Compiled by Ruth Maupins

Around 1885 the first Negro school was held in the frame house of Cal Shackelford on Howard Street. The classes, which were no higher than the fifth or sixth grade, were taught by a Mr. Jones.

In 1888 the School Board promised the Negroes if they would vote for a levy that would enable the whites to build an all white high school, they would build an all-Negro grade school. The levy passed and in the years between 1888 and 1890 the present old brick schoolhouse was built.

The first teacher was a young man right out of school, Professor C.C. Hub­bard. He had two ladies to assist him, Miss Mattie Bell and Miss Ida Hamilton. There were many Negro children in the Tipton community at that time.

The school went on like this for many years; then there were eight years of schooling offered so the pupils could have a diploma. Children who received diplomas had to leave Tipton to enter high school in Jefferson City, Kansas City, Sedalia, or St. Louis.

Around 1933 the School Board decided to transport the Negro children to bus into Sedalia to C.C. Hubbard High School, which had been started by the former at Tipton. Around 1936 the School Board then decided to have a two-year high school here in the old grade school building. Miss Hortense McClannahan was chosen for the teacher. There were seven graduates in 1938: Ruth Shinault, Sadie Johnson, Florine Maupins, Miriam Shipley, Earl Maupins, William Webb and George Wright.

The School Board stopped the high school and started transporting to C.C. Hubbard School again. Several gradu­ated from high school there. This continued until 1953 when there were no more to go to high school. When integration started in 1957 the Harrison School was closed forever. The teacher at that time was Galveston Shipley who had taught there for years, 34 of them consecutive.

The building was put up for sale and Prairie Grove Baptist Church purchased it for $1,000.