Looking at old photos of the one-room schoolhouses that dotted the Jefferson County countryside in the early 1900s, most of them seemed functional. Few have survived since the consolidation wave absorbed their students into large school district.
While Bear Creek School no longer exists, when it did, it was considered a jewel among rural schoolhouses.
According to Della Lang’s book, “Country Schools: Jefferson County, Missouri 1806-1952,” the residents of what used to be School District No. 9 fought hard to keep the building from being demolished in 1971.
After the school, located on the old Nollman farm on Carol Park Road near House Springs closed in 1949, it was allowed to deteriorate and was the frequent stop for vandals, so perhaps it was time to move on.
However, in its prime, it was a sight to see, carefully adorned with ornamental woodwork. Lang notes that its distinctive look made it a perfect subject for photographers, so many pictures of the school are still around.
The original building was erected in the 1870s. Whether that was the structure that was torn down a century later is unclear.
According to a 1916 newspaper clipping, those who ran the school were planning to buy new library books and improve outbuildings so that Bear Creek could maintain its place on the state-approved list. At the time, 49 students attended the school, but whether they were there every day, Lang notes, is doubtful.
Unlike many other small schools that had trouble staying open during the Depression, Bear Creek’s classes were held without interruption, although there was a close call.
Harold Weber, who started teaching at Bear Creek in 1928, noted that “we did come close to closing once the enrollment dropped to five, but then a big family moved into the area and the school board decided to keep it open.”
Weber said he couldn’t assign homework during the Depression.
“Many families didn’t have enough money to buy kerosene for their lamps. All homework had to be done in school during daylight hours.”
Enrollment picked up to the point that by the late 1930s or early 1940s, the single room was divided into two classrooms and a second teacher was hired for the 30 students.
While the building was considered beautiful, Lang notes that few improvements were made.
“During the school’s last session in 1949,” she wrote, “students were following the same dirt path to the outdoor restrooms, and drinking water from the very pump that their ancestors had used for several generations.”
The next year, Bear Creek students enjoyed the indoor plumbing supplied by the Northwest R-1 School District.
LOOKING BACK is a Leader online feature that highlights historic photos. Readers are invited to submit their historic Jefferson County photos for online publication. Send submissions to LOOKING BACK to nvrweakly@aol.com or bring or mail them to the Leader office, 503 N. Second St., Festus (P.O. Box 159, 63028). Please include your name, phone number, a brief description of what’s in the photo and tell us how you came by it. Please also include when it was taken, where and by whom (if known). A new LOOKING BACK feature will be posted each week.
