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All SchoolsBuildings Country SchoolsButler East Fork Elmira Franklin Graham Grigsby Murray Pleasant Grove Rayville Riggs Union Lawson Graduate Presbyterian Academy School Board Superintendent Teachers All Schools — Buildings — Country Schools —— Butler —— East Fork —— Elmira —— Franklin —— Graham —— Grigsby —— Murray —— Pleasant Grove —— Rayville —— Riggs —— Union — Lawson Graduate —— 1966 Grad —— 1991 Grad — Presbyterian Academy — School Board — Superintendent — Teachers
Franklin School
1856 – Franklin School, the octagonal shaped, two room, brick school house at Watkins Mill was built.
Franklin School
1856
The octagonal school at Watkins Mill was
Luttie Palmer Taught First School Class
August 1871 – Miss Luttie Palmer taught the first school class of twenty students in a house located at Third & Doniphan.
August 1871
Miss Luttie Palmer taught first school class
Land Purchased to Build a School House
October 17, 1873 – Lots 1 & 2, Block 2 in East Addition (southwest corner of Sixth & Allison) were purchased to build a schoolhouse.
October 17, 1873
Land purchased to build a schoolhouse
First Multi-Room School House
August 1874 – The first schoolhouse of at least two rooms, built at a cost of $500 must have been ready for classes in August of 1874, lot number one being its playground. M. B. Riley was its first principal (southwest corner of Sixth & Allison)
August 1874
The first schoolhouse of at least two rooms
Negro School
August 1874 – Classes for the town’s negro children opened in Lawson’s first school room located at Third & Doniphan.
August 1874
Classes for the town’s negro children opened
First School Lots Sold
June 1883 – The first school lots 1&2 – Block 2 in East Addition (southwest corner of Sixth & Allison) were sold to Emma Wright for $350.
June 1883
The first school lots were sold
Brick Schoolhouse Built
1883 – Lots 7 and 8 of Block 3 in East Addition (northwest corner of Fourth & Allison) were purchased and a three room, two storied brick schoolhouse was built.
1883
New brick schoolhouse was built
Presbyterian Academy Organized
1891 – Lawson Presbyterian Academy was organized under the management of Dr. Edmund Eusebius Riopel
1891
Lawson Presbyterian Academy was organized
School Building Destroyed by Fire
Late 1890s – school building burned down and the school was rebuilt in the same location.
Late 1890s
School building burned down
Presbyterian Academy Destroyed by Fire
October 4, 1898 – Lawson Presbyterian Academy burned
October 4, 1898
Presbyterian Academy burned
Partitition Added to School
By 1899, a partition was added across the second story room in the school.
1899
A partition was added to school
Presbyterian Academy Classes Held at Bank
1900 – the last classes for Lawson Presbyterian Academy were held in rooms above the Bank
1900
The last classes for Lawson Presbyterian Academy
Presbyterian Academy Classes Discontinued
1900 – Lawson Presbyterian Academy classes were discontinued
1900
Presbyterian Academy classes were discontinued
A Two Room Wing Added To The School
1905 – A two room wing was added to the school.
1905
A two room wing was added to the school
Negro School Ceased Operations
1906 – the Negro school ceased operations
1906
The Negro school ceased operations
A Standard Four Year High School
1915 – A standard four year high school was in effect.
1915
A standard four year high school was in effect.
Jacob Lincoln Coffman
Jacob Lincoln Coffman was the Mayor of Lawson 1919 – 1922. The 1921 election was won by 25 votes over V. W. Boen. He was the father of Ray R. Coffman who was mayor 1960-1966.
Jacob Lincoln Coffman was born August 16, 1865 in Lancaster, Ohio. He married Luca A. Wallace on November 28, 1888.
In 1898 Coffman became superintendent of schools of Lawson for five years. In 1903 he entered the hardware business which he operated in Lawson for 43 years until he retired at the age of 81 in 1946.
On January 14, 1957 he died and was buried in Lawson Cemetery.
