of Boone county; Roland Hughes, Wade M. Jackson, David Perkins, of Howard; M. R. Price, of Lafayette; W. C. Ligon, of Carroll; A. W. Doniphan, Edward M. Samuel, J. T. V. Thompson, R. R. Ci'aig and Rev. Robt. James,^ of Clay. Roland Hughes was elected first president of the board and Rev. Wm. C. Ligon, secretary. The board at this meeting decided to open a department of instruction - a preparatory school in the basement of the Baptist Church, in Liberty, the first session or term to begin January 1, 1850.

1 Dr. William Jewell was born in Loudoun county, Va., January 1, 1789, anil removed to Gallatin county, Ky., in 1800. He received a good education and took the degree of M. D., in Transylvania University. In 1820, he came to Missouri, and in 1822 located at Columbia. Accumulating something of a private fortune, he became a liberal patron of various laudable enterprises, and was well known as much for his general l)>2nevolence as for his public spirit. He gave $1,800 to secure the location of the Slate University at Columbia. He served two or three times in the Legi.ilature as a representative from Boone county. In 1822, ho united with the Baptist Church, and was a consistent member of that denomination until his death, which occurrecl at Liberty, August 7, 1853, of illness caused by over-exertion in a personal supervision of the work of erecting the building which bears his name. His noblest monument is William Jewell College.

adopted was tidmirable and thorough. The faculty for the year 1850-51 consisted of Rev. E. S. Dulin, Rev. Thos. F. Lockett and Rev. Wm. M. Hunsaker, the latter being the principal of the preparatory department. Rev. E. S. Dulin, Rev. Terry Bradley, and James G. Smith constituted the faculty for the year 1851-52. Mr. Bradley was professor of mathematics and Mr. Smith principal of the preparatory department. Rev. Dulin terminated his connection withj the college in June, 1852.

During the year 1852-53 the departments of instruction were simply under the patronage of the trustees, who permitted Rev. Terry Bradley and Geo. S. Withers to maintain a school in the rooms rented by the trustees, and take all the fees for tuition.

February 11, 1850, the trustees elected Dr. Jewell commissioner to superintend the erection of the college building. May 13 following, the board ordered contractts let for the erection, and work was begun on the foundations the ensuing fall. By August 7, 1852, the date of Dr. Jewell's death, the foundations were completed and the superstructure had been built to the height of twenty feet. Dr. Jewell supervised the work with the utmost vigilance and care. By the 1st of August, 1853, the building was complete except the flooring and plastering of the rooms of the south wing and what was then the lower chapel; these were completed about 1858. The building was occupied partially in the summer of 1853.

The architect of the college edifice was J. O. Sawyer, of Cincinnati, Ohio ; the superintendent, B. McAlester, of Columbia ; the brickmakers, Hunter & Alford, Lexington ; the stonework was done by R. Ainsworth, of Jefferson City; the plastering by John Burbank, of Weston ; the painting by A. H. Maxtield .

In the summer of 1853, the first faculty was elected with Rev. Robt. S.Thomas, of Columbia, as president; Terry Bradley, professor of Latin and Greek ; James Love, professor of mathematics and natural sciences ; Leonidas M. Lawson, tutor. The composition of the faculty for 1854-55 was the same as the previous year, with the addition of Wm. P. Lamb, who was principal of the preparatory department.

From June, 1855, until September, 1857, instruction in all the departments was suspended for want of funds. By September, 1857, the financial condition of the institution had improved to an extent that warranted the reopening of the college, which was done. The faculty for the year 1857-58 was composed of Rev. William Thomp-

August 12, 1861, the Civil War having broken out, and the country being in a highly disturljed condition, all departments of instruction were closed, and the college remained practically in a state of suspension for seven years, though irregular instruction was given at intei'vening periods during the war. After the battle of Blue Mills the college building was used for some days as a hospital for the reception and care of the Federal wounded. In August, 1862, the building and grounds were occupied by the Federal troops for some weeks, and some slight intrenchments constructed. No serious damage was done to the property by these occupations.

June 24, 1867, Rev. Thompson Ranibaut, LL. D., was chosen to the presidency of the college, and for a year thereafter he and the trustees were engaged in reorganization, and September, 28, 1868, the college reopened with the following faculty : Rev. Thos. Rambaut, president ; R. B. Seinple, professor of Latin, French, and Italian ; A. F. Fleet, professor of Greek and German ; John F. Lanneau, professor of mathematics; James R. Eaton, professor of natural sciences and theology.

Dr. Rambaut resigned in January, 1874, since which time the duties of president have practically been performed by Rev. W. R. Rothwell, D. D., who came to the college in June, 1872, as professor of Biblical literature. The present faculty consists of Dr. W. R. Rothwell, professor of moral philosophy and theology ; R. B. Scrapie, professor of Latin and German ; James G. Clark, professor of mathematics and French ; J. R. Eaton, professor of natural science ; R. P. Ryder, principal of the preparatory department ; A. J. Emerson, professor of English literature and historj'.