Farmington, St. Francois County, Missouri

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St. Francois County Courthouse. Picture is an old postcard postmarked 1909.
Notice the lady in long skirt standing by horse & buggy to the far left.


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Methodist Church circa 1917
 


 

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The story of Farmington's Carleton College begins & ends with the life of Eliza Ann Carleton - she founded the school in 1854 &, shortly after she died in 1915, it's doors closed forever.  Carleton was born in 1826 in Montgomery Co., Va. & moved with her father to St. Francois County in 1839.  Her own formal education was limited - she had only 24 months of schooling at age 17 - but it is said that on her own she memorized Latin grammar in nine weeks. In 1845, at age 19, Carleton began teaching a "subscription school" where students paid $2 in cash or $3 in trade in exchange for her instruction.  At the same time, she began studying Latin & Greek under the principal of the Farmington School. 


With the help & encouragement of the principal, Carleton was she first woman to ever be accepted at the Methodist College of Arcadia.  Her admission was contingent upon her being able to keep up with the men & college officials felt her college career would be short.  But four years later she not only graduated, she was she valedictorian of the Class of 1854.  The same year, she founded a school with 30 students in a hickory log cabin just north of Farmington.  Carleton later built a frame building in Farmington &, as her "seminary" continued to grow, Carleton College was granted a university charter by special act of the Missouri General Assembly in 1859.  In 1898 she built the stately three story brick building with tree-lined walks that became a Farmington landmark.  As would be expected, the school was strong on traditional academics, but it also stressed athletics & its football team defeated St. Louis University.  In May 1916, eight months after Carleton died, the college closed - its teacher gone & its mission taken over by public schools.

 

Carleton College Farmington Mo. 1907
Submitted By: Hugh Humphrey - Ethyl Chandler, Wm Blackledge, Eva Chissum, Blanche Sow, Earl Gainer, Ethyl Moore,Walter White, Effie Holman, Grace Wood, 
Bottom step: Minnie Glover,  Ida Safsfsington,( John) Sherman Humphrey, Carie Denrnian, Belle Nottburch,