Page:History of Southeast Missouri 1912 Volume 1.djvu/469

 HISTORY OP SOUTHEAST BIISSOURI 409 Southeast Missouri Teachers' Association First Schools in Various Counties Two agencies should be mentioned here which have contributed much to the rapid growth of schools and educational sentiment. These are the State Normal School at Cape Girardeau, and the Southeast Missouri Teachers' Association. The history of the former is given in another place and only a few words may be said regarding the latter. It was hoped that a complete account of its early history might be given. Owing to the unfortunate loss of its early records this is impossible. The association was organized in 1874 and owes its existence to the initiative of Rev. N. B. Henry, at that time a teacher in this part of the state. From the first it has held annual meetings and by its insist- ence on standards, its inspirational meetings, its forum for the exchange of ideas, has pro- moted the best interests of education in this part of the state. Its thirty-seventh annual meeting was held in Farmington in Novem- ber, 1911. More than 400 teachers were in attendance; and in enthusiasm, value of its program, and general uplift to those in attend- ance it equaled if it did not surpass any pre- vious meeting. This session was presided over by Supt. W. H. Hargrove of Bloomfield. It is readil}^ seen from a study of the actual schools that the various acts of the general assembly favoring education at pub- lic expense failed to establish actual schools. The great drawback through all these j'ears was the lack of funds. Private schools and academies supplied about all the facilities for education given to the youth of this part of the state. In some sections these were want- ing so that no chance for schooling was af- forded. Butler county seems to have had only a few scattered subscription schools until the establishment of the Black River Seminary, and the public schools system was not really put into operation till 1875. In Carter coimty there were a few private schools before 1874. In that year it was re- ported to the state superintendent of public schools that there were in the county 531 children of school age, 99 of whom were in school; at the same time there were said to be 25 teachers who were working at an aver- age salary, for male teachers, of $16 a month and for female teachers for .$10 a month. The report further disclosed the fact that there were three school houses in the entire county having a total valuation of $265, or tin average of $53 each. The public school sy.stem of Cape Girard- eau, which has now come to be recognized as the equal of any in the state, owes its exist- ence in its present form to the action of the city taken on the 24th of January, 1867. At that time there was a law in ^Missouri by which anj' city or town might organize for school purposes with certain special privi- leges. In order to avail themselves of the opportimity offered by this law a number of the leading citizens of Cape Girardeau issued a call for an election to determine whether the city should organize its schools in accord- ance with the terms of this act. The propo- sition was carried unanimously and a board of education was chosen. It consisted of George H. Cramer, H. G. Wilson, M. Ditt- linger, G. G. Kimmell, N. C. Harrison and J. M. Cluley. The board employed F. M. Grove, who was then county school commis-