Linn County, Missouri - State and County's Educational Facilities, 1882

State and County's Educational Facilities

Educational - School Law and Section 7103 - Consolidation of State School Funds - Why Education Should be Universal - l^inn County's First Move - Sales of the Sixteenth Sections - School Funds - Organized into School Districts - The Funds of Each - State Fund from 1850 to 1860 - Township Fund Distributed from 1854 to J863 - The Effects of the Civil War - After the Deluge - Neiv Organization of the School Districts, 1866 - School and Sivamp Lands - Enumeration - Town Apportionment - The Hannibal & St. Joe and Other Railroads - School Taxes - School History in Detail from 18115 to 1881 - State School Fund - Closing Remarks.

The State of Missouri has taken a deep interest in the education of her cliildren, and perhaps very few of the people really know the situation of the school money of the State, or, in many instances, of the county. They are posted in the district in which they reside and know how much tax they pay for their- schools and to put up their school-houses, but it is doubtful if many know what amount the State contributes annually toward educating their children. In view of this fact, not only is there a full and complete history of the schools of Linn county embodied in this work, but there is added so much of the action of the State in regard to public schools, colleges, and seminaries, as will prove not only of interest to the reader of this history, but of inestimable value for the information it contains. At the last session of the General Assembly, that of 1880-81, quite a large portion of its time and talents were given, to simplify the laws regarding public schools, adding others needed, and arranging the school fund of the State in such a manner as would ffive the largest amount for distribution, and at the same time make this fund for all time a sacred trust to the people of Missouri, to their children, and to their children's children. Below is the amended section, 7103, which now is the law of the State, and reads as follows:

" It is liereby made the duty of the several County Courts of this State to diligent!}' collect, preserve, and invest at the highest rate of interest that can be obtained, not exceeding ten nor less than six per cent per annum, on unencumbered real estate security, worth at all times at least double the sum loaned, with pei'sonal security in addition thereto, the proceeds of all moneys, stocks, bonds, and other property belonging to a county school fund; also, the net proceeds from the sale of estrays; also, the clear proceeds of all penalties and forfeitures, and of all fines collected in the several counties for any breach of the penal or military laws of the State; and all moneys which shall be paid by persons as an equivalent for exemption from military duty, shall belong to, and shall be securely invested and sacredly preserved in the several counties, as a public school fund, the income of which fund shall be faithfully appropriated for establishing and maintaining free public schools in the several counties of the State."

The legis'ature, also, at the same session, passed an act consolidating the State school funds into six per cent thirty year certificates of indebtedness, the interest payable annually on the first day of January of each year. This certificate of indebtedness amounts to $3,800,000, and dates from July 1, 1881. It is now negotiable, and in the words of the act, "shall be sacredly preserved in the State treasury for the permanent school fund of the State."

Education stands at the portals of civilization, and from the earliest history of our country it has stood as the bulwark of free institutions, the beacon-light which has guided our people in their onward march of progress and given a name to America as the home of an enlightened people. It is the keystone in the arch of human development, and the world progresses as the arts and sciences spread and irradiate the whole country. Ignorance and vice ruled the "dark ages," war desolated the country, but when education led in the march of civilization the sword gave way to peace, and vice was relegated to those places where the sunlight of reason had not yet broken through the thick cloud of ignorance which enveloped the masses of the people. The sword gave way to the intellectual sway of the pen, and men found higher aims and nobler accomplishments than that of the suc- knifjht or jjladiator.

The spread of education began to tell upon the mental resources of the pe3ple; in its development the triuniph of mind over matter became assured, and its forward progress has been a triumphant march, ever onward and upward toward the plane of universal knowledge. And from the old world to the new came, also, the. thirst for knowledge. It was those driven from tlie old world because vice, which rei,^ned, conld not stand the lij^ht of an educated people, who made America their home. They came free to carry out their views of education and enlightened progress, and grounding their work upon their faith, it was one of success. America stands to-day, in practical education and general knowledge, in the van of enlightened nations - not that effete knowledge which runs in the rut of theoretical teachings, but in the wide, open pathway which makes the mind expand and gives broader views to the masses of the people. It is this general knowledge which has made the United States rank as one of the first nations of the earth in power and influence; and yet she has but just passed one century of her existence. And this thirst for knowledge has increased with her increasing years, and schools and colleges are the pride of the citizens. in every section of our common country. In this State there is found embodied in the constitution one important item. It is that tv^-enty-five per cent of the revenue of the State, exclusive of the interest and sinking fund,, is set aside for school purposes. This law was passed under the administration of Sterling Price, and continued until 1861. During the war and until 1869 that fund had not been paid, but a change from war rule to that of B. Gratz Brown, and forward from that date, the revenue again was paid into the school fund, and about |1, 500,000 added for those lost years. The new State constitution of 1875 has a clause that will forever make that twentyfive per cent payable to the school fund annuall3^ The county funds are steadily growing, and as the State is rapidly increasing in wealth, it will not be long before the school fund - State, county, and township - with the money arising from fines and penalties - will be sufficient for the fall conduct of our schools. The tax levy need only be enough to build and improve the school property of eacli county as such may become necessary.

