Stratton School

The first Stratton school was built on ground donated by Mr. Daniel Stratton in whose honor the school was named. The school first opened as a subscription school with Miss Marilda Starr as teacher. For compensation the teacher received one dollar per pupil. There was no salary in addition to this. About 50 pupils were enrolled. The subscription school continued for 2 or 3 years, and then the teacher received $25.00 per month. One night in January 1891, the schoolhouse burned to the ground. Miss Kate Wright was teaching at the time. School was discontinued for the remainder of the year. There was a bitter fight over where to rebuild. In the summer of 1891 a new building was constructed on the old site. Mr. Joe Stratton, son of Mr. Daniel Stratton, had charge of the work. School opened in September 1891, with Mr. John Bales as teacher. About a month later, the school building burned again. It was not rebuilt until the summer of 1892 and later enlarged. Some of the old settlers who did their share in making the school and community a success were Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Stratton, John Early, Henry Hawkins, S. K. Newham, Jeff Bowman, Addison Harper, Sam Endsley, Ap Herring, Tom Ball, and Mr. and Mrs. Baker. Stratton School was one of the largest schools after the consolidation and was a leader in athletics. Plays were given for entertainment of the patrons of the district. Every effort was made to make the school fit the educational and social needs of the community. In 1925 the enrollment was 41. The school closed with the consolidation in 1949. Adapted from Hardin, Missouri: A Centennial History (1870-1970). Source: http://www.hardincentral.k12.mo.us/about/history/stratton-school.html