Jacob Lincoln Coffman
Mayor 1919 - 1922
Jacob Lincoln Coffman was the Mayor of Lawson 1919 - 1922, superintendent of schools, and was a hardware dealer.
East Fork and Riggs Added Lawson School District
1921 – East Fork and a part of Riggs district were added to the Lawson school district
1921
East Fork and a part of Riggs district were added
Junior-Senior High School Plan Adopted
1921 – the Junior-Senior High School plan was adopted
1921
The Junior-Senior High School plan was adopted
Elmira’s New School
1927 – Elmira’s new two room school house was ready for occupancy
1927
Elmira’s new two room school house
Free Text Books In Schools
1931 – Free text books were voted in for the schools
1931
Free text books were voted in for the schools
Lawson’s First Teacher Died
March 11, 1936 – Lawson’s first teacher, Lutie Palmer, died and was laid to rest in the Lawson cemetery.
March 11, 1936
Lawson’s first teacher, Lutie Palmer, died
School Busses Were Added
1937 – School busses were added by the Lawson District
1937
School busses were added by the Lawson District
Gymnasium – Auditorium Was Added to the School
1949 – A gymnasium-auditorium extension was added to the school on Fourth & Allison
1949
A gymnasium-auditorium extension was added
Land Was Bought for an Athletic Field
June 1949 -Ten acres of land on the north side of Sixth street were bought for an athletic field.
June 1949
Ten acres of land were bought for an athletic field
Graham, Murray and Bisbee Annexed into Lawson Schools
December 1949 – Country schools began annexing into the Lawson School district as per decision of State Educational Department. Graham, Murray and Bisbee annexed into Lawson
December 1949
Country schools began annexing into the Lawson School district
Union, Butler and Riggs Were Annexed into Lawson schools
1951 – Union, Butler and the rest of Riggs district were annexed into Lawson schools
1951
Union, Butler and the rest of Riggs district
Elmira Schools Were Annexed into Lawson
1957 – Elmira schools were annexed into the Lawson school district
1957
Elmira schools were annexed into the Lawson school district
Land Was Purchased for High School Building Site
January 1958 – Fifteen acres of land north of the Athletic field was purchased as the site of a separate high school building.
January 1958
Fifteen acres purchased as the site for high school building
Bond Issue Approved for High School
April 1958 – a $315,000 bond issue was voted for a separate high school building,
April 1958
A $315,000 bond issue was approved
The New High School Opened
September 1959 – the new high school opened
September 1959
The new high school opened
1960 – Kitchen Space Added to the High School
1960 – Kitchen space was added to the high school.
1960
Kitchen space was added to the high school
Bond Issue Approved for Additions to the School
October 1963 – a $85,000 bond issue was approved for additions to the School building
October 1963
A $85,000 bond issue was approved for additions to the school building
Eastern Pleasant Grove Annexed into the Lawson District
1964 – The eastern part of Pleasant Grove became a part of the Lawson district.
1964
The eastern part of Pleasant Grove school
A High School P.T.A. was Organized
March 3, 1966 – A High School P.T.A. was organized
March 3, 1966
A High School P.T.A. was organized
Franklin and Part of Rayville Were Added to Lawson School District
1967 – Franklin and a part of Rayville were added to Lawson School District
1967
Franklin and a part of Rayville were added to Lawson School District
Lawson R-XII District Reorganization
May 1967 – during school district reorganization the name changed to Lawson R-XII District
May 1967
During school district reorganization the name changed
Schools Held Classes at Baptist Church
1968 – School held two classes in the Baptist church’s educational quarters.
1968
School held two classes in the Baptist church’s educational quarters
Bond Issue Passed for a Second Elementary School
July 1968 – A bond issue of $310,000 passed for the purpose of erecting a second elementary school building in the town.
July 1968
A bond issue of $310,000 passed for a second elementary school
Southwest Elementary Opened
Fall 1969 – Southwest Elementary opened with Kindergarten, First, Second, and Third grades.
August 1969
Southwest Elementary opened with kindergarten, first, second, and third grades
South Half of Nike Base Transferred to Lawson School District
December 1969 – The south half of Lawson’s former Nike base installation transferred to the Lawson School District.
