Was formed June 3, 18721, in the territory adjoining Chetopa on the north. The first meeting was held in the house of J. C. Wright, June 14, 1872, at which the following officers were elected: J. C. Wright, director; L. D. Bovee, clerk; J. B. Sartain, treasurer. A house was built that year.

Is situated in the southwest corner of Hackberry township. The record of its organization and early history is all a blank. A house costing $600 is said to have been built in 1872; and the first officers are said to have been William Liggett, director; W. B. Trissol, clerk; A. J. Barnes, treasurer.

Was formed in the northern part of Mound Valley township, May 3, 1873. The first meeting was held July 30, 1873. Samuel Mayginnis, J. D. Ellison and J. F. Butts were the first school officers. The first school was taught by J. F. Finley, in a house belonging to J. F. Butts, in 1873. The school-house in the district was built in 1874.

In 1872 a large petition was presented for the formation of a district in the southeast corner of Mount Pleasant township. There is no record of the formation thereof until the spring of 1873. The first meeting was held and the officers elected May 27, 1873.

Was organized in the northwest corner of Elm Grove township, April 26, 1873. The first meeting was held June 5. 1873.

Was formed in the west part of Mount Pleasant township, December 31, 1873. The first meeting was held January 31, 1874.

Is located in the southwest corner of Elm Grove township, and was organized January 29, 1874. The first meeting was held March 3, 1874.

Was formed in the northwestern part of Osage township, April 4, 1874. The first meeting was held May 23, 1874.

Was formed in the northern part of Canada township, June 18, 1874. The first meeting was held August 1, 1874. A school-house was built in the district in the fall of 1874. The first school in the district was taught by Richard McKenzie.

April 15, 1872, W. H. Mapes and others petitioned for the formation of a district in the southwest corner of Mount Pleasant township. It does not appear to have been organized prior to June 18, 1874, when the order therefor was made and the organization completed, August 1, 1874. The first school meeting was held at the residence of Noah Guyman. John Hulse was elected director and Milo Hildreth, clerk. The first school was taught in the summer of 1874, by Mrs. Mary Owens, in a house belonging, to Mr. Decker, with an average attendance of less than 4 scholars. School was held in rented buildings until the fall of 1878, when a new school-house was erected, the first school in which was taught by Mrs. Eliza Rust.

Is a joint district, situated near the northwest corner of the county, in connection with territory in Montgomery county. It was organized in 1872, or at least steps were taken as early as that to secure an organization, and a house was built very soon after its organization. The first board consisted of W. T. Fallon, director; J. T. Finley, clerk; J. W. Phebus, treasurer. The first school was taught by John Stroud.

Was formed in the northwestern part of Howard township, March 11, 1873. The first meeting was held April 10, 1873. The schoolhouse in this district was first built on the west side of Pumpkin creek, and was thereafter removed to the east side of the creek.

Located in the southeastern part of Hackberry township, was formed March 12, 1873. The first meeting was held April 15, 1873.

Was formed in the southeastern part of Mound Valley township, March 14, 1873. The first meeting was held April 11, 1873. The first officers were Cyrus Hopkins, M. F. Wakefield, and Ira Ross. In December, 1873, Herman Wade opened the first school. Colin Hodge was treasurer of this district for a number of years.

Was formed in the southeastern part of Richland township, April 15, 1873. The first meeting was held May 22, 1875. That fall a school-house costing $900 was erected.

Notices of formation of this district were posted October 8, 1880. Officers were elected and organization completed November 8, 1880. This district is situated in the western part of Oswego township.

Was organized July 16, 1881, in the northwestern part of Osage township. The first meeting was held at the home of M. E. Sparks, July 16, 1881.

Is situated in the southern part of Richland township, and was organized July 28, 1881. The first meeting was held at the house of Wm. Cook, July 28, 1881. Daniel Corell, E. C. Albrook and a number of other parties petitioned for the formation of this district. The order is dated June 18, 1881.

Is located in the northwestern part of North township, and was organized June 10, 1882. The first meeting was held at the house of S. E. Cornelius, June 10, 1882.

Is located in the eastern part of Mound Valley township, and was organized December 8, 1883. The first meeting was held at the house of R. Terhune, December 8, 1883. The first school officers were A. B. Gibs, H. K. Baker, and J. C. Lesley. A school-house was built in 1884, and the first school was taught there in the winter of 1884, by Miss Lina Gibs.

is situated in the northern part of Labette township; was organized February 16, 1884. The first meeting was held at the house of Robert N. Davis, January 11, 1884.

Is located in the northwestern corner of Osage township, and is a joint district.

Located in the western part of Fairview township, was organized May 6, 1884. The first meeting was held at the house of F. M. Poe, May 16, 1884.

Located in the south-central part of Elm Grove township, was organized April 30, 1884. The first meeting was held April 30, 1884.

Is situated in the central part of Hackberry township, including the town of Bartlett, and was organized June 3, 1889. The school-house was built that fall, and in it, commencing in December, J. L. Edmundson began teaching the first school in the district. In 1897 an addition was built to the school-house, since which time two teachers have been employed, viz.: 1896-97, H. A. Brundage and daughter; 1897-98, Ada Edmandson and Maud Ball; 1898-99, Bertha Reece and Alta Campbell; 1899-1900, Bertha Reece and Minnie Pickering; 1900-01, Margaret Curtis and Josephine Crane.

On February 27, 1892, J. A. Jarboe and William Scott applied for the formation of a new district, and on March 1st the order was made for the formation of a district embracing territory in Walton and Osage townships. An appeal having been taken from the action of the county superintendent, it was not until July 8th that the hearing was had before the commissioners, when the action of the superintendent was sustained. The first election was held July 18th, at which the following officers were elected: William Turner, director; William Scott, clerk; J. A. Jarboe, treasurer. Bonds were soon issued, and a new schoolhouse costing $500 was erected on the southeast corner of section 13, in Osage township, in which, on October 10th, the first school was opened by Lillie Willi.

Is located in Labette and Montgomery counties; that located in Labette county is in Howard and Canada townships. The organization was effected August 7. 1900, and the first meeting was held August 23, 1900. A new school-house was built at once and a school taught the following winter.

Prior to 1889 no attempt had been made toward securing uniformity in the course of study and standard of scholarship in the various country schools. At the request of the county superintendent, the county commissioners made an order on July 3, 1889, authorizing a set of Welch's Classification Records for the use of each school district in the county, together with proper blanks for making reports, etc. A circular letter was sent out by the county superintendent to each of the teachers, giving information in reference to the examinations that would be required for promotion and graduation. Nearly all the schools in the county adopted the prescribed course of study and made preparations for their students to take part in the examinations that should thereafter be held. The first examination under this arrangement was held on April 18, 1890, at a designated place in each township, where schools in such township could be represented. Ninety-nine applicants were examined, 34 of whom (5 boys and 29 girls) attained the required average, and passed. Commencement exercises were held during the early part of June at several places in the county, and on July 1st the final commencement for all of those who had passed the examination was held at the opera house in Oswego. This work has been continued each year since, with very gratifying results. The graduates thus far have been as follows: