Obion County, Tennessee

from Barb Houghteling, who wrote:

“It was my G-G-G-Grandfather Wilson that donated land for the school. My G-G-Grandfather Frank Short was a board member at this school and my G-Uncle Henry Frank Short taught at this school.”

Photos submitted by Barb Houghteling. If you can identify any of the Hornbeak school girls in the photo on the left, contact Barb or contact me.
Hornbeak School girls, about 1916. Lota Lee Short is standing on the far right.	Possible connection with Hornbeak School. The man seated on the steps, in the very middle is Henry Frank Short, board member.

The first school, built circa 1854, was directly south of the Hornbeak City Cemetery and called “Old Center.” Charles Chester, originally from England, served as head master for the three months or so that school was in session each year. Their water came from a nearby spring.

By 1885, the population increased in the area and local leaders saw that a new school was needed. One of these, James Wilson, donated an acre of land and this has remained the site of the Hornbeak School. Dr. John Hornbeak and his daughter, Lillie, taught at this school. In 1895, the first building was remodeled and became known as the “West Tennessee Normal School.” Students from the western part of the state came to “Normal” and boarded in local homes for five dollars a month. Some who opened their homes for boarding were: John and Geneva White, John and Matt Woods, and Henry and Sallie Woods.

In 1907, West Tennessee Normal offered 15 grades with tuition from $1.50 per month for lower grades to $3.00 a month for grades 11-15. Faculty included Lelia Willingham, Miss Wilie Barrier, Miss Mamie Moultrie and Miss Addie Moon. Courses for the 15th grade were Cecero, Livy, zoology, Platos’ Apology, Descriptive Astronomy, Review of 11th, 12th and 13th grade mathematics, spelling and literature. The senior curriculum was Ceasar and Latin Grammar, Beginning Greek, Plane Trigonometry, Psychology, Roman History, Literature and Spelling.

Board members were John R. Williams, P. D. Hornbeak, J. V. Voultire, James Rumage, W. L. Blackley, John White, Sam Willingham and Frank Short.

In 1917-1918 all the old buildings were replaced and at the same time Obion County organized a County Board of Education. Seven high schools were established in the county by the board, Hornbeak being one of them. Each district had its own board members and the first at Hornbeak were: Dr. C. C. Marshall, John Keith, W. P. Ellington, Jim Short, W. L. Blackley and O. N. Downing.

Beginning in 1921-22, Principals of Hornbeak High School were: P. Y. Isbell, S. C. Finch, H. E. Smith, T. H. Kennedy, H. E. Smith, M. E. Whitosn, Milton Haamilton, L. C. Bowers.

In 1938-39, the brick was comdemned and leveled. Several classrooms were added and much later a gym and cafeteria were built. Faculty in 1940-41: L. C. Bowers, principal; Lillie S. Cunningham, Margaret Dowdy, Agnes Garrigan, Earnest Greer, Mrs. F. S. Hamilton, Eulah Head, Katherine Jones, W. J. Moore, Mike Orlich, Mary Lynn Shore, Frank Short, Madge Short, Mrs. Bruce Wisener.

In 1961, the Hornbeak High School was consolidated, along with several others, into Obion County Central High School at Troy, leaving just grades one through eight.

Source: Information redacted from Marshall’s Obion County History and Obion County History, Vol 1, 1981.