The sun. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1937-1972, April 28, 1939, Image 4
FOUR
FRIDAY, APRIL 88, 1889
By PRICE K. HARMON
From the Annals of Newberry the
first record of any school in New
berry was 1806. “In the midst of
the Halcyon Grove stood a long, low,
cheap, wooden building known as the
Newberry Academy. It was about
a half mile from the Court House,
and just South of the Greenville and
Columbia Railroad, and east of the
Higgins Ferry Road. The Newberry
Academy was built by voluntary sub
scriptions and went into operation
in 1806. Rev. John C. Foster and
Rev. Charles Strong were among
the first teachers. It was here
Chancellor Job Johnstone, F. B. Hig
gins, John Belton O’Neall and Dray
ton Nance and many others received
their Academical Education.
At two different times a Lottery
was held for the benefit of the Aca
demy. All escheated property was
vested in the Trustees.
The Academy was incorporated in
1834 with Frederick Nance, John
Belton O’Neall, Job Johnstone, Y. G.
Harrington, James Fernandes,
Thomas Pratt, W. Wilson, Burr
Johnstone, and F. B. Higgins as
Trustees. A new large two-story
wooden building was erected. The
A Great Event
All of Newberry county has
joined hands in celebrating
the 150th year of our found'
ing April 30th to May 4th.
<1 It will be a great event in
our history and we pledge
our support and cooperation.
Lominicks Drug Store
“A Good Drug Store”
Newberry's Oldest
Shoe Repairman
It has been our pleasure over £i
long span of years to serve the peo^
' pie of Newberry city and county,
It gives us pleasure now to pause
and welcome the Big Celebration
of 15G years of the history of which
we have been privileged to witness
a great deal.
Newberry has a history of which
she may well be proud. Let us all
join in making the event one long
to be remembered.
Reagin’s
Shoe Shop
first floor was devoted to school
purposes, the upper floor was used
by the Masons for their meeting
place. The first floor was some
times used as a Thespian Hall. The
great religious revival of 1830 dis
organised the Thespian Society and
caused its discontinuance; many of
the Thespians were converted and
joined the church. And as one of
the fruits of the revival, the Bap
tist church was organized and the
house of worshop built.
In 1834 the Male Academy was
transferred to a building on the lot
where now stands the jail. From
1834 to 1839 the old Academy build
ing was used as a female school.
Miss Boyd was the first teacher, as
sisted by Mrs. Saxon as music
teacher. In 1839 the Female Aca
demy was moved to Dr. Thompson’s
place on Pratt Street and the build
ing was reconverted to the purposes
o(f a Male School under the super
vision of Rev. Wiley, an Episcopal
minister.
Capt. A. P, Pifer, after the Civil
War, in 1868-69, taught a success
ful male school in the Baptist church
annex.
In 1870, a new male Academy was
built, on a lot on the comer of Har
rington and Crenshaw streets.—
Taught by the following up to the
establishment of the Graded schools
in 1889: James C. Hardin,. William
M. Brooks, R. H. Clarkson, James P.
Kinard, John P. Glasgow, and Miss
Willie Cozby.
Several years before the Civil
War, a brick building, where Dr.
Houseal now lives, was built and
used as a Female Academy. The
following were among those who
Caught there: Rev. Wm. Berly, Wm.
Hood, Mrs. Susan Anderson, Capt
A. P. Pifer and Miss Octavia Gar-
lington.
Yielding to popular demand over
the South, after much discussion pro
and con for “free schools” to all the
children, a charter was granted on
December 23, 1889, for the Newberry
Graded Schools, and the following
September the schools were opened
with the following Board of Trus
tees: J. F. J. Caldwell, Geo. B.
Cromer, W. H. Wallace, Jas. K. P.
Goggans, J. S. Cozby, Geo. S. Mow
er, L. M. Speers, N. B. Mazyck, Alan
Johnstone, Sr., Wm. E. Pelham, and
Jas. K. Gilder. The district was
made coterminus with the city limits.
The first year the school was
held in a one story brick house in
the rear of the Crotweli Hotel (now
Wiseman Hotel) and in the Old Fe
male Academy Building, where Dr.
Houseal lives now.
In 1890 tbe Boundary street school
was erected on the comer of Bound
ary and Coates streets. The lot to
gether with the residence upon it
cost $2,000 the building, $13,000,
heating system, $2,000, and furni
ture, $1,000. The population at this
time was about 3000.
The Newberry Mills had a school
on O’Neall street, a frame structure
which had been built for a Union
church for the different denomina
tions. The officials erected the
Present West End School building in
1900 at a cost of about $6,000. This
school later was taken over as a
part of the Graded School system.
The Hoge School on South Cald
well street was for colored people,
which was donated to them by some
northern friends and in some time
about 1896 was turned over to the
Graded School Trustees.
The first superintendent of the
Graded schools was J. Fleming
Brown, serving only one year. In
1890 Frank Evans was elected and
served until 1895, when he resigned
to accept the Superintendency of the
Spai-tanburg Graded schools. W. H.
