Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page. It is also available as plain text as well as XML.

STORY OF THE PROGRESS MADE BY THE RURAL SCHOOLS OF LAURENS COUNTY LETTERS FROM DIFFERENT SCHOOLS Telling of the Improvements Made in the Past Few Years and of their Present Activities, Showing the Interest Developed in Better Buildings, More Teachers, Longer Terms, Better Attendance, Corn and Tomato Club Work, in Oratory and School Improvements of Everv Nature. Prospect School. This is one of the oldest schools of tho county. "We know there was a school at old Prospect as early as 1840 and "as tJiej crow flies" the present location is just one mile from the original site. The school was ?moved from the church grounds to its present iocatlon near lloyd's Cross ROads In 1S93. The Prospect and Rosedale schools were united under the leadership of a young and enthu siastic teacher, Prof. P>. Y. Culbert son, and tho length of term changed from three to eight months. Prof. Cul hertson with tho co-operation of trus tees and patrons succeeded in build ing up a very creditable school. In fact at one time there were four teach ers. With the exception of two years when Mr. Hates was teacher, Prof. Culbertson was principal from 1893 to 1911. Mrs. McFadden taught In 1911-1:;. Tito past summer a very neat and well arranged school house was built. In point of construction and equip ment, it Is superior to any of the Prospect se/hools preceding it. The present teachers are: principal, Miss Ida C. Turner, assistant. .Miss Carrie Lan'gston; numibor of pupils enrolled, 64; number of grades, 8; length of term 8 months. Officers of School Improvement association: president Mrs. Cleo Wofford, treasurer, Mrs. Ida Dean, secretary, Miss llennie Proffitt. Amount raised and expended for gen eral improvements, $45.00. School Journal, 12; Tomato club, I; Corn club, 7; perfect attendance, 1. Myra Wofford. Cross Hill High School. This building lias not always been our "school-house" until ahout live years ago, the building was situated about a mile from the present site, near old Cross Hill. It was not until the present building was erected that we had live teachers and ten grades. The building is made of concrete. It has four well lighted rooms on the first floor, and a large auditorium on the second joor. Cross Hill school has flve teachers, namely: Prof. F. S. Smith, Miss Irene Dlllard, Miss Lucio Miles, Miss Wilma Rdmey and Miss Lizzie Griffin. We have ten grades and one hundred and twenty-one pupils, The length of our school term Is eight months. This year we have raised sixty-two dol lars, twenty-four dollars of which has been spent for enlarging our library. The remainder has been spent for other Improvements. Those joining the Tomato cluh are: Ojelia Harmon, Josle Griffin, Nellie llitt, Vivian Nance, Eleanor Dial, Hel en Ilitt, Louise Thompson, Virginia Mc.Swain, Willie Wells, Grace I litt and Ruth Qoddard, Those joining tlio Corn Cluh arc: Simmons Pihson, Wade Hill and Ray Chandler. The prevailing spirit of our school Is enthusiasm, though it sometimes breaks through in mischief, yet when there is a good cause at stake, every pupil supports it heartily. Annie Rasor. Tenth Grade. Trinity-Uldge High School. A'hout thirty years ago there was a one-room school building about a half mile from Chestnut Ridge church A fow years later, a new house was built on the church grounds and the old house was abandoned. The peo ple in the upper part of the district, thinking the school too far down, de cided to build a school house and one was erected at Trinity church. Five years ago these two buildings wore rolled together on half way ground. At that time Trinity-Ridge began its career. From an enroll ment of thirty-live, it has grown to ninety-live. Today we have ten grades with throe teachers, school running eight months. The teachers this year are: Mr. .1. Fierce Coats, Misses Mae Roper and Annie Putnam. The officers of the School Improvement associa tion are: Mrs. Scott George, presi dent; Mrs. (!. A. Fuller, vice.presi dent; Mrs. Marion Cain, secretary and treasurer. This association has done excellent work both for the school and homos. Nineteen children are subscribers to the School Journal; two boys have joined 'ho Com club; fifteen girls are members of the Tomato club; and several pupils will bo entitled to li brary certificates and perfect attend ance buttons. We have one pupil, Min nie Irvin. whose attendance has been perfect for six years. .1. Pierce Coats. Monntvllle High