Prosperity 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" background="009c8143.jpg"> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" BGCOLOR="#CC6633" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <FONT SIZE="6" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >Prosperity 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="id38.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Prosperity"><U><B>Prosperity School</B></U></A></div> <div> Prosperity built and furnished a splendid four room building at a cost of $2632.50</div> <div> <I>The Carthage Press, </I>July 7, 1892, page 2, column 4.</div> <bR> <div> The Prosperity School Board held a meeting last night to consider the erection of a</div> <div> new school building.  The Prosperity district claims to have the largest fund on hand</div> <div> of any school district in the county and as the one school building is badly crowded,</div> <div> a second one is a necessity.</div> <div> <I>The Webb City Register, </I>February 26, 1907</div> <bR> <div> Prof. A. C. Eliff of the Prosperity schools was in Webb City today and called at the</div> <div> Register office.  Prof. Eliff has been lecturing over the Central district this summer</div> <div> at various places and has always been greeted by splendid audiences.</div> <div> As to the Prosperity schools Prof. Eliff states that the buildings are being repainted</div> <div> and new toilet rooms constructed.  The books for the opening of school have been</div> <div> purchased and are now in Prosperity.  School will open the first Monday of September.</div> <div> <I>The Webb City Register</I>, August 16, 1915</div> <bR> <div> Prosperity School Board District 99 will receive sealed bids on a six-room frame building,</div> <div> reserving right to reject any and all bids; same to be opened April 30, at schoolhouse,</div> <div> at 8:30 p.m.</div> <div> <I>The Joplin Globe</I>, April 30, 1924</div> <bR> <div> Prosperity School closed in 1962.</div> <bR> <div> The reorganized district, to be comprised of Webb City, Underwood, Perseverence and</div> <div> Prosperity school districts, was approved by voters in an election set by the county board</div> <div> June 30.  <I>The Joplin Globe</I>, July 14, 1962</div> <bR> <div> Prosperity School Reunion</div> <div> Former residents of the Prosperity School district will meet Sunday, June 6, at the Prosperity</div> <div> School house for their annual reunion.  Mrs. Nellie B. Fussell, 727 West First street, Webb City,</div> <div> an official for the reunion, said that the meeting would be of special significance to people who</div> <div> formerly lived here as it will be an opportunity for them to meet old friends who have moved to</div> <div> all parts of the country after the closing of the mines which made Prosperity a thriving community</div> <div> in the early 1900s.</div> <div> Officers of the 1964-65 Prosperity home-coming association are Henry Nichols, Stanton, Mo.,</div> <div> president; Ray Gladden, Carterville, Mo., vice president and Mrs. Fussell, secretary-treasurer.</div> <div> Mrs. Fussell said only one of the three school buildings of Prosperity remains standing.  At one</div> <div> time, the enrollment in the district was 500 pupils with 11 teachers.  Some of these teacher plan </div> <div> to attend also, Mrs. Fussell said.</div> <div> <I>The Joplin Globe</I>, June 2, 1965</div> <bR> <div> The Prosperity school building and grounds were sold Tuesday night by the Webb City R-7 Board</div> <div> of Education, on the basis of six sealed bids opened at a meeting of the board.  Apparent high</div> <div> bidder is John Southard, Joplin, Route 1, of a bid of $1500 with the provision that Southard take</div> <div> the property on a quit-claim deed.  Supt. Lawrence Miner said the district could not sell the property</div> <div> on a clear deed and abstract basis.  Included in the sale are about one and a half acres of land and</div> <div> a two-story brick building, constructed in 1906.  According to officials here, the building housed the</div> <div> school until 1963 when the district was reorganized.  After that time, it was used as a community center.</div> <div> <I>The Joplin Globe</I>, September 9, 1970.</div> <bR> <div> There were three wooden school buildings.  In 1907, one was destroyed and replaced by a brick</div> <div> building which still stands in excellent condition.  There were so many children, it was necessary</div> <div> to have two school sessions a day--one from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. and the other from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m.</div> <div> <I>The Webb City Sentinel</I>, May 25, 2005, article submitted by a mystery writer.</div> <bR> <div> Kevin Quinn and Cleo Copeland purchased Prosperity School from John Southard in 1992.  Roy and</div> <div> Pam Whyte bought the school building in December 1998.  The Whytes turned the school into a bed</div> <div> and breakfast.  Janet and Richard Roberts purchased the building in 2002.  Janet Roberts passed </div> <div> away in 2013.  The bed and breakfast closed in 2016.</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>