Wallace succeeded Mr. Evans as
superintendent and resigned in 1900
to accept the editorship of the
Greenville Daily News.
In 1890 the enrollment in the
white schools was 369, and in 1899-
1900 it was 611. The teachers in
1899 were: Mrs. O. E. Fair, Miss
Rachel B. McMaster, Miss Mary L.
Burton, Miss Nellie G. McFall, Miss
Maggie W. Daniel, Miss Carrie Aull,
Miss M. E. Dominick, Miss Eloise
Welch.
Burr H. Johnstone was elected
superintendent in 1900 and served
for several years, being succeeded
by W. A. Stuckey, who during his
administration did much to encour
age the parents to send their child
ren to school. Boundary street be
coming overcrowded, the trustees
purchased the lovely old home of
Judge Y. J. Pope and mads it over
into a very comfortable school build
ing, opening for classes in Septem
ber 1908 or 1909, and within a year
these buildings were filled to capa-
cRy and plans were made to have
a separate building for the high
school department. And in 1910 a
bond issue was voted and a brick
building of six large classrooms and
an auditorium was built.
Henry Lee ’ Dean was elected sup
erintendent for the 1910-11 session
and for three years was head of the
schools.
In 1913 Ernest Anderson succeed
ed Mr. Dean. At this time Domes
tic Science, Botany, and German was
added to the curriculum. And the
same year the trustees of Helena
district arranged to send the child
ren of that district to the city
schools, and have continue^ to do so.
In October 1915, the trustees add
ed the Mollohon school to the city
system.
Dr. Jas. P. Kinard was elected
superitendent for 1916-17 and at
the end of his first year resigned to
accept the chair of Psychology and
Education at Winthrop college.
In the summer of 1917, Prof. O. B.
Cannon, who was head of the Math
Department at Newberry College, was
prevailed upon to accept the super
intendency and for almost 22 years
he has filled that position most ef
ficiently.
During superintendent Cannon’s
administration, the Oakland school
was added to the city system. In
1921 to relieve the over-crowded
conditions the taxpayers voted a
bond issue of $60,000.00 and almost
doubled the size of Speers Street,
Boundary Street, and the old High
school buildings. The Hoge school
lot and building was sold and in
1922, Drayton Street school, a nice
brick building was constructed for
the negroes, and since that time 3
additional units have been added to
it, the last of which is nearing com
pletion. R. F. Gladden has been
principal of Drayton for a number
of years and he has proven himself
to be a most valuable and capable
head of this school.
With boys and girls coming to
high school as never before and the
times after the World War calling
for a richer and more varied curri
culum, more room was needed and
again in 1926 the fine people of
Newberry voted another bond issue
this time $260,000 to erect a new
high school building, one that the
people of Newberry are proud of.
This building has been in use since
January 1928. Ten years later with
over 600 boys and girls enrolled, ad
ditional room is being provided for,
with Federal Aid and Bonds left
from the issue of 1926 at a cost of
approximately $24,000.00.
Principals of the High School
since 1911 are: J. B. O’Neall Hollo
way, C. F. Wertz, Wallace Pryor, L.
K. Hagood, J. M. Bedenbaugh, Mr.
Fairey, J. L. Keitt, Sr., and Price K.
Harmon.
COUNTY AUDITOR
PINCKNEY N. ABRAMS
PROBATE JUDGE
NEAL W. WORKMAN
Those who have served faithfully
as Trustees at sometime since 1900
are: Otto Klettner, J. H. Wicker, Dr.
Van Smith, W. A. McSwain, J. M.
Davis, W. S Langford, L. W. Floyd,
Arthur Kibler, J. L. Keitt, Sr., Dr.
W. G. Mayer, J. Y. McFall, Roy Sum
mer and P. D. Johnson.
The remainder of this article has
to do with the schools as they are
today, fifty years since the people
of Newberry decided to have
“Free Schools” for all the girls and
boys in School District Numer One.
The Newberry Public Schools Sys
tem consists of seven schools for the
white children and one negro school.
The white schools are Mollohon,
Oakland, West End, Speers Street,
Boundary Street, Junior High and
the Newberry High School. The
Drayton Street School for negroes
includes both elementary and high
school departments with an enroll
ment of 700. The graduates of the
high school now receive State High
School Diplomas. Vocational Edu
cation is the most important and
popular course in the negro school.
The Mollohon, Oakland and West
End schools are located on the
property of the Kendall Mills and
Newberry Cotton Mills respectively,
and are conveniently located to care
for the small children of these com
munities. Only the children of the
first four grades are taught in these
schools. The local officials of these
corporations are loyal supporters of
the public schools of Newberry. Miss
Sarah Caldwell, principal; Mrs. J. F.
Browne, Mrs. W. E. Pelham, Miss
Marguerite Bums, Mrs. W. E.
