Smith visits Lincoln School

On Monday, August 5, U.S. Representative Jason Smith (Mo.) visited the Lincoln School in West Plains.

 

“I appreciate Crockett and Tonya Oaks for taking me on a tour of the Lincoln School in West Plains,” said Smith. “They have done an incredible job transforming this formerly segregated schoolhouse into a historic community center that’s focused on educating people about the past and creating a unified future. It was great to be back in West Plains and I look forward to visiting again soon.”

 

The schoolhouse was in use from 1926 until 1954, the year the Supreme Court issued its Brown v. Board of Education ruling and ended segregation in public schools. In July 2023, Crockett and Tonya Oaks bought the nearly 100-hundred-year-old building from the City of West Plains and soon after began restoring it. In addition to telling and preserving the history of the Lincoln School, the building is also used for community events.