Memories from the Homestead: Remembering the Old Branson School

Across the road from the Pepsi Legends Theatre, and next to the driveway of Dolly's Stampede, sits a small park in the trees at 1515 West Hwy. 76. The one-acre site was the home of the Old Branson School, the first official school site in the Branson community. 

The Old Branson School as it appeared in 1956 with the Old Branson Church congregation gathered out front. Classes here ran from 1896 through 1932. (Photo courtesy of Wallace and Evelyn Fullerton)

     I've been digging through a mess of records trying to confirm some of these forgotten details, as I was recently asked if I knew when the school was built. From what I've gathered, it was completed in 1896, and classes continued through the end of the 1932 school year where it had served as a grade school in its final years.

     The school site was a part of the Henry Berry homestead, as he had the acre of land to the Branson school board.

     Construction took place thanks to a group of neighbors who volunteered their time to see the school built. Taking a three-week trip to Springfield and back with several wagons were John Boswell, Tom and Nathan Berry, and Ruff Barker. The men came back with all the supplies and materials to complete the structure quickly. This consisted of planed pine for exterior and interior siding, shingles, flooring, windows, doors, the whole works.

     With classes underway, the first teacher was Mr. Bill Bower, followed by Rebecca Hillhouse. The first students attending all lived within a four-mile radius of the school. The Boswell kids all attended, as John who contributed much to see the school completed, began as a school board member, and would continue as board president for thirty years.

     The Irwin kids were first generation students along with the Maddox, Jones, Lewallen, White, Compton, Hawkins, Barker, Wilson and Berry children. By 1905, nearly one hundred children, grades one through eight were packed into the school. A new building was soon built to the east, up the hill from Branson.

   Thanks to John Boswell, the school saw some wonderful teachers. Their salary was $25 a month in those early years. Some of the later teachers were Bertie Snapp, Albert Compton, Lucy Anderson, Fay Rice and John Bennett.

   Miss Verba Chaney was the final Old Branson teacher in 1932, teaching grades one through three. The other grades had been relocated to the new school on the hill overlooking Branson some twenty-five years earlier. My grandfather, Wallace Fullerton, attended his early years of school at this site along with his siblings.

     Looking back, organized church services were underway at the school as far back as 1905. The Old Branson Church would continue with a growing congregation using the school site until 1966, as they had been sharing the building with the local Table Rock Extension Club.

     When Branson schools ended classes at the site in 1932, ownership of the property went to Mrs. J.C. Hull, who had purchased the Berry homestead. Due to the historic value of the building, the Extension Club purchased the building in 1936 with the church congregation renting the space for their regular services. 

     In 1966, a storm blew a tree onto the building with damages so severe the Extension Club chose to go elsewhere, the historic school building was destroyed, and the Old Branson Church was forced to find a new home. They finished their new church building in 1969 on Gretna Road and are still very active there today. Built to resemble the original school, the Old Branson Church historically still holds the honor of being the Branson community's longest active church.

     It was at the school site where my Aunt Ruby McCreary (Grandpa Wallace's sister) along with my Grandparents Wallace and Evelyn Fullerton and Evelyn Layton formed the Old Branson Quartet singing group. They began in 1952 together and would perform continuously for over forty years. They were my foundation as a youngster and gave me my love of harmony singing.

      Historically, the traditional church services that began at the Old Branson School still continue today at the Old Branson Church. They currently do a Sunday morning service with old-time hymn singing and preaching at 10:45 a.m. Old Branson Church is located just past the Titanic driveway at 120 Gretna Road.  

     Yes, my family is still honored to carry on this tradition. I've been leading the hymn singing there now for the past twenty-one years, and my dad, Cowboy Jim Fullerton, has been the pastor for thirty-eight years. If you're looking for an old-time country church, we would love to have you come and worship with us!