Turner, are the teachers at Mollo
hon. Mrs. R. C. Boylston, principal;
Mrs. G. G. Sale, Mrs. Corrie H.
-Fridy, and Miss Helen Nichols are
the teachers in the Oakland school.
Mrs. F. R. Fellers, principal; Mrs.
Josie P. McAlhaney, Mrs. Maude E.
Sanders, and Miss Daisy Cannon are
the teachers at West End school.
The Boundary Street and Speers
Street schools are located so as to
be convenient to smaller children
of the two sections of the city. The
children from the first through the
fifth grades are taught there. Miss
Gertrude Reeder, principal; Mrs.
Neal W. Workman, Miss Lila Sum
mer Miss Eleanor Ballentine, Miss
Annie Bynum, Miss Juanita Hitt,
and Miss Corrie Lei Havird are the
teachers at Boundary Street school.
Miss Ethel Jones, principal; Miss
Annie Abrams, Mrs. Beale H.
Cromer, Miss Rosabel Thompson,
Mrs. E. E. Stuck, and Mrs. J. C.
Peery are the teachers at Speers
Street school.
The sixth and seventh grade pu
pils are in the Junior High school
(formerly the High School building).
Mrs. E. B. Setzler, principal; Mrs.
T. P. Johnson, Mrs. Georgia H. Wel-
bom, Miss Elise Peterson, Ellis L.
Stockman, Mrs. Elizabeth R. Gra
ham, Miss Georgia Porter, Miss Clara
Bowers, Mrs. H. H. Hedgepath, Mrs.
W. C. Brown, Jr., are the teachers
at the Junior High school. Miss
Bertha Gallman is full time librarian.
Miss Rose Hamm is full time
Supervisor of Public School Music
in the primary and elementary
schools.
The teacher tenure in the Newber
ry schools is possibly longer than in
other cities of like size in South
Carolina, which enables the teachers
to fully know the parents and home
conditions of the children under
their care.
There is an average enrollment of
1000 pupils in the first seven grades
and the average attendance has al
ways been very high.
O. B. Cannon has been superin
tendent of the Newberry system for
the past 21 years and under his
supervision and administration, the
system has grown physically and
most efficiently in educating the boys
and girls in sound and fundamental
principals of learning.
The administration and the facul
ty believe in holding fast to funda-
mehtal principles of the “Old
School” and gradually accepting and
putting into practice any sound edu
cational principle of the most “pro
gressive school”.
There are now in the curriculum
of the high school 17 different sub
jects: Algebra, Art, Bookkeeping,
Biology, Business Science, Chemistry,
Citizenship and Occupations, Com
mercial Law, English, French,
Geometry, General Science, Home
Economics (two years required of all
girls: sewing, cooking, and home
making), History (World and Ameri
can required of all pupils), Current
History, Latin, Manual Training
(metal and woodwork), Mechanical
Drawing, and Physics.
There are few schools in South
Carolina that send as large per cent,
of their graduates to college as does
Newberry. Out of the class of 1938
of 100, there are 64 attending college.
The graduates have always done
fine work in the various colleges of
the Southern Association, of which
Newberry high school has been a
member since 1924. The reports
sent out each year by the Associa
tion indicates a very low percentage
of failures in the Freshman class of
these colleges; 2.6 percent being the
highest percentage of failures since
1926.
For those who do not plan to go to
college, Newberry High school offers
training in Manual Training, Home
Economics, Commercial Subjects, and
are planning to add other vocational
courses which will further provide
for the needs of the boys and girls in
filling their places as citizens of the
community.
The High school enrollment in
1924 was 241, with 10 teachers,
while the enrollment for the present
session is 617 with 22 teachers and
a full time Librarian. The first
graduates to receive State High
School diplomas were in 1919 when
seven graduated at that time. This
year there are 126 in the Senior
class.
In the academic contests of the
High School League of South Caro
lina, the Newberry students have
received many honors.
In athletics, the “Bulldogs” have
a nacord to be proud of. Harry
Hedgepath is coach, and has made a
fine record moulding some good
baseball, basketball, and football
teams. Miss Annie Lee Young has
been very successful as coach for
the girls in basketball. Softball and
Tenmia is becoming popular under
the coaching of Mr. S. E. Whitten
and Mr. Carl ’Ringer, respectively.
The one slogan or motto in all ath
letics in the Newberry High School
is “Win or lose, play the game fair,
be a good sport”.
The athletic field is one of the
best in the state and has a concrete
(Continued on page six)
STOKES’ Drug Store
Lower Main Street
Is Co-operating
To Make The
Sesqui-centennial
Celebration
A Bright Chapter
In The History of
Our County.
Come to Newberry
April 30-May 4.
A Royal Welcome
Awaits All of you
From All of Us.
STOKES’
Drug Store
.
UNITED STATES POSTOFFICE, NEWBERRY, S. C,
Best Wishes
to the
‘Sesqui’ Committee
for
a
Celebration
we will
Be Proud Of
WHITE FANT