School. During the summer of 1007, the trustees and patrons of the Mount villo school, realizing the need of further progress in the education of our Community, complied with the re quirements of the high school act. and the session of 1007.08 began will? high school work, as a result of their en thusiasm. The whole time of one [teacher, and half the time of another were employed in the high school do | partment, and the same in the primary department, with an enrollment of seventy six pupils. Professor \V. P. Culhertson. who had sorved our school very acceptably for several years pre vious, was elected principal of the high school, with Miss Marie Stokes j as assistant, and Miss Frankie Cul hertson as teacher of the primary de partment. So well did our school succeed that during tho next session, another teacher had to he added, as well as another recitation room. Miss Mary I Martin was elected to 1111 the place of the extra teacher, and the other j three teachers were reelected. Four years have passed. Our school j has kept its same teachers, and has been steadily growing better, year by year. At the end of the fourth year Mr. Culhertson, who had served our school faithfully for thirteen years, resigned. Miss Martin also resigned. The fifth year began with Mr. B. A. Fuller, principal, and Miss Mary Dil. lard successor of Miss Martin. These two, with Miss Stokes and Miss Miller, make up our present teaching force. Our pupils are taking much interest in all the departments of school work tills year. There are twenty-live of tho eighty-eight pupils enrolled that will probably get the library certifi cates. The boys manifested much in terest in the preliminary deelaimers' contest: one boy has joined tho coin club; the girls from ail the grades are very busy In getting their fancy work ready for tho county fair; the hoys are Interested in making axe handles, potato mashers and other wooden articles; and the boys are taking a great interest in the track team, recenly organized. In addition to the live maps, dic tionary and holder, and a nice globe, given to -the school by the trustees, the School Improvement association is going to supplement the library, buy some song books, and probably subscribe for some standard maga zines for tho school with tho pro ceeds of a home talent plaj that will he given in a few weeks. Jayne ?. Hudgens, Eighth Grade Hendersons Hie School. The first school established in this community was known as the Tum bling Shoals academy. The house was built before tho Confederate war. In 18?7 Mr. \V. I). Sullivan built a now school house near his residence. In 1802 a new log nouse was built by the people opposite the present site of Hendersonville school, it was called Violet Branch school. The school was given the name of Hender sonville in IS?7 when a new house Was built on a lot donated by Mr. W. | X. Knight. It was moved In 1000 to the present site and a now room was added. An assistant was employed for the first time for 1010-11 session. The teachers at present are Misses Carolyn Smith and Ethel McDanlcl, who are employed for a six month's term. We have nine grades, sixty.sev en pupils have been enrolled. Eleven will probably receive the perfect at tendance buttons. Gillie Sumerol, J. Furonan Thomason, Scbnstln Tumblln and Jimmlo Lee Kellett have joined ithJe (lorn club, Mjayo Roper is a member of the Tomato club. Ten pu pils are subscribers to the School Journal. n We have a live Improvement asso ciation which has raised twenty dol lars. This was spent for teachers' chairs and desks. The officers of the association are Mrs. .1. K. Thomason, president; Mrs. L. C. Ahororombie, vice-president; Mrs. J. i,. Baldwin, secretary and Mrs. \V. 10. Wilson, treasurer. Maye Roper, Eighth Grado. . f,nnford (Imdcd School. Ttie first BChool bouse near Lan. ford, of which wo have any Informa tion was built in the first part of last century. The building was known as Liberty school house and was built of hewn logs. About the year I88C a now house was built near where the present Bap tist church now stands. In 1010 the neat, modern and up to-date building which you now see, 'was erected, the school district hav ing voted bonds to derray the oxpons j es. Many Improvements have been imado durting the last three years. Almost every convenience is now of fered the children. The teachers for the present term are Prof. P. B. Woodruff, principal and Misses Hessle Brown and Etolla Lanford, assistants. Enrollment 100. Numlber of grades taught, ten; length of term, eight