The First Move

The first move in the school history of Linn county Avas made by the saleof the sixteenth section of township fifty-eight, range eighteen, and of township fifty-eight, range twenty. These were sold December, 1839. It was then decided to organize the latter township for school purposes, and this was done February 22, 1840. The meeting was at the house of John Holland, and he was appointed school commissioner. Tiie entire sixteenth section of fifty -eight, range twentj'', was sold, and it realized $2,269.40, a fraction under an average of $3.55 per acre. Kobert Reed paid the highest price, $6.05 per acre; John Singleton paid $4.51; Alfred Potts $4.26 and $4.01. One lot sold at $4.25, another $3.80, and two at the rate of $1.25. Only half of fifty-eight, range eighteen, was sold, and $500 was realized for the- 3l0 acres. The next sale was not until December, of 1840, when threefourths of section sixteen, of township fifty-nine, range twenty, was sold for 1846.40.

The sales of the different school sections continued, but only part of them was sold at a time. The section of fifty-eight, range twenty, reported above, was the only one that sold complete.

The northeast quarter of this last section was sold to Daniel Grant, the first eighty acres at $2.85, and the second eighty acres at $6. Abel Mallo}' bought the third lot at $1.25, government price. Only one lot, eighty acres, of the remainder of township fifty-eight, range eighteen, sold, and that brought $100. This was in October, 1843. From this time on there were numerous sales, sometimes the lots being sold in forty acre patches. Yery little of the i-emaining sixteenth sections brought more than government price, except here and there where the property was more valuable to a person, who owned an adjoining tract. The property was sold principally on one and two years' time, and personal security was given in addition to the land purchased, and ten per cent interest exacted.

Tl>e school fund was reported by the county treasurer, November 4, 1841, at $1,054. The second school organization was September 11, 1841, and Willard Buck was appointed commissioner.

Of this sum, the treasurer reported $97.58 as Illinois money, and the court madfe an order allowing a discount of twenty-five per cent, but the money was disposed of at a discount of $20.59, and the treasurer took credit for that amount.

There was sold of school lands in 1845 six lots for eight hundred dollars. The report of the township school fund for 1846 gave five only. Township 58-20 not reported, though the interest on the school fund of that township amounted for the year 1844 to $285.41. Those reported were as follows:

There was a further numbering of districts in the county and township 57-19 was made district number five; 59-21 number six; 57-22 number seven; 60-19 number eight; 59-18 number nine; 58-18 number ten; 57-19 number eleven.

On March fifth, 1847, on the organization of district number three for school purposes, N. J. Dryden was appointed school commissioner. The first school census taken in Linn county was ordered May 12, 1847, and it was continued yearly thereafter until 1861, when it ceased during a portion of war times.

State Money

The first State school money received was in January, 1847 and in May following, and the total amount received was $51.43. Taking the present amount of school money received by the county, which has averaged over $5,000 per year the past five years, and some idea may be had of the increase in the State school fund, and the increase, also, in the population of Linn county.

The State school fund of 1878 amounted to $471.60; of this there was appropriated to the three districts which made reports $97.20 and the remainder, $374.40, was added to the permanent school fund of the county.

School number twelve, in township fifty-nine, range twenty-two. was organized for school purposes August, 1849, and Alexander Wilson made commissioner. The rest of the districts were soon after organized for school purposes and numbered up to sixteen, making that many school districts in the county. Three were organized in 1850, four in 1852 and one in 1853.

Number And Location

There were now sixteen school districts in the county and they were located in the congressional townships as follows: Township 57, range 18, district number 10; 57-19, number eleven; 57-22, number three; 57-21, number four; 58-18, number ten; 58-19, number twelve; 58-20, number one; 58-21, number five; 59-18, number nine; 59-19, number . thirteen; 59-20, number two; 59-21, number six; 60-18, number eight; 60-19, number fourteen; 60-20, number fifteen; 60-21, number seven.

