The Rev. E. Lehmann began teaching the children of the Trinity Lutheran congregation, in his two room home shortly after he was inducted into the office of pastor in 1869. Ten young people were received into the church by rite of confirmation, under his tutelage, in 1870. Succeeding pastors continued to conduct daily classes, and, by 1885, a resolution was passed to engage a teacher who could devote full time to the pupils. On September 6, 1885, Miss Elisa Hamm was called to serve at $25.00 per month. When the new church was completed in 1890 the old building was remodeled to accommodate the school classes. Each child was to pay a tuition of seventy-five cents a month, and four prerequisites were outlined for the teacher; ability to handle music, English, Maintain discipline and instruct children in all branches of elementary learning. Also at this time, a resolution was passed to teach reading, writing and arithmetic through the medium of the English language. In 1917 and 1918 an epidemic of scarlet fever and later influenza forced the closing of the school for several months. It was during this period that the "Council of Defense" asked the congregation to eliminate German instruction in the school. English hymnals were introduced and the first English Children's Christmas service was conducted in 1918. A new school building was erected in 1958 Trinity Lutheran School was a fully accredited school in which the eight grades of elementary education were taught according to the education requirements of the State of Missouri. Two teacher were employed and the school maintained a hot lunch program.

The first public school opened in 1873. This was a frame building which was constructed to become the first elementary school. In 1886, two rooms were added to the structure to add a two year high school. This building is still bring used as a residence at 410 South Pine Street, being moved there to make way for the new brick and stone school which was built in 1889. The new building was used as an elementary and high school. During the 1900's additions were made to this brick building to accommodate the larger enrollment and a gravity system of heating installed. In 1917, a second two story brick building was erected for the high school on Elm Street just south of the elementary building. This facility, being highlighted on the 2003 Carrollton Area Chamber of Commerce Christmas Ornament, underwent many changes throughout the years. In 1951 a plot of 20 acres on East Fifth Street was purchased for the site of a new elementary school building and athletic field. This facility, which is in use today, houses the school's cafeteria. Just prior to the new millennium, the elementary building was renovated and additional rooms added at the same time as a new high school facility was erected adjacent to the elementary school. Following the completion of the new high school, the two story brick building which had served the community for over eighty years was demolished in 2002. For the first time in one hundred and twenty seven years high school students no longer walked, rode a horse, boarded in town or drove a vehicle to school at the intersection of Elm and 5th Street's.

There was an early school shown in the 1876 Atlas of Carroll County, on the R. B. Hudson farm, in Section 17. Also on the Hudson farm was a large lake named Swan Lake, hence, the name for the school. It also received its first designation as 2-52-24 indicating this was the second district to be formed in Moss Creek Township. Most of the early school of this time were log structures, but we have no information that this school was of this type. The 1973 history of Carroll County states that this was a large district, and that they always had two teachers. Also, it might be noted that the early roads were not well defined, and were just dirt farm roads that tended to follow around the edges of the farms. There was not yet any highway between Carrollton and Norborne. By 1896, there was no school shown in section 17. However, the new railroad town of Palemon had sprung up nearby, and it may be that local students were attending the new school there. On May 13, 1914 a warrant filed show that R. B. and Kate Hudson granted land to the Swan Lake School, for a new school building. This was on the Eastern edge of Section 19, where the school remained until it closed. The price was $160.00. This location was about three miles East of Norborne, and South of out present Highway 10. At about this time Palemon school closed and the building sold at auction, which adds some confusion, as some of the former Palemon students, from the Southern part of the district, were now attending the new Swan Lake School. The first teacher listed for the new Swan Lake School was in 1915. None of the school record books have been found, and as a result only a small part of the student enumeration is known. Swan Lake closed in 1944. Upon closing the school the land reverted to the owners. The building was moved to the Bush farm, where it was used for storage for a time.

The Location of the first Fairview School was about one and one-half miles North of Norborne. One of the first teachers was Victor Minton, who was reported to have had 60 students in this one room school. A special east-west road was required for access. That road was very difficult to maintain and impossible for cars to travel as early at 1915. In 1925, they voted to move the building one half mile south to be on a public road. This caused some controversy, but finally two acres was purchased from William Heil for the school. In 1951, the district consolidated with Norborne Public School and sold the building and land to Gilbert Bowlin. Gilbert converted the school into a home. A Fairview school teacher, Opal Royse Newham wrote a book "Adventures of a School Marm".

