Banner Area Schools Part 2

The following article was written by Rachel Atkinson and included in the History of Education in Fentress County, Tennessee booklet.

ROSLIN

According to Mr. and Mrs. Wesley Norris and R.H. (Bob) Rogers, the school was established in the year of 1907.  Mr. Rogers also stated that he moved to Roslin in Jan. 1907 and at that time there were about six students who were of school age and there was no school there.  He called on the County Superintendent who at that time was W.P. Little of Clarkrange.  Mr. Little agreed that the county could furnish roofing, nails and windows.  Mr. Rogers had obtained an acre of land from his brother-in-law Wilburn Stowers.  The school board later reimbursed Mr. Rogers.  The people in the community furnished lumber and helped to build the first school, and Joe Lockhart was the first teacher.  School was held in this building until 1927.

In 1928 another enterprising citizen of the community, Mr. Daily Atkinson, gave four acres of land to the school on which a new building was constructed.  The building was completed in that year.  Later, another room was added which was used by the primary department.  The D.O. Beaty School was combined with Roslin in 1956.

At this time, the school had enrolled 49 students (some had moved away) and had two teachers for the school year of 1964.

The school had a hot lunch program for a number of years.

Taken from the Roslin Elementary year book 1957:

The first Roslin School was located on what is now the Edd Edwards property south of the Banner Roslin campus joining the Banner-Roslin-Jonesville Road near an old well.  According to some of the early settlers the teachers were Joe Lockhart, Porter Baldwin, Virgil Hall, HJesse Maxwell, Minnie Jones Sadie (Ramsey) LaRue and Ada Sessener.

The other Roslin School was located at the aback of the Banner-Roslin School.  Teachers were Edna Gentry, William Gentry, Foyster and Auda Atkins, Alta Norman, Willie Garrett, Carrie McDonlad, Denton Little, Ray Turner, Clara Todd, Ruby Turner, Elbert Hall, Lula Bicknell, Joe Black, Helen McDonlad, H.D. Taylor, Gladys Ray, Ollie Cooper, Doyle Conatser, Sallie Lanquist Averta Dixon, Pearl Kearney, Bertie Cook, Avo Rena Rogers, Mable Alsup, Alpha Black, Imogene Lewis, John Crabtree, Hazel York, Hazel Atkinson, Letha Little, Doris Rogers, Rachel Atkinson, Effie Ipox, Rama LaRue, Alta Rogers, Osteen Allred, Peggy Knight, Hilda Brewer, William and Barbara Threet, Fay Beaty, Roy Cross and Clinton Linder.

BANNER-ROSLIN SCHOOL           

The Long Branch and Roslin schools were consolidated at the beginning of the school year 1965.  It is better known as the Banner-Roslin School.

After much work by the State and County officials and the people oin the communitied concerned, a new school was built.

Land adjoining the former Roslin School was purchased from Mr. and Mrs. Edd Edwards for the new school.  It is a modern block and brick building.  Besides the classrooms, it has a fully equipped kitchen, principals office, rest rooms with showers, dressing rooms and a gymnasium which is also used as a dinign area.  The children can play indoors on rainy days.

The school at that time had three teachers – Clinton Linder, Rhonda McCuistion and Rachel Atkinson.

The Banner-Roslin Community Club purchased several things fot ht enew school.  A piano and meat slicer was purchased in 1964.  The following year the things purchased were twelve dozen lunch room serving trays, World Book Encyclopedia, Child Craft, floor butter, waster paper baskets, water cooler and later a telephone was installed.

Taken from the Banner-Roslin Community Club Book.