The amount appropriated 1864 was $3,000. This atnount covered county and township fund. The same amount was ordered distributed for 1865. Both of these years there were four districts whicli were reduced in their apportionment. In 1866 $4,000 was appropriated, tlie township fund being the same.

Tliere began to be delinquents on the school money loaned by the county, and the County Court made an order that all delinquents failing to pay up within three months from the date of the order, February 3, 1857, should be at once prosecuted.

The first money appropriated to build a school-house was on May 3d, 1858, when $106.59 was drawn from the general expenditure fund, for that purpose, and tbe money given to Mr. Harper and others to expend it. The record did not give the location of the school-house, and was the first one built by the county. Previous to this most of the log schools were put up by a combination of the neighbors.

Soon after this, came the mutterings of the approaching storm, and soon it burst forth in all its fury. The days of peace were past and the whitewinged angel had wafted her way to her heavenly clime, while the demon of destruction and death reveled in his unholy work. Little was done durthe dark days of that fearful struggle to keep up schools or even look after the school fund, whiqh was a sacred trust. Some show was made and schools were kept more or less during that time of sorrow and death, but failures to pay interest on the school and swamp land notes made the apportionment small and schools of but a short duration. When war had ceased the State was in chaos, societj' had been rent and shattered, laws, if any, were unheeded, and the future had anything but a hopeful look for the people. The whole State lay shattered and bleeding at every pore, and Missouri, in 1865, when peace was proclaimed, was without a school system. Private schools and colleges, which had flourished in other years, had been abandoned or were eking out a precarious existence. Even the State University scarcely had life enough to open its hall doors for the admission of

Students. During the strife which had raged for four years witli merciless fury and devastated all parts of the State, the minds of the people had been diverted from all peaceful and ennobling pursuits; their affections alienated so that neighbor not unfrequently regarded neighbor with feelings of suspicion and distrust, and at times with intense hatred. Society was torn asunder, and amid the general convulsion the education of the youth was almost entirely neglected. The children were growing up illiterate, and unless something could be doae, and that speedily, a cloud of ignorance would soon overshadow the whole State. At this crisis laws were enacted specifying how to organize country, village, town, and city schools; also the mode of levying taxes for buildings and school purposes, and how to collect the same. The duties and qualifications of school officers and teachers were clearls'^ set forth. Business interests and industries of the West and South drew people here from all sections of the Union. When they came they made their homes among generous and noble-hearted people. The rankling passions which other and bitter years had produced were soon extinguished or hushed in silence. Reason, parental love, and philanthropy prevailed. Schools must be established and the children educated, was the decision of the majority.

This state of affairs culminated in the legislature taking advanced steps and giving to the State laws that could help the reorganization of the entire school system. County superintendents had been paralyzed, and it required energy and perseverance to place the schools once more upon the highway of progress.

Stepping Forward

Linn county at once began the work of regeneration and reform. The school and swamp land notes which had defaulted were put in suit, and the school districts in the count}' numbering sixteen, were changed and renumbered in the year 1866. The districts were arranged as follows:

The fraction districts in range twenty-two were attached to the districts adjoining them on the east. This was changed in April, 1868, but was not found to work well and the order was revoked and they remained attached as above.

The State government at the close of the war failed to realize the situation and for three years nothing was done to secure the State fund, or to make any provisions for the amount not distributed during the fracticidal strife. In the fall of 1868 a political revolution took place in the State? and the session of the winter following strenuous efforts were made to place the school interests of the State, once more upon a sound and stable footing. This cooperation of counties and State soon brought matters out of chaos, and the schools began to grow and flourish once more. Every effort was made in this county, not only to keep a full term of four months, with a hope to soon make it six, but the permanent fund was increased by all legal means. The amount of the ten per cent penalty collected on delinquent taxes amounted, February 20, 1871, to $800, for the year 1869, and on that of the year 1868, to $94.50. Both of these amounts were transferred to the permanent school fund of the county. In 1871 the schools were well under way, some few being kept open only three months, but the majority six months, some even prolonging their terms" to eight months. There were kept that year, of primary schools one hundred and three; schools for colored pupils, five.

