Enterprise school was first called "Peace Church" school. It was organized in the 1840's. The Peace
Church building served for a time as the schoolhouse when the district was organized. The old church
log church building was torn down in 1909. Enterprise school was closed in 1944 after consolidating with
Carl Junction schools.
"Other districts soon were organized and when the war came on twenty-three school houses had been built.
Among the districts organized in the 'forties were the Franklin school, near Castle Rock on Turkey creek,
with Charles Harris as its teacher; Peace Church school, later called Enterprise; Spring River school, Carthage;
the Black Jack in McDonald township; the Duval in the northwestern part of county and White Oak school, near Avilla."
A History of Jasper County, Missouri and Its People, Volume 1, by Joel Thomas Livingston, 1912.
The Lone Elm School
In 1875 the people of Lone Elm, now grown to a camp of approximately a thousand people, clamored for a separate school organization
and steps were taken to detach a portion of the territory belonging to District No. 4 and unite it with a portion of the old Peace Church school
district. In 1876 the organization was affected and Joseph Hostilter, P. Quinn and J. L. Harvey were elected the first board of directors.
The territorial limits of the Lone Elm district included that portion of Joplin, west of Joplin creek north of what is now "E" street, and extending
north of Turkey creek to a quarter of a mile south of old Tuckahoe. R. T. Guinn was the first teacher of the district and he, with the directors,
bent every effort toward building a school. In 1877, $1,000 was raised by popular subscription and a neat two-roomed frame school erected.
The two rooms of the school were built so that they could be thrown into one room by opening the folding doors. On Sunday the building was
used for church purposes and during the winter evenings for the meeting of literary societies. During the political campaigns it also served as
a town hall.
Mr. Guinn was a very popular teacher and the Lone Elm board paid him one hundred dollars per month for his services.
A History of Jasper County, Missouri and Its People, Volume 1, by Joel Thomas Livingston, 1912.
"The first school house was erected near Peach Church in 1845."
F. A. North, History of Jasper County, Missouri, 1883, page 1053
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