The number of Twin Groves students declined dramatically between 1926 (above) and 1938 (below). When the school closed in 1943 there were only seven students.

Old News

From the 3rd floor
of the Webb City Public Library

Twin Grove School educated District 67 students for close to 75 years

Webb City Area Genealogical Society
December 7, 2022

Twin Grove School was located on 96 Highway about 1 1/2 miles west of 43 Highway.

According to the 1878 Jasper CountySchool Report by S. A. Underwood, the wood frame school house was constructed in 1877. “The log house of a year ago has given place to an excellent and commodious school building of which the citizens of the district are justly proud. The people of Twin Grove believe in progress and have done the handsome thing in erecting and furnishing the building now occupied by the school.”

The Twin Grove School closed after the 1942-1943 school term, with only seven students in District 67 at that time. The following year the students were sent to Carl Junction schools. The district consolidated with Waco R-4 on Nov. 1, 1949.

The school building stood vacant for decades but in the past year or so has been demolished.

We’re not sure but the teacher in the 1938 class photo may be Mary Stone Osborn, of Webb City. She went on to teach in Joplin. In the late ’90s, she and her Twin Grove students reunited. It was then that she posed in front of the building where she started her career.

The photo at right was taken in 2004. Note that the Twin Grove sign above the door is gone. The building has since been demolished.

Sentinel bound volumes are now in the Genealogy Room

The WCAGS has accepted ownership of the complete collection of bound volumes of the Webb City Sentinel, from 1983 (after the fire) until the final issue on Dec. 30, 2020.

Those issues can also be viewed on microfilm, along with much older issues.

Webb City Area Genealogical Society

WCAGS members staff the Genealogy Room on the third floor of the Webb City Public Library. Current hours are noon to 4 p.m. weekdays and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays. Meetings are held at 6 p.m. on the first Tuesday of each month in the Genealogy Room.

Everything you want to know about Jasper County Missouri Schools is available at a site compiled by Webb City Area Genealogical Society member Kathy Sidenstricker.