months. Officers for School Improvement association: Miss (St?lln Lanford, president; Miss Bes sie Brown, vlce-presldont; Mrs. C, i>. Cox. secretary; Miss Carrie Lou llig gins, treasurer. We have thirty-six LAWLESS COTTON MILL SCHOOL. members and bhvo raise*! $"s.H?. Have bought books for library, water cool ers, framed pictures, paints, etc. Wo still have money in treasury which WO will use later on. Quite a number are talcing the School Journal. Sam uel Drummontl has joined tho Hoys' iCorn club this year. Several girls will Join the tomato club. About lit' teen will get perfect attendance but tons. Bess HtoP'a Lanford. Itt. Bethel N< hool. For the last four years Mt. Bothel has hail three teachers. Miss lOthol Sharp inttghl the seool terms of 1!?0!?. lit and 1910-11, The first terms she enrolled thirty-live and had from tli<? first to tho seventh grades; sec ond term she enrolled thirty, in grades one to seven. Miss Kate Rampey taught ?M1-12 and enrolled thirty-two and from first to seventh grades. Miss Maud Sharp 1012-13 and has enrolled forty.flvo in grades one to seven. We have one girl in the Tomato Club. Two will get the perfect attend ance buttons, two will get tie library reading certificates, and three pupils are taking the School Journal. Felicia Stone, Seventh Grade. I'YIcihIkMp School. Bbfiore our present building was i rooted wo had n very poor sol ool ! house. It was very old :,nil was not i even painted. Tart of the wenthnr bbartilng was off and ti e room leaked and the rnlh beat in f-nm (lie walls. The teachers were Miss 1:1mmn Dial and Rvn Martin. The Improvements that year were some new blackboards, maps, and library. In the last put of the y<ar wo made the greatest Im provement and that was a new s<-' ool house. The house was not built he fore we needed it, I am sure. Tho men In the community made tip the money and built it In the year l!)ln. in the years it?i 1-12 the teachers were Misses Friday and Harris and Miss Martin was assistant both years We got a teacher's desk, chair and a dictionary for tho school these years Our teachers this year are Misses Attaway and Harris. Wo have bqv j enty pupils on roll, I Our School Improvomeni a socin j tion was organized In January with M's- Gray's help. The officers arc: 'president. Miss Loo llondorson; vier president, Mrs. W. (!. Henderson; sec retary and treasurer, Miss Josto Cox. We Und n box BU|>|)Cr and raised $10.18. We got a tenchor's desk, wa ter sprinkler, hi coins, two picture* and are going to add $10.00 Worth of books to our library. Five of us are reporting oil our books so we can get. library COtlltlCUtOB. We have bad three boys to Join the com club. Anna Dial. sixth Grade. "The Oru School.'1 Tlio school now known as Iho Ol'il bcIiooI was, in the earliest rooolloc llons of our grandparents, known as the Old Fields school. How this naino originated we do not know. The first recollections of the institution date back to tbeycar 1816, Tl e teacher for that year was a Mr. John Simmons, whose school was, as people thought; then, the most noted of any taught previous to the war. Not less than fifteen, or twenty young men and about as many young ladies were in attendance. The closing exercises of tills school was truly a wonderful oc casion. Daring (lie UOXt Ihne years the school gradually wore away, an 1 the patrons wi re so dispirited that rOr two years lliero was no school at Old Fields. The sohonl house at that lime was about twenty by fifty te<!, built of large logs, hewn on iy/a 'ides, the In tervening spaces filled in with Sl>|l; sticks and red mud Iii Ihn winter limn to keep out the cold, and in the slim mer this lilling was pushed out as a. means of ventilation, in contract t<? this, we now have a comfortable two room building with patent desks ami hlncliihourds. For Hie |>asl nine years two leachi is have bei I) employed. The average enrollment haw been about fifty, The attendance for the past two years has been good. Some Improvi ? mints in and around the building are lifing made. A few tree!; hUVQ beeil planted and some pictures placed Oil the walls. Wo think our patrons and trustees are awakening to Iho racl that the school is the social center of the community and to get the best, results therefrom, must have nil the modern equipments. Miss flessie Ilyrd is principal of the school, with Miss flcglnri wllllhirt's, as Principal, ONE EXAMPLE OF THE PROGRESS OF LAURENS COUNTY SCHOOLS PROSPECT SCHOOL (Old Building). PltOSPJJCT school (\<m Building). FflOSPKCl school (Presen? Interior Vies).