| School | Swindle College |
|---|---|
| Location | Barry Co., MO |
| Date | Not Dated |
| School Image |  |
| Details | Swindle College, Notes from Betty and Ralph Lamberson The Swindle family home and stagecoach stop was at the location, "at the spring on Poque's creek" The Swindle family owned land all the way from Pogue's creek to Joy's creek. It was divided up among their descendants, if you will look at the 1909 map, you will see the names of all their daughters and husbands and descendants. I live on 40 acres of that original property. The Swindle College schoolhouse was not located on the Spring on Pogue's creek. It was located north from the spring at the top of the hill at the "Y" on farm road 1040. The school was still there in my childhood, our school usually matched softball games with them in the Spring, we went there for games. The school has not been on this site in several years. It was sold to "Gray" McMillen, moved and a modular home is now there. The original Swindle house near the Spring that had five fireplaces is no longer there either. One of the Swindle homes does still exist and is being lived in. It is further up on the hill on farm rd.1035. It also belonged to a John Swindle. The Barry County 2002 Platt book indicates that this place belonged to the Albertson's. The school site is shown as belonging to D. M. The original house site is shown as Ralph Garrison. Betty said that as time passes there seems to be confusion and a lot of interest of the exact location of sites. Swindle College News Item, Newspaper unknown and date not known Professor John Swindle - A blacksmith father, a large five fireplace home, and a son so bent on learning that he "walked all the way to Columbia University"- these are the foundation of the subscription school founded by Professor John Swindle in 1882. Located at the spring after crossing Pogue's Creek two miles south of Corsicana, the Swindle residence provided space until the Swindle College Building was erected on the hill in 1885 or 1886. Beginning with the first grade, the courses taught were comparable with those of higher college levels. Professor John offered courses in advanced mathematics and literature. His daughter Hattie recalls "visiting the school when all those grown people were pupils". The college continued to grow, students came from far away, boarding at the Swindle's and neighboring farms, all ages, all eager to learn from the fundamentals to the specifics. The boundaries were not confined to the building, only the limits of the mind. Swindle College suffered the fate of other rural academies, becoming a consolidated school with Wheaton, the building being sold to Gary McMillen in 1955. Professor John died in 1930. Holding lifetime certificates in Mo., Ark., and Kan., half a century devoted to teaching, he pioneered the progress of education in south-west Missouri. by Orma Swindle Carr |
| Submitted By | Submitted in 2006 by: Don Warner - Deceased |
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