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.