School And Swamp Lands

There had been sold of the sixteenth section up to January 1, 1872,8,520 acres of school lands, the sale up to that date amounting to $14,750.20. Of this sum there was lost by bad security $2,579.48, leaving a total carried to the township fund of $12,170.72. There were 1,080 acres of these school lands still unsold at that date.

The swamp land as patented gives 23,759.99 acres of these lands to the county, but the report of school department at Jefterson City makes a total of 24,790.40 acres, all sold, and the sum received for them $40,965.72.

There was little to vary the monotony of the regular schools for several years. The County Court, however, was kept pretty busy trying to secure the school tax of the several railroads passing through the county. The county and township fund for 1874, 1875, and 1876, varied but little from previous years. It was, like the State fund, slowly growing, from year to year.

In 1874, the State fund received by Linn county was $3,940.57, and the county and township fund was only a small advance from the year 1873. The apportionment was made to the school districts throughout the county. The several towns received their apportionment of State and county funds in addition to their own township fund for 1874. The number of school children and the amount each received is here given:

Considerable bad feeling was engendered over the distribution of the school tax received from the Hannibal & St. Joseph Railroad Company. The County Court first determined to distribute the amount like it did the State and county funds, but this was vehemently protested against by Brookfield and the other towns on the line of the road, they claiming that it belonged exclusively to them. This trouble was finally settled, the towns aforesaid receiving the bulk of the funds.

The condition of the schools for 1875, as reported at the close of that year, shows that while the schools were fiourisliing the permanent fund seems to have decreased. Both the township and county funds, including swamp land fund, decreased to the amount of $1,796.31, the cause of which is not explained. There seems to be something wrong here in the management of this fund. The report of 1876, for the year 1875, gives us the following particulars: and sixty -five being females. The male teachers received $37, and females $27.27, as the average of each, or $32.13^ as the average pay of all.

The county clerk's reportjpublished the same time gave total number of persons of school age, between five and twenty-one years, at 6,758. What caused a difference in reports is hard to say. It would seem that a comparino" of notes between the school superintendent and the county clerks might be beneficial.

The report shows that the receipts were $36,721.22, of which the district tax amounted to $27,695.32. And the- total expenditures for school purposes, $33,352.02. And at the end of the school year $3,369.20 of cash was on hand.

The distribution of the Hannibal & St. Joseph Kailroad Company's school tax took place December 11, 1876, the amount collected up to that time being $7,061.19. This was apportioned as follows, the townships along the line of the road getting'of the amount all but $270.08:

After the projiosition of the Hannibal tt St. Joseph Eailroad to pay their school tax of $15,000 in three, six, and nine months, for the years 1873 to 1875 inclusive, the Chillicothe & ijrunswick also offered to compromise. They paid a tax of $721 for the years 1870 to 1873 inclusive, and $222 for the years 1874, 1875, and 1S76. In settling this tax the roads declined to settle any other tax assessed by the county, but paid the above sums into the school fund. Then the Burlington & Southwestern paid in their school tax of 83,064.46, and this went into the fund less ten per cent for collecting, and the money was divided between Benton, Locust Creek, and Jefferson townships.

Of the first $5,000 of the Hannibal & St. Joseph school fund paid in, less commission of $100, the court took $4,410 and djstributed pro rata, and then gave $400 to the towns on the line of the road, according to the assessed value of railroad property within their limits.

The Hannibal & St. Joseph Road school tax for 1876 was $5,444.71, and there was distributed June 4, 1878, $15,244.71. Of this "sura, $14,700.02 was distributed, giving $10,811.83 to the townships through which the road ran, and $3,888.19 was divided among the school districts according to enumeration, including those which had already received the bulk of the fund. The balance of the $15,000 was not accounted for, etc. The amount was $544.19. Of the amount paid in by the Chillicothe Road township 57-22 received the lion's share; viz., $338.10 of the first compromise, and of the last, or $222, it received $55.91, the rest was paid out under the pro rata rule. It is a great pity that tiiese large sums had not been put into the permanent fund. The schools could have done without it, and as a permanent fund it would have been of inestimable value lor all time to come.

In regard to the attendance at school Linn county stands as the sixteenth of the one hundred and fourteen counties, and the average wages of teachers, $32.50, was the twenty-first. In these respects Linn county has a creditable record.

The schools of the county, for 1879, had reached a higher standard of excellence than in any previous period of their existence, and a desire was expressed by all to excel. The increased fund from railroads and from delinquent tax encouraged all to renewed effort.