After consolidation of the school, the seventh and eighth grades were transferred to Clarkrange High School leaving grades 1-6.  Later two air-conditioned portable classrooms were brought in and the school was given a Kindergarten and a Reading teacher, also aides.  Besides the regular teachers, the school has a part time special education and P.E. teacher.  It employs two cooks, a janitor and a secretary.  Present and former teachers include Charles Smith, Rhonda McCuistion, Rachel Atkinson, Wes Neil, Hazel Atkinson, Jim Martin, Patricia Dodd, Mr. Robbins, Hazel Taft, Steve Adkins, Noma Hall, Jr., Lois Keys, Vesta Maxson, Carol Piercy, Clyde Maddox, Vergie King, Mike Cross, Bill Cody, Karen Rogers, Wanda Burnett, Mr. Riggler, Wendell Evans, Susan Anderson, Sue York, Jeanne Truslow, Audrey Thomason, Steve Ramsey, Miss Phillips, Howard Allred, Mr. Little, Virgie Delk, Gary Conatser, Tammy Holt, Diana Little, Mike Jones and Wanda Young.

Banner Area Schools Part 1

The following article was written by Rachel Atkinson and included in the History of Education in Fentress County, Tennessee booklet.

BANNER AREA

In my research and talking to people in the Banner area, I found there was an old log building which was used for bother school and church by the name of Ramsey’s Chapel located at the Luke Hall place and where Mr. and Mrs. Neil Baldwin now reside.  It was named after Virgil Ramsey’s great grandfather, Robert Ramsey.  It also went by the name Marietta School.  Teachers were Preston Ramsey and Joel Atkinson.

HOWE AND D.O. BEATY SCHOOL AND CHURCH

What is now the D.O. Beaty Church was found about 1910.  It was named for one of the older residents who helped to establish it.  Oscar Howe.

It was used for school, church and Sunday School.

This building burned several years ago.  Then about 1946, Sunday School was organized in an old dwelling house which was used for a schoolhouse too.  It was used for two years.  Then what is now D.O. Beaty Church was built.

It was built on land given by D.O. Beaty, a former trustee in Fentress County.  The building was used for school and church until D.O. Beaty and Roslin were combined at the Roslin School.

The above was taken from the Banner-Roslin Community Club Book.

The Howe School was located across the highway from what is now the D.O. Beaty Church.  Teachers according to the early settlers:  Clay Briar, Carrie Young, Sireen Neil, Nancie (Young) Atkinson, Hattie Atkinson, Ella *Young) Rogers, Joe D. Ward, Ethel Smith, Raymond Norris, Clara (Tinch) Smith, Laythom B. Nance, Ruth Stockton, Edna Lavender, Ollie Cooper, Hazel Pyle and Delsie Ashburn.  Some early teachers of the D.O. Beaty School:  Mattie Cooper, Birtie Cook, Wilma Richards, Rama LaRue, Joe Black, Alpha Black, Hazel Atkinson and Dorsie Roberts.

While Clay Briar was teaching at the Howe School in 1914, he had a booklet made with his picture on the front page and the names of his pupils on the inside.  Also, the name of the County Superintendent W.P. Little.  Board Members:  D.F. Voiles, N.A. Buck, W.N. Wright, Wm. Madewell and Cappy Upchurch.  As I understand, he gave each one of his pupils one of these booklets for Christmas.  I thought this was very interesting and unusual at this time.

LONG BRANCH SCHOOL

The first school in the Long Branch vicinity was conducted in the kitchen of William Thomas Ramsey, a citizen of the community at that time.  Two of the early teachers in the community were Mae Keese and Samuel H. Rogers.

Later a one room log school house was built a short distance south of where Hershel LaRue now lives and southward from an old spring.  The desks in the house were hand made and the recitation bench was a split log with pegs for legs which was preserved in the Long Branch School.  After a number of years, a one-room frame structure was built, later another room was added and it became a two-teacher school.  This was located just across the hollow from the present location.  About 1917 another building was erected.  For a number of years it was a three teacher school.

Taken from the Banner-Roslin Community Club book.

Later the peg leg bench mentioned was preserved in the Banner-Roslin School.

In the year of 1965 this school was consolidated with the Banner-Roslin School.

