School Name: Atwell School School District Number: #081
Location:
Township: Twn38N Range: Rng12W Section: Sec11
Latitude: 38.038400 °N Longitude: -92.211000 °W
School Photos
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School Information:
Date Started: about 1858 Dated Closed: about 1958-59
School Registers: Board Minutes: 1945-47, 1947-1959 Clerk's Register: 1923-1939, 1939-1944, 1944-1945 Teacher's Register: 1936-1939, 1954-1956
Teachers: Judge Jenkins lists the following teachers for the early years of the school:
1874-75 Jas. E. Anderson 1888-89 Marcia O. Smith 1875-76 O. J. Ryther 1889-90 Minnie Baker 1876-77 Jas. J. Dickerson 1890-91 R. S. Reed 1877-79 A. F. Whitaker 1891-93 Hardin Cannon 1879-80 Thomas M. Reynolds 1893-94 V. C. Reed 1880-82 Neppie Reed 1894-97 Vernetta C. Reed 1882-84 V. E. Anderson 1897-98 Bertha M. Allen 1884-85 Rosanna Reed 1898-99 A. A. Decker 1885-87 Lottie Latchem 1899-00 E. K. Humphrey 1887-88 W. F. Anderson 1900-01 A. A. Decker
Later teachers included:
1923-25 Metta Crismon 1942-45 Ellen Baker 1925-26 Margaret Anderson 1945-46 Bill Forbis 1926-27 Lucy Barnett 1947-48 Elizabeth Lee, Gladys Elkins 1927-28 Ellen Baker & Irene Anderson 1932-34 Lelia Hale 1949-53 Dorothy Curry 1934-35 Walter Ferguson 1954-57 Elizabeth Lee 1938-39 Ellen Baker 1940-42 Dorothy Carroll
By Peggy Smith Hake
The New Iberian newspaper 3 Jun 1981
In 1855, Jonathan Atwell patented land in southeastern Miller County in Section 14, Township 38, Range 12 near the Pulaski County boundary line. Three years later on 27 Dec 1858, Jonathan and Irina/Irena Atwell donated an acre of land to School District No. 2 of Township 38 to be used for a school. The said district house was already built and located in the middle of this one-acre tract in 1858. I believe this was the old Atwell School No. 81 that was in use until well into the 20th century. It is interesting to learn that a school was already built and in use in 1858 on the site. Many children of southeastern Miller County received their education in the old country school.
I do not know for sure how long the school existed but I think perhaps it was still there by the early 1950s. The country schools of southern Miller County consolidated about 1958-59 and students were sent to Iberia and Crocker from this region. During the school year 1957-58, the school was not in use and the students who had attended were being transported to the Johnston School #82 where they were taught by Zeeda Wall of Iberia. Even though the school was not in session, they still maintained a school board who included E. A. Barnett, president; Homer N. Anderson, clerk; Wayne Lee and Bill Forbis, members of the board.
The Miller County Supt. of Schools in 1957-1958 was Carroll J. McCubbin of Iberia.
School Resources
