Preston School History

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0 height="100%"><tr> <td valign="top" width=200 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="015c8052egerdp.jpg"> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000" background="0dfc8c83.jpg"> <div> <FONT SIZE="6" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >Preston School History<B>   </B></FONT><A HREF="http://www.jaspercountyschools.org/" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.jaspercountyschools.org/"><U><B>home</B></U></A><B>   </B><A HREF="id35.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Preston"><U><B>Preston School</B></U></A></div> <div> The town of Preston was established in the 1850's.  It reached a total population of about 50 people by 1861.  </div> <div> There was another town in the district known as Preston so the post office was called Brest and the town continued</div> <div> to use the name Preston.</div> <div> Preston was almost totally destroyed by the Civil War.  Reconstruction commenced after the war and new town </div> <div> plat was filed in 1867.  A public school was opened soon after this date.  Business activity came to a close</div> <div> during the early years of the 20th century, but the school remained in operation until the late 1950's.  It merged</div> <div> with the Jasper R-5 district in 1960.  The building was removed shortly after that.</div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="10d620b0.jpg" border=0 width="610" height="11" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> About 10 or 15 buildings would inventory all that comprises Preston, among which would be a hotel, two stores, a</div> <div> blacksmith shop, a school house and one or two other establishments, perhaps.</div> <bR> <div> The school houses we have personally visited, are the Hackney, in the eastern part, Possum Creek, and North Fork</div> <div> in the central part, and Preston in the Western.  There are undoubtedly other, though we have not discovered them</div> <div> in our wanderings.  All those school houses are relics of the days before the war, showing that Jasper county, even</div> <div> then, was far in advance of most Southern counties.  </div> <bR> <div> <I>The Carthage Banner, October 29, 1868</I></div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="10d620b0.jpg" border=0 width="610" height="11" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> Preston school, Whitemore, teacher. Wages, $40. Sixty-five pupils on register, thirty-five in attendance, average forty-two. </div> <div> This school still retains its old name of being a hard school to manage. It is, and requires a teacher of experience and a </div> <div> thorough disciplinarian. Directors should employ some of the. old "Wheel horses" of the county, who would enforce discipline. </div> <div> Whitemore is a good teacher but this is his first term. He is doing well, considering all things. This house has blackboard </div> <div> enough, for every available space is covered with good wall black board. House well seated with cherry desks. Directors</div> <div> present. A good school, but lacks that great essential, discipline. An $85 bell crowns the building. With good discipline </div> <div> this school would be all right. Good singing.</div> <div> <I>1872 Jasper County School Report by U. B. Webster, Jasper County Superintendent</I></div> <div> <I>A History of Jasper County, Missouri and Its People, Volume 1, page 101, pub. 1912, by Joel Thomas Livingston.</I></div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="10d620b0.jpg" border=0 width="610" height="11" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> Preston District—E. Pinney and I. Landerbaugh, directors; Miss Delia M. Greene, teacher. District enumeration 55, </div> <div> enrollment over fifteen years of age 3, total 39, present 32. Building and furniture have been first-class but are now </div> <div> greatly in need of repairs. Seating capacity 58. The school is without a daily register. The vacancy in the board should </div> <div> be filled without delay as the law requires. This is Miss Greene's fourth consecutive term in this district The good </div> <div> understanding between teacher and pupils and the thoroughness of the recitations show the advantages arising from </div> <div> retaining a good teacher.</div> <div> <I>1878 Jasper County School Report by S. A. Underwood</I></div> <div> <I>A History of Jasper County, Missouri and Its People, Volume 1, page 105, pub. 1912, by Joel Thomas Livingston.</I></div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="10d620b0.jpg" border=0 width="610" height="11" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> The Preston Singing school, organized in 1878-1879, was the largest organized singing school in the country.  E. P. </div> <div> Searl of Carthage was the instructor of one hundred singers.</div> <bR> <div> <I>Tri-City History 1982.  Alba, Neck City and Purcell, Missouri.</I></div> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>