This school was located in Section five, of Egypt Township, which would be about four miles northwest of the present town of Norborne. It was shown on the 1876 Atlas as the only school building in section five. The first record of land granted to the district was on November 3, 1870. The earliest pupil record was listed in 1890. The school closed in 1948. Land for the school was granted on November 3 1870. Granters were Sarah and William J. Hill. James Renick was the trustee. The cost was $30.00. In the April 1900 board meeting, voting by ballots carried to increase the term of school in excess of the number requited by law, which was seven months. At this time the enrollment was 43 students from thirty different families. In 1914, the board voted to dig a well for a new supply of water. A motion to extend the school house by ten feet was made and carried. A motion to allow $2.50 for the extension and repairs, carried unanimously. In 1927, the board voted to enlarge the school grounds. In 1928, the board voted to have free textbooks and to hire a trained nurse at fifty cents per pupil. In 1939 the community voted for J. E. Burnside for County Superintendent. In 1941, the insurance was increased for the school and equipment to $2,500. In 1950, Rolling Green had an enrollment of 26 pupiles from twelve families. Consolidating with the Norborne School followed.

The Marshall School was located on the Hecke Estate, in Section 21 about two miles West of Norborne. It was an early school, which is indicated by its first official District Number of 2-52-25. The old school location is shown in the 1876 Atlas, as being the Southwest corner of this farm, neat the Hecke Lake of that time. About the year 1870, the school was moved to the Northeast corner of the same farm, because that location was more centrally located, in its district. The first records located were in 1875 for teachers, and in 1876 for the pupils. About 1889, the farm was purchased by Henry Wenzel, and a small acreage was given to the district for school purposes only. In 1924 Agriculture was introduced as a course of study. After Consolidation with the Norborne School, the building was removed, and the land reverted back to the Wenzel family. The school was named for a Mr. Marshall, an early board member.

Nimrod was named for the village of Nimrod, which had been laid out for a town out in the bottom area, but failed to develop. The school was 1 3/4 miles southeast of the proposed town. In April of 1908 Egbert D. Carrier sold the district one square acre of his land in section 30. It was one of the last school districts to be formed in Egypt Township, and received the old designation of 4-52-25. The first teacher that we found was in 1928, and pupils are first listed in 1937. The original director's books for this school have not been found, and are considered lost. One of the highlights of the 1938 school years was going out into the schoolyard to watch the first trip of the Santa Fe "Streamliner". This new passenger train was made of stainless steel creating a glittering appearance as it sped by. There was a building, open on the south, for the stabling of horses. Other buildings were a coal shed, a girls toilet, and a boys toilet. After a snow the toilet seats (a board with three holes of three sizes) were usually covered with rabbit tracks. After apparently being closed for a year, a population explosion occurred in the district in the 1941-1942 year which caused the re-opening of the school. The teacher Ida Conover boarded with the Ortie Raasch family. The School closed in 1943. Anna Flannagan was the last teacher. The Nimrod district consolidated with Norborne in 1951. The building was sold to a private party who tore it down and moved the lumber away.

On February 19, 1872, Henry W. and Sara D. weatherhold bought one acre of ground, in Section 35 for $80.00, and gave it to he Township for the purpose of education. The school was located near the South bank of Moss Creek and was one the of earliest schools. It is show in the 1876 Atlas, near the center of Section 35. This is three miles due South of Norborne. However, it was the third school district to be organized in Egypt Township, and received its first District Number 3-52-25. Eupha Gregg was the first teacher. In 1915, Weatherhold joined the ranks of State approved schools, by meeting some strict requirements. Ray Minnick, a student of that year, was one of two boys to win a trip to the state fair in Sedalia for making the highest grade on an exam given by the county superintendent in that year. It isn’t known who the other boy was or which school he came from. In 1951, the school consolidated with Norborne R-8 and the building was sold to Moss Creek Homemakers who used it for a number of years for their meeting place.

Wilson was first known as #1 School of Moss Creek Township, and was in session in the earliest days of Carroll County Education. The first teacher and pupils were listed in 1876 and the last were listed in 1950. In 1878, the school was in session for four months. In 1884, Wilson consolidated with the #7 School, and school was held for eight months. In 1909 Wilson was District #1 and in 1910 the number changed to #98, according to the new county wide numbering system adopted that year. The location of the Wilson School was about four and one-half miles Southeast of Norborne. There was no record of land transferred until September 1903. Isaac Wilson, who had given the school a home for years died. His heires sold the land minus one acre where the school was located. in 1928, the vote passed to provide free textbooks. In 1901, plans were made to get a title to the land. They would borrow the $900.00 at 10% interested for the purpose of a new building. The board took the bid submitted by D.D. Farguhr to build it for $730.00. The new school building was built in 1903, with a brick foundation. in 1904, a fence of oak timbers was added around the school yard. in 1906, the board voted to by a new stove, drive a new pump, and repair the outhouses. In 1910, Lightning rods were added to the building.