December 1969
The south half of Lawson’s former Nike base installation
Administraton Building at Nike Base Renovated as Southeast Elementary
Fall 1970 – The administration building at the Nike base was renovated for school purposes and was called Southeast Elementary. The kindergarten classes were held there.
Fall 1970
The administration building at the Nike base was renovated for school purposes
Jack Wyatt Monroe
Jack Wyatt Monroe served as Mayor of Lawson 1972 – 1974
He was born April 28, 1920 in Muskogee, Oklahoma, the son of Thomas and Juanita (Wyatt) Monroe. On June 4, 1939 he and Helen Richards were married.
Jack owned the Monroe Pharmacies in Lawson and Excelsior Springs and Braymer Prescription and Drug in Braymer. He practiced pharmacy for 42 years before he retired in 1982. He served on the Lawson School Board for 12 years, chairman of the building committee at the Smithview Manor nursing home, chairman of the Lawson Centennial Committee, and was a co-founder of Little League baseball in Lawson.
He served in the Army Air Force during WWII and retired from the Air Force Reserves as a major.
On July 11, 1990 he died in Lawson and was buried in Lawson Cemetery.
Jack Wyatt Monroe
Mayor 1972 - 1974
Jack Wyatt Monroe served as Mayor of Lawson 1972 - 1974 and practiced pharmacy for 42 years.
Van Frederick “Fred” Bright
Van Frederick “Fred” Bright served the most years as Mayor of Lawson from 1975 – 1985.
He was born July 26, 1948, the son of Van Harold and Myrna Lake (Crowley) Bright and a 1966 graduate of Lawson High School.
Fred died August 15, 2005 and was buried in Lawson Cemetery.
Van Frederick “Fred” Bright Van Frederick “Fred” Bright
Certificate of Election
Mayor 1975 - 1985
Van Frederick “Fred” Bright served the most years as Mayor of Lawson from 1975 - 1985.
Robert O. “Bob” Gill
Robert O. “Bob” Gill served as Mayor of Lawson from 1992 – 1997.
He was born January 14, 1927, in Siam, Iowa, the son of Vella and Arthur Gill, and grew up and graduated from high school in Hopkins, Missouri. On August 25, 1948 he married Virginia and had four children. Bob was a veteran of the U.S. Army and served during WWII.
In 1949 he graduated from NWMSC in Maryville. He taught industrial arts and coached in Stewartsville, Lawson, and Cameron. In 1961 he received his master’s of school administration from NEMSC in Kirksville and subsequently served as superintendent of schools in Eagleville, Grant City and Lawson. Bob Gill Drive leading to Lawson High School is named in his honor.
On June 23, 2012 he died at age 85. There is a tombstone in Lawson Cemetery and inurnment was in Hopkins, Missouri.
Robert O. “Bob” Gill
Mayor 1992 - 1997
Robert O. “Bob” Gill served as Mayor of Lawson from 1992 - 1997 and was Superintendent of Lawson schools.
Central Middle School was Torn Down
June 1993 – Central Middle School was torn down
June 1993
Central Middle School was torn down
Josh Thomas
Josh Thomas was acting Mayor of Lawson 2007.
He was a 1991 graduate of Lawson High School.
Josh Thomas Josh Thomas 1991 Graduate
Acting Mayor 2007
Josh Thomas was acting Mayor of Lawson 2007.
1856 August 1871 October 17, 1873 August 1874 August 1874 June 1883 1883 1891 Late 1890s October 4, 1898 1899 1900 1900 1905 1906 1915 Mayor 1919 - 1922 1921 1921 1927 1931 March 11, 1936 1937 1949 June 1949 December 1949 1951 1957 January 1958 April 1958 September 1959 1960 October 1963 1964 March 3, 1966 1967 May 1967 1968 July 1968 August 1969 December 1969 Fall 1970 Mayor 1972 - 1974 Mayor 1975 - 1985 Mayor 1992 - 1997 June 1993 Acting Mayor 2007