Some of the early teachers:  Clark Choate, Ella (Young) Rogers, Addie Taylor, Maude Briar, Orpha Beaty, Minnie Jones, Marie Peters Sadie (Ramsey) LaRue, Sireen Neil, Avo Norred, Archie Peters, Aaron Peters, Lula Bicknell, Loasure Sisco, Joe Black, Ollie Young, Jerry Young, Ethel Smith, Ray Turner, Blanche Beaty, Jo Blan LaRue, Ann Taylor, Elbert Hall, Imogene Norman, Rama LaRue, Ollie Cooper, Lydia Cooper, Birtie Cook, Georgia Caruthers, Mattie Cooper, Edna Wright, Rachel Atkinson, Retha Allred, Alpha Black, Elmer Atkinson, Norma Ruth Ashburn, Alta Rogers, Earl Smith, Auda ASmith, Clinton Linder, George Delk, Marietta Duggan, Von Crabtree, Carrie Martin, David Norman.

Next week I’ll share Ms Atkinson’s history on Roslin and the Banner-Roslin schools.

History of Education in Fentress County Tennessee

Last week I mentioned a booklet the Fentress County Retired Teachers’ Association published in 1986.  I’ve mentioned this book before and I can hardly believe I have not already shared more of it with you because it has a wealth of pictures of the old schools, as well as a number of class photos.

The book includes some short history on a few of the schools and I want to share a couple of those with you soon.  Today I’m enthralled with the buildings and the children pictured at them.  Now there aren’t good dates on a lot of the old pictures, so you can’t tell if the Long Branch School was built 10 years or 100 years after the log structure that was the Pogue School or Little Mountain School in Shirley.

When did sawmills really start running on the mountain and buildings transitioned from logs to boards?  The Hickory Ridge school is dated at 1920 and it’s unique board pattern seems to testify to the pride of sawn lumber, although it still has wooden shingles.  The picture of the 1913 class at Martha Washington School has a board background, as does the Pres Beaty School’s 1933 picture.

It’s no surprise that the children pictured at the Pogue School are barefoot, or that the boy in the front row of the Martha Washington School has holes in his stockings.  The Martha Washington picture may be 10 years after the Pogue School shot, but I wonder if the presence of so many shoes is more about the season – do you notice there are leaves on the trees at the Pogue school, but a pile of dead leaves have fallen at the feet of the Martha Washington students?

Finally, look at the size of the logs forming the Geutmyer school in 1908!  They are hewn smooth, but I doubt they are sawn.  And the adult teacher from the top of her head to her elbow, that has to be close to 30 inches.  I’m not sure whether I’m more impressed that someone cut and hewed out that log or that they wrestled it into place to form a wall.

This booklet represents a great work by dedicated educators.  However, there are some schools omitted that I would love to know more about.  Campground had a school for many years, I shared a picture of the old building in last week’s article.  I’ve heard about another school in Martha Washington that pre-dated the Martha Washington School pictured here, which was mentioned in the History book.  I don’t know the name of it and would love to hear from any reader who has information.  I believe it was located about ½ between the Martha Washington Church and Mount Union Church.  This school may have been called Hickory Fork, although I’m not at all sure about that.

As always I come away from my research with more questions than answers.  Was there a school in Baldwin Gulf?  There was a school at Jonesville, near the location of the existing Jonesville Church.  Was there any school between Martha Washington and Grimsley?  It seems like there would have to have been because I can’t imagine children walking that far – do you know of one?

Finally, this book talks about county schools – although the private secondary schools are mentioned.  I wonder if any churches setup independent schools that would not be cataloged in this type of publication.

Please feel free to comment below and enlighten me!

Old School New School

Last week we were talking a little about the resurgence of homeschooling and how that was the original education method.  In America today we have schools across the country ranging in sizes 10 students (according to a 2015 article on The 74) to 8015 students in Acero School in Chicago (per Largest.org in 2019) with the average being 526 students.

Now I don’t know how they are setup in Wyoming with only 10 students, but the earliest schools in the US – and in fact, many schools in Rural America up until the 1940’s, had only a few students and only 1 teacher.  These one room schools are still fondly remembered by their last surviving pupils and they did a fine job educating them.

Back in 2015 I shared an article here about the various little schools spread across Fentress County.  While some of them grew before finally being consolidated by the county, all began in a single classroom. 

