In 1857, with Maryville’s population hovering around 500, the school moved from the log cabin courthouse at 2nd and Main to a newly built one-room school at Market and Fifth Street. In 1867, with Maryville’s population nearly tripled to 1,682, Albert Morehouse (future Missouri governor), who was on the school board, pushed to build a new central school at 1st and Vine that would be occupied by three different Washington Schools until the high school moved in 1965 and the middle school moved in 1998, resulting in the last building being torn down.
The above colorized photo is from the 1924 Maryvillian.
Also on the school board in 1867 was Bourne G. Ford a doctor who was also a real estate speculator. Ford built the first Nodaway Valley Bank Building in 1867. He also operated Perrin Hall at 202 West 2nd, an elegant accommodation that would be acquired by Dr. G.A. Nash, whose daughter, Alma Nash, was famous for her suffrage band in the 1910s.
The school was just a block from 605 North Vine, which is the Maryville Governor’s House where both Morehouse and Governor/Senator Forest C. Donnell lived.
Ford bought the house and totally remodeled it, adding more rooms and a second story. Ford died in 1878 at age 54. His widow, Lucinda Lemon Ford, continued to live in the house until 1917, when she died.
The house/school was torn down in 1944
One of Ford’s daughters Ida Ford Pierce was married to William Calvin Pierce, who helped build the landmark Farmers Trust Bank Building at Main and Fourth (now Bank Midwest) and oversaw management of Herbert Hoover’s farm at Graham.
Maryville’s First School Building Part of House Now Being Razed
Nodaway County Tribune, February 12, 1942, Page 1. via Newspapers.com https://www.newspapers.com/article/nodaway-county-tribune-first-maryville-h/199147017/
Another Maryville landmark is giving way to modern improvements this week. The two-story house on the corner of Market and Fifth streets, now being razed to make room for the building that will house the People’s Telephone company and serve as a bus depot for the Burlington Trailways company, is of historical interest to Maryville residents.
The lower floor of the house was the first school building in Maryville, a one-room structure. The place was later bought by Dr. G.B. Ford, father of Mrs. W. C. Pierce of Maryville, who remodeled and added the upper story.
This was the Ford home until the death of Mrs. Ford in February 1917. Mrs. Pierce, in commenting on the property, said that the floors in the lower story at the time her father bought it were made of hand-hewn oak, and the weatherboarding was all of native black walnut. Mrs. Pierce’s early childhood home was the property on West Second Street known as Perrin Hall. At the time they moved to the East Fifth Street property, there was quite a growth of timber and brush, with a deep ravine running through to Fourth Street, where the county jail is now located. This was a favorite camping ground for gypsies and also served as a parking area for farmers’ teams, wagons, and buggies.
The house, now being torn down, has been used as a rental property since Mrs. Ford’s death, but has been unoccupied since last fall.
Ford’s obituary:
An Old Pioneer Gone-Death of Dr. Bourne G. Ford.
Nodaway Democrat, September 5, 1878, Page 2. via Newspapers.com https://www.newspapers.com/article/nodaway-democrat-bourne-g-ford-obituary/199149086/
The sad duty devolves upon us to chronicle in this issue the death of Dr. Bourne G. Ford, Sunday evening, September 1, between eight and nine o’clock, at his residence in this city. The doctor had been suffering from indisposition for a month prior to his decease, and was confined to his bed for two weeks before that event.
His demise was not expected by his many friends; though, to those who had watched closely by his bedside and ministered to his wants, there was evidence that he could not long survive.
Bourne G. Ford was born in Pulaski County, Kentucky, July 8, 1824, and consequently was a little over fifty-four years of age. He came to Nodaway county in 1853, having spent a year or two preceding in California. He settled in Maryville.
In 1857, he resided in that part of the county known as the Narrows, between the One-Hundred-and-Two and Platte rivers. With this exception, he has lived in Maryville since he first came to the county.
The doctor was married in 1855 to Miss Lucinda Lemon, who survives him. Eight children were born to them, seven girls and one boy. All except Mrs. Lida Hull survived, who died in this city some two months ago. The deceased has three brothers and one sister living — Elijah and Marshal Ford live in this county; Milton Ford lives in Johnson County, this state; Kesiah, a sister, lives in Henry County, this state.
It can truthfully be said that B G. Ford was a man respected by all who knew him. Honest himself, he believed all others to be so, and hence could be easily imposed upon. He had large benevolence, and any object of charity, if in his opinion worthy, could command the last cent in his pocket. He had a tender, generous heart, always open and susceptible to appeals for sympathy.
Dr. Ford practiced medicine in this county for many years. In 1859, he was honored by the people with the office of county clerk, to which position he was elected for a term of six years. About a year before his term was out, he resigned in favor of Jos. Jackson, who succeeded him.
For many years, he was one of the leading real estate dealers in this county.
The funeral services took place at the family residences at ten o’clock on Tuesday, with Rev. Workman and Elder Cook. The brethren of Maryville Lodge No 165 A., F. and A. M., of which lodge the deceased was a member, then took charge of the remains. T. Ellis, Oscar S. Briggs, Joseph T. Paquin, S. W. Briggs, W. L. Johnson, and Jas. Todd is acting as a pallbearer. At the grave, the Masonic burial ceremonies were carried out by Acting Worshipful Master O.A Anthony, assisted by Elder P. K. Dibble, after which Elder L. D. Cook returned thanks to the many friends of the deceased on behalf of the bereaved family for their sympathies in the hour of sorrow and affliction.
Elder Cook then pronounced the benediction, and the services at the grave closed.
Death considered in itself is gloomy; but when viewed as the gateway or entrance to a better sphere of life, a holier existence, it is, in a large degree, robbed of its sadness. The law of mortality embraces the whole human family; one by one, we are gathered to our fathers. Yeah, man dieth. Our deceased friend is gone.
No more will he be seen of us upon earth. He possessed many noble traits, however, which will be cherished in the hearts of those with whom he was most intimate. mately related in this life. What higher eulogy can be passed upon a person’s memory than that he was a good man, one respected and honored by all who knew him. Such a man was Bourne G.
Ford. His family has the sympathies of all in their sore affliction. His wife was in constant attendance by his bedside during his sickness, ministering to his wants with all the love and tenderness of which a noble woman’s sympathy
Jokes About the Celebrity Names Used in Tell This Story
- “Our one-room schoolhouse was so small the history lesson on Herbert Hoover’s banker was just someone saying, ‘He came by here once,’ and everyone nodded like it was a field trip.”
- “We taught reading, arithmetic, and how to become president — the last one was optional and required bringing your own prospectus.”
- “You know it’s a true Maryville schoolhouse when the you can’t tell the story with mentioning one president, two governors, and everyone else went into farming.”
- “The teacher could handle seven grades, a spelling bee, and a debate about state budgets — mostly by telling the governors to ‘sit down and pass the pudding.’”
- “When the school said it produced leaders, they meant it literally — the door produced someone who bumped into two future governors on the way out.”
- “Field trips were practical: we’d walk to the courthouse, wave at a governor, and call it civics. If the governor waved back, that was extra credit.”
- “Portraits in the school were just framed hats — if a hat looked important, we assumed it belonged to a future governor or Herbert Hoover after a long day of bailing hay.”
- “Our history class had a timeline: 1857 — school built. 1867 . Sometime after — someone became president and claimed they learned everything here, including how to keep a lunchbox secure.”
- “The school motto? ‘From one room to state room’ — two governors took it literally, Herbert Hoover was confused, and the cows still couldn’t read.”
- “We taught leadership by example: if you could herd a class of ten kids, you could probably govern Missouri — or at least negotiate recess time.”