Editing Howardville, Missouri (section)

==History==
Howardville was founded by Travis B. Howard, a prominent black educator and activist in the mid-20th century [[Missouri Bootheel|Bootheel]] region.  A graduate of [[Tuskegee University|Tuskegee Institute]], Howard was inspired by [[Booker T. Washington]]'s belief that land ownership was among the critical factors in lifting African Americans out of poverty.  In the late 1940s, Howard purchased {{convert|200|acre|ha}} of land encompassing much of what is now Howardville, and sold off lots to displaced black sharecroppers.  The city incorporated as "Howardville" in 1953.<ref name=nrhp>Amber Cox, [https://dnr.mo.gov/shpo/docs/moachp/Howardville%20School%20%5BPreferred%5D.pdf National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form for Howardville School], Missouri Department of Natural Resources, 2017.</ref>

Howardville High School, initially known as East Lilbourn High School, opened in 1958. After county schools were integrated in the late 1960s, the school operated as a junior high school until 1980.  In 2017, the school was nominated for listing on the [[National Register of Historic Places]].<ref name=nrhp />

Travis Howard was the father of [[Major League Baseball]] player [[Elston Howard]], the first black player to join the [[New York Yankees]].<ref>{{usurped|1=[https://archive.today/20130116105552/http://www.afrigeneas.com/preciousphotos/photo009.htm Howard family photograph]}}, AfriGeneas.com. Accessed 13 October 2017.</ref>