The I'eport for this year shows an average attendance of scholars, but a still further reduction in the permanent fund for the county. Again is a comparison made with a former year.

had gained $44.11 in eight years, and the county lost $7,854.05 during the same time. This fund must increase hereafter by the amount of fines and penaltieij, which the law says must be placed to the permanent fund. There was, of this latter, $782.25 for the present year. The report of the superintendent, for 1880, shows little variation from the previous year, and it is found condensed below:

Receipts

The apportionment for the schools was made April^21, 1881, and the amount of State, county, township, and railroad funds distributed for the year was $12,232.10. It was divided among the school districts as given below, and will be found a good table for future reference.

The county fund gained the past year the sum of $623, the amount received from fines and penalties which by the law of 1880-81 is required to be added to the permanent county fund. A further sum of $387.50, and $11.20, circuit fees unclaimed, was added to the county school fund. The assessed valuation of the school property varies very little from last year.

State Items

The State school fund in the year 1875 was very handsomely increased by a transfer of ^38,000 from the executor's and administrator's fund, uncalled for, and a profit in selling United States six per cent bonds belonging to the school fund which the United States treasury was about to call in, and securing Missouri State bonds drawing the same rate of interest. The profit of this transaction was $248,280.91, which was added to the permanent fund, thus having a larger fund to be distributed to the counties of nearly $18,000.

The State fund was increasing, tlie county fund was constantl}^ enlarging from fines and penalties, and the township fund was added to now and then by failing to pay interest on school bonds, the property reverting to the county; there has been a regular increase throughout the State on county school funds, amounting in three years to over $341,000.

This means the State in the aggregate. While Linn county school fund Las been reduced, other counties have increased to make the above amount^ and so it has kept increasing to this date. The State fund increase to Linn, county may be seen from the following table:

It can be thus seen that Linn county has received in twelve years from the State school fund, $50,694.93, which is an averao;e for the whole time of $4,224.58, annually. This is what the State has contributed towards educating the children of Linn county, and the future outlook is far more promising than the reality of the past; and that this may be verified by facts and figures, a full statement of the fund is here given:

State School Fund

The State of Missouri stands in the front rank, both in the thoroughness of her educational work and in the amount of funds for educational purposes. There are very few who know what the State has done or is doing in this regard.

The torturing and misconstruing of a partisan press is not the source to find the truth of -Ax^y matter involving the progress of domestic or educational matters. Parties are given over to the work of defeating their opponents, and anything is ammunition which can breed distrust against each other, and false statements make up a wonderful part of campaign literature. The State school fund combined with the county, township, and seminary funds show an aggregate of $7,542,225.72, that the people of Missouri have up to January 1, 1881, laid aside for the education of their children. And this fund does not stop there. Twenty-five per cent of the State revenue is laid aside annually for school purposes, besides fines, penalties, strays, and county les'y, with an occasional township assessment. The fund, of which the aggregate is given above, will grow from year to year until a county and township levy will not be needed, but the interest on the State, county, and township fund will be sufficient for all purposes. The following are the several funds composing the amount as above.

Here then is a fund and property exclusively for educational purposes, which sheds a bright luster upon the escutcheon of our State. When the fact is known that in 1842 the total school fund of the State was only $575,- 564, something can be seen of the enlightened policy of the rulers of the State when that sum has grown to millions within a little over a generation, while other millions have been invested in school-hoitses, land, etc., which gives tangible evidence of the liberality and broad views of the people in educational matters.

When there is to be taken into account, besides this fourteen and a half million of property, the annual expenses paid out the past forty years, the sum contributed by the people of Missouri for educating the children of the State, she will be found to have few equals in this department of enlightened progress. The State distributed $3,202,273.58 in the year 1879 alone; add to this distribution county, township levy, and the real sum as can be seen, is imtnense.

It has been this liberal and broad system which has given Missouri a high standing among her sister States. She ranks from first to fifth in all that goes to make a people healthy, wealthy, and wise, and standing thus, in the great sisterhood of States, she is a bright example for other and older States to follow and 3''ounger ones to emulate. This spirit of educational progress is not evanescent, but is engrafted upon the constitution of the State, and will ever be the proudest monument of the wisdom of her people.

It is building upon a rock foundation, - the storm of ignorance cannot shake it, and the folly of fanatics can have no Ibothold in her border. Her people, swayed by the light of reason, educated to form their own opinions, firm in their resolve to do right, there is nothing to prevent the onward and upward progress of the State.