County of school: Gasconade County
Location of school: MO-NN & MO-19, Swiss
No date on the building, people inside did not know, but gve permission to take photos.
Students from several one room schools in the area were combined and the first six grades were held in a new brick building at Swiss as a part of the Gasconade County R1 (Hermann) District. This, too, has been closed with all students in this area going to Hermann for all grades.
"The first action taken in Gasconade County by the county court in reference to the schools was on April 16, 1821, when Philip P. Boulware, William Clark, Joseph Morrow, William Hughs and James Kegam were appointed commissioners of the public lands allotted to Gasconade County for the benefit of the public school. ... In 1831, Robert Rollins, Sandford Bachus and James Jett were trustees of the first school district in Gasconade County, and in July, Sandford Bachus received $48.00 belonging to this district, the first reference to a school fund found upon the records.
"School books were to be furnished by the town, and sold to the parents of the children at cost price. There were to be bought 100 copies of Wilmsenn's Kinderfreund, 50 copies of Webster's spelling books, $10 worth of common writing paper, quills and inkstands. A stove suitable for the schoolhouse was ordered in St. Louis, and a blank book for the purpose of registering the names of the children...It was then decided that large scholars should attend in the morning, and small ones in the afternoon.—Goodspeed, 1888 History of Missouri
"These grade schools were listed in Gasconade County in 1925. They are (with district number): Peace Valley #2, Hermann #3, Morrison #4, Gasconade #5, Coles Creek #6, Frene Creek #7, Lower Little Berger #8, Upper Little Berger #9, Peace Hill #10, First Creek #11, Stolpe #12, Hoppe #13, Lange #14, Pershing #15, Upper First Creek #16, Swiss #17, Roth #18, Richmond #19, Willimann #20, Stoenner #21, Weidemann #22, Lost Hill #23, Mud Creek #24, Pin Oak #26, Bay #27, Neese #28, Drake #29, Lone Grove #30, Pleasant Hill #31, Kiehl #32, Goerlish Ridge #33, Mt. Sterling #34, Neese #37, Old Woollam #38, Manda #39, Wisemann #40, Rosebud #41, Excelsior #42, Morgan #43, Owensville #44, Boettcher #45, Barbarick #46, Old Bland #47, Bland #48, Canaan #49, Lone Ridge #50, Oak Grove #51, Tea #52, Warren #53, Tayloe #54, Burchard #55, Island #56, Weller #57, Cleavesville #58, Cross Roads #59, Grace #60, Long Ridge #61, Collier #62, Hamby #63, Persimmon Pond #65, Red Bird #67, Oak Forest #68, and Highland #70.
"In May 1949, the Gasconade County Board of Education called for the formation of three re-organized school districts, R-I, R-II and R-III. At the election R-II and R-III in the southern part of the county passed but R-I failed. It was approved in 1958. With this, country schools passed out of existence." ~ Gasconade County Historical Society