The Dawson school was located in Section 11 of Township 52-Range 25, which is about five miles south of Norborne, in the flood plain of the Missouri River. There is no public road of today that runs by the exact site of this school. on February 10, 1859 James W. Dawson bought 80 acres. After his death the heirs sold the land to Henry Lothman, minus one acre for a school that bears Mr. Dawson's name. No record of the date of building of the school has been found, but it must have been sometime around 1859. In 1892, the school was destroyed by fire and was replaced on one acre from Mr. and Mrs. Richard Evans, for the price of $25.00. The earliest records found were of pupils in 1902, and of teachers in 1906-1907. Spelling bees were held with Cherry Valley School. The pupils were transported by wagon with horses pulling the wagon. Enrollment in 1923-1924 was eleven and in 1937, twelve students. Dawson was consolidated with Norborne Public schools about 1950. The school building was taken down in 1971.

In 1855, Jonathan Miles plotted the town of Miles Point in the center of Section 26. This would have been about six miles south of Norborne, and only about one mile from the Missouri River. It was one of the main shipping points on the river for early Carroll County. The town plat showed fifteen city blocks, and the square contained a city hall, and a general store. There was a Post Office from 1858-1903. At one time the town was referred to as Shanghai because a resident had a number of chickens of that breed. The 1876 Atlas shows three school; one was in the center of town, and one on each side of the centrally located school, within what appears to be less than a mile of the center of the town. Early history mentions some kind of school being held there in the early part of the 1870's with as many as fify pupils. After the building of the railroad through Carroll County, and the decline of Miles Point, the school was moved more to the center of the school district in 1892, and named Cherry Valley. On May 11, 1892 Richard Evans and his wife Amelia granted the school district one acre for the sum of $25.00. The earliest records found show pupils listed there in 1894. Around 1893, the building was destroyed by fire and a new building was erected soon afterward. in 1915, the district voted a five cents levy for a library and to furnish free textbooks. School was usually in session for eight months of the year. The last session was held in 1944-1945. The district was then consolidated with the Norborne School District.

The first Chase School was built on land given by Sylvester Booth and Mary Ellen (Kenton) Chase, from which it received its name. This would have been about six miles Southwest of Norborne, but in that time was about two miles West of Miles Point, which was a bustling River Town and community in that day. It would also have been only one and one-half miles from the Missouri River. The school was in existence before 1876, and it is believed to have been a log building. It is shown in the 1876 Atlas in Section 7. It may have been the earliest district formed in the Township as it received the original designation of 1-51-25. at a later date, the school was moved across the road to the South, but this was in the next section (18) owned by Samuel Cole. The first legal record found was dated August 19, 1898. The building was damaged by flood in 1903, and then the new school was rebuilt across the road on land that had passed from Samuel Cole to August Biewenerand and became Chase 123, when the new district numbers were assigned in 1910. It became a first class school in 1924, with Jane Schiffman as the teacher. The earliest records found, listed pupils in 1903 and the first teachers in 1924. Floods again severely damaged the building in 1951. It is said that the floodwater was nearly to the roof. This time seemed to be the limit, so it was burned down, and the site leveled. Chase consolidated with Norborne after the 1950-1951 session.

The Douglas School was the only African American school in Norborne. The building sat on the East end of what is now Santa Fe street, and was a two room grade school only. The class's were 1st through 8th grade, and one teacher taught all 8 grades. The school did not serve lunch's and kids were allowed to leave to go home for lunch. After the 8th grade kids either stopped going to school, or were transported to Brunswick, MO to the Dalton school. The Douglas school was in operation until integration started in 1954.

A special Thank You to Dorothy (Thompson) Craig for providing the small bit of history, and the pictures below.

A picture of some of the 1st-8th grade classes

A Promotion Card of Dorothy's mothers.

Front page of Dorothy's mothers Graduation Ceremony program

Middle page's of Dorothy's mothers Graduation Ceremony program

Back page of Dorothy's mothers Graduation Ceremony program

If anyone has information on the Douglas school they would like to provide, please contact Mayor Jacob DeMint