I’ve heard a few stories about days spent in these one room schools. Being the teacher of 2 elementary children now, I can hardly imagine 10 or more!  I’ve heard about the teacher putting the youngest children on the front row, about spelling bees for the whole school and younger siblings visiting for a day.  My grandparents and even my Daddy remembered their days in these little schools with great fondness.

Books were scarce and most kids did their work on a slate instead of paper.  I wonder how much homework they took home in a day when everyone had to work to keep a little farm going.  Yet those schools taught the fundamentals of education better than some of our fully-furnished schools do today.  A 2003 study found 19% of high school graduates to be functionally illiterate.  Perhaps the reading level to function in the 21st century is higher than what was required in the 20’s or 30’s but I’m pretty confident those little one-room schools were turning out students that could keep a ledger of their bills (I have little notebooks by Grandparents and Great Grandparents where they did just that, recording people who did work for them, bills owed to a doctor or the local merchant), read The Bible and write a decent letter.  Both of my grandfathers stayed in school only until the 3rd grade and my paternal grandfather had most of the book of Revelation memorized – that’s some pretty functional reading in my mind. I certainly hope my two students will come away from our homeschooling experience in as good of shape as those men were after three years in a one room school.

I would dearly love for you to share in the comments below any stories you’ve heard about them. 

Most all of the old buildings are long gone now. They were often log, and often located in areas that are now off the beaten path.  The old people on the mountain don’t often get sentimental, especially about buildings.  My Grandpa said they would throw up a house (or school house) in a day; then whenever they could do a little better, they were always replacing those old buildings.

I’ve realized that I failed to follow up on that 2015 article and I want to revisit this History of Education, Fentress County, Tennessee booklet next week.  It has pictures of about 40 schools want to share more of them with you!

Old School New School

Photo by Patricia Broyles “Life Flash Photography”

Well I’ve embarked on the adventure of a lifetime – homeschooling.  Just a few years ago, homeschooling sounded like craziness – maybe it still does to some of you.  But it’s not a new thing, is it?

We are so accustomed to America’s system of compulsory education that several generations have simply taken for granted that the government would educate our children.  We would send them to the school they were zoned for, accept the books and teachers they were given and wait to see how the whole thing would turn out in 12 or 13 years.

That wasn’t the method in the Bible.  The Law of Moses directs again and again that the laws be taught, that history be explained, that experiences be shared.  When we read that perhaps it’s easy to imagine that teaching is by a Sunday School teacher or pastor.  Maybe we assume that church schools of old had classes not for American Civics, but for Jewish History.  None of that was ever the model though.  Children were taught at home; mother’s had children at their side as they cared for the family (both children and the elderly) and father’s had children with him in the fields or working in a trade.  Remember that Jesus grew up in a carpenter’s home and that was the trade that he learned before he began his earthly ministry.

The bible commands we teach our children the scriptures (in the home, while you’re walking in the lane, when you’re lying down or rising up – Deuteronomy 6:7) and that we train them up in the right ways so they will know which path to choose in the future.  Advanced education in Bible times meant studying and serving under priests at the Temple, or apprenticing with a skilled tradesman.  We see that Elisha was loosely affiliated with a prophets’ school; these students were likely studying under him, much like apprentice prophets.  And of course the Apostle Paul was educated by Gamaliel in “the perfect manner of the law of the fathers…”, a very similar situation to Elisha’s.

The Romans established formal classrooms, and advocated for children to begin their education early.  However, this was only for that class of the population who could afford to educate their children.  In fact, that formal, classroom education wouldn’t be tuition-free anywhere in the world until the mid-1600’s when America began opening schools.  Of course those wouldn’t be widely available to American children for another 200 years. 

Across all of those centuries, parents passed to their children history and culture in ways that we are missing today.  Stories of the family and the community were exponentially more important than ancient Greek rulers, military movements or scientific discoveries.  Mathematics were taught from a practical viewpoint, measuring fabric for a dress or wood for a house. 

I don’t know how long we will homeschool – everything is kind of unsure these days, isn’t it?  And, my children will certainly face a different kind of world than my father or grandfather faced as they finished their education.  Still, I love that I am having this experience right now, just as mothers have experienced for centuries, and I pray I am fulfilling the command to train them up in the way they should go.