photo courtesy Lincoln University Photo Collection Once moved to higher ground above the Missouri River, the Dalton Vocational School thrived and earned acclaim for its agricultural yields. Founder Nathaniel C. Bruce intended for the school to become the "Tuskegee of the Midwest." by James Denny | info@ruralmissouri.coop "Tuskegee of the Midwest" The brief, brilliant history of the Dalton Vocational School 50 RURAL MISSOURI | MARCH 2020 T he small town of Dalton hugs the bluff along the Missouri River in southern Chariton County. Most of the town is situated in the bottom straddling the Wabash Railroad track. A quiet place of 17 people, most of the activity seems to take place at the Dalton grain elevator. On top of the bluff is the town cemetery. Beyond the final remains of the town's departed citizens are the architectural remains of the Dalton Vocational School. It consists mainly of the brick shell of the school's main building, Bartlett Hall. Construction of the building was carried out in 1938 by the students and faculty, and the job is impressive upon inspection. The masonry seems sound and plumb despite a leaking roof and the vandalism of all doors, windows and much of the interior. In addition to Bartlett Hall, a halfcollapsed principal's residence and ruins of other buildings constitute all that is left of the once thriving school. It is a sad state for such an important landmark in the history of African American education. For half a century, the school provided an education for thousands of black