Category Archives: Education

08/31/13

Stewart High School

Stewsch

Teacher on left: Sarah Elizabeth Brown; teacher on right: Fannie Lee Thompson Sykes
Photograph submitted by Betty Moran.

The Stewart School is located in the town of Stewart in Houston County Tennessee. In August 1896, 1/2 acre north of the railroad and west of the Depot (across the tracks from where we lived was purchased by the directors District 2, for $40.00 from J. H. Scarbrough. A two story building was constructed, each floor about 30×40 feet had small stairs so youngsters could climb them, they being the lower grades upstairs. It was a two teacher school, grades were Primer (Kindergarten) to the 8th grade, books were bought by the parents of the child attending. In 1925, a one story wing was added on the Northwest side for a two year Junior High School. As further information in 1926 there was a bill presented for 35 cords of wood to be used in the stoves to heat the School building at Stewart. Since all water was brought in a bucket with dipper, no danger of freezing pipes, so fire was not maintained during the night. (Most children had those folding tin cups they would pour the water into to drink, when finished fold it back up and keep in your desk .) It was the responsibility of the teacher to get there in time each morning to build a fire and get the room warm before school time. This building was purchased from the school board by Jonas Gray and he and family lived in it and operated a store out of it until 1935, when he had built a new home and store on the same property.

In 1928, four acres were purchased and deeded to the school board, who built a Junior High School on it. They stayed there until during WW2, with the high school moved to Erin by bus at that time, then sometime after 1950 the elementary school was closed and the kids bused to Tennessee Ridge. The building was turned over to the town of Stewart who have made a community center out of it, and it is very busy, with a number of reunions, dances, bands and etc. using it for a small fee. It has 7 large rooms, inc. kitchen and dining area, along with an auditorium that you can seat up to 200 people in it. We have a number of meetings there each year.

Information provided by Ira Bell

08/31/13

History of Arlington Elementary School

Compiled by Miss Lola Knight 
circa 1966
 
Arlington Elementary School has served this community since 1899, when a frame building was constructed. The school is located south of the L & N Railroad and on the Rocky Hollow Road which leads to Lewis Branch and Long Branch.

The first teacher was Ira Balls, assisted by Mrs. Lillie Connell Knight and Mrs. Lillian Weaks Wilson. Other teachers who followed were Arthur Averitt, Annie Nichols, Bert Robbs, Clatie Thomas, Amelia McMillan, Olive McMillan Harris, Bessie Hall, Stella Gross, Kitty Largent, Pearl Robins, Edgar Hassell, Flora Bratschi, Mr. McClanahan, E. M. Neighbors, Sarah Shelton, Moody Hobbs, Alice Hobbs, Flora Hobbs, A. L. Platt, Delma May Morrison, Gertha Brooks, and Grace McMillan.

The school is the only school in the county located on the same plot of ground as the original school. The building, constructed in 1899, was torn down, but some of the material was salvaged and used in the new school on the same location.

Later teachers have included Pauline Dillard, Tilden Richardson, Jennie Roby, Lura Warden, Luther Wynns, Mrs. Emma Wynnas, Edward Holmes, Annie Black, Helen Fussell, Ina Jones, Lola Knight and Lora Roby.

The present faculty at Arlington School has a unique twin sister-teacher team–Mrs. Lora Knight Roby and Miss Lola Knight. Mrs. Roby has been at the school for the past sixteen years and Miss Knight has been at this school for the past twenty years. It is believed that this is the only two-teacher school in the public school system of Tennessee with twin sisters as teachers.

Some pupils who have attended Arlington School down through the years have included Garner, George, Margaret, Lora, Lola, Viola, Percy, G. A., Grady, Claude, Dossie, Pauline, Ruth, and Blanche Knight; Carl, Gervis, Ira, Mamie, Ida, Gilbert, Marshal, William Francis, Maxie, and Rowe Nichols; Mabel, Sarah, and Arthur Burns; Loyd, Pearl, Hattie, and Bessie Roby; Grace and Bird McMillan; Keenana, Balls, Pulleys, McElroys, and many others from the old families of Arlington. 

08/31/13

Arlington Elementary School – 1934

aeschool

Bottom row left to right: [unknown] Hooper, [unknown] Hooper, Paul Hamilton, James Wade Knight, Howard Slaughter, J. W. Hollingsworth, Charles Gray, unknown Hooper, Denny Wells, William Lee Madden

Second row: Alma May Madden, Enid Bernice McMillan (Sykes), Betty Evelyn McMillan (Barnes), Ruth Pulley, [unknown], Dorothy Griffin (Walker), Bessie Juanita McElroy (Martin), Merle Gier, Ruby Howell (Warford), Dorothy Howell (Allsobrooks), Ruth Aveline McElroy (Wall), Carrie Howell

Third row: Delmer “Dock” McMillan, Billy Wheatley, Virginia Pulley (Lewis), Vivian Ethleen McElroy (Butte), Margie McMillan, Margaret Wheatley, [unknown], [unknown], Betty Sue Douglas

Fourth row: Miss Olive McMillan (Harris) teacher, John Thomas Knight, Joseph Madden, Billy Gray, John Virgil McElroy, Tom Hamilton, “Romey” Hamilton, Garner Fred McElroy

[Photograph courtesy of James Wade Knight of Memphis, Tennessee.]