Many small one room schools dotted the country side--Sandy Branch, Sawyers, White Rose, Sunny Side and McClains.  Hundreds of neighborhood children treaded through the mud and snow to these schools and learned the very basics, reading, writing and arithmetic.  In the past perhaps this had been sufficient but the world was entering the 20th century and rapidly changing.  As public education was not widespread, the only hope for an advanced education was a local consolidated school.  This could be accomplished only by their efforts.  There was no other help, and they were prepared to meet the challenge.  On July 3, 1918, 4 1/8 acres were purchased for the school grounds from J.W. Webb and wife, M. A.  The price was $412.50. 

The Tennessee Legislative bill, which established the Chestnut Glade Special School District was House Bill #492 and was finalized March 20, 1919.  The first school was already in session.  Neal Ward, Irvine Brundige and Will Finch had traveled to Nashville to lobby for support of the bill. 

This bill gave the five member school board the authority to levy a special school tax of 50 cents on each $100.00 of taxable property, real and personal, and a $1.00 poll tax on all male voter between 21 and 50. 

The school board secretary was authorized to take a school census each year, starting in 1919.  As a result of this student census, the special school district would receive a pro-ratio share of county and state educational funds. 

The school was to instruct all students between the ages of 6 and 21 residing within the school district.  Exceptions could be made at the discretion of the board and in consideration of a tuition.  The board was charged with the responsibility of securing qualified teachers.  These were fathered from far and near. 

Each member of the five man school board was to serve for 5 years with one to be replaced each year at an election to be held on the Monday following the second Sunday in July.  To be eligible for the board it was necessary to be 25 years of age or older, of good character, both a free holder and house holder, and have at least an elementary school education. 

The first board was staggered in order to have one member replaced each year.  Those serving were Ben A. Golden, 1 year; Charles L. Taylor, 2 years; T. Ulie Rawls, 3 years; W. Ed Morgan, 4 years; and E. I. Brundige, 5 years. 

The school district covered all of the 17th District and part of the 13th District.  Landmarks and property lines given as specifications were Stateline, Lawrence Taylor, J. H. Duncan, Will Williams, Buck Laws, Almus Williams, Sam Colley, Bud Palmer, Frank Mincey, George Smith, J.C. Croff, R. M. Brown, G. W. Dickson, Palmersville - Fulton Road, Charles Griffins, J. H. Griffins, W. I. Oliver,  North Fork Obion River, Weakley-Obion Line, Charlie Brann, Dennie Cummings, Conners Line, J. G. Meacham "Peeples Place", Lon Watts, Curt Muzzell, Robert Caldwells, Walter Perminter, A. F. Phillips, Luther Grissom, A.C. Orr, Bruces Line, S. A. Hagler, Water Valley-Mt. Moriah Road, and Lawrence Taylor. 

"Lively" was the term used to describe the first year at Chestnut Glade School.  Five communities had been brought together to form one large consolidated school.  But a bond of pride soon replaced the community rivalries of the past. 

Indeed they were justified in this pride.   They had accomplished what was nearly impossible.  Here, in almost total Isolation, was an institution of higher learning which was said to be the largest consolidated school in the United States.  It would be the model for others to follow. 

The building itself was imposing.  One person [sic/D.J.JONES, b 1906, pj's uncle] related his feeling of awe as the school wagon topped the hill from the north, and he first saw Chestnut Glade School. This young boy figured it was just about the biggest building he had ever seen and it was grand! 

Mr. Will DILDINE, the contractor who built the school, had hoped it would be named Stella Ruth in honor of his wife and daughter, however, this idea was rejected.  Later he did construct a school with that name. 

The name Chestnut Glade was chosen because the grounds were dotted with hugh Chestnut Trees.  J. B. NANNEY cut and painted the letters of the name, which were placed over the school porch. 

The school was built at a cost of $5,000 with residents donating time and labor.  There was also a five room house built on the grounds for the teachers living quarters and a live-in housekeeper was provided.  In addition, a stable was built to care for the 36 horses which pulled the school wagons.

An average sized farm of that time consisted of 100 to 150 acres and required four or five families to work it.  Sharecropper houses dotted the countryside.  For some reason the custom of sharecropper terms seemed to be for one year at a time.  "Be there the first of the year" meant mass movings took place around Christmas as the old sharecroppers moved to different farms and the new ones moved in to take their place.  It would be impossible to estimate the number of children from these families who benefited from the Chestnut Glade School, but there were surely hundreds.

Children were a very important part of rural life.  Their labor on the farm was vital.  It was not uncommon for a young boy or girl to arise at 4:00 or 5:00 a.m. in order to do his/her chores before the school wagon came.  This usually involved milking cows and feeding livestock and poultry.  One gentleman related that it usually took him two years to complete one class.  This was due to the fact that he had to drop out of school to get the crops planted in the spring and again to get the crops harvested in the fall.  In all probability, this was the case with many others.

Crops grown were varied  - corn, cotton, tobacco, wheat, hay and sweet potatoes.  At one time Weakley County was one of the largest sweet potato producers in the nation.  The Chestnut Glade area grew its fair share.  They were stored in thick-walled potato houses until they were transported to market.  J. B. NANNEY had a potato house which would hold 4,000 bushels.  It stood just north of the school grounds until it burned several years ago [as of 1986].

The livestock and poultry was also varied.  All farms had cows, horses or mules.  There were also pigs and goats.  Some households had very large flocks of chickens in addition to turkeys and guineas.  Every youngster knew the care and feeding of these animals.  At one time the feed came in printed sacks.  Many a young lady looked forward to the time when enough sacks had been purchased in her chosen print to give yardage for her favorite dress pattern.

The Chestnut Glade Community Fair was a large annual event held in the fall.  It sometimes lasted as long as three days and rivaled the county fair in entries.  People came from all areas to exhibit their crafts and animals. Highly prized awards were given for excellence in livestock, poultry, canning, cooking, sewing, quilting, and similar arts.  The fair was always greatly anticipated, and the neighborly competition added excitement to the harvest season.

Although times were not easy, most families gladly paid the special school tax.  There were always those who opposed the school expense, but the majority viewed higher education as a distinct advantage and opportunity for the community children.

There is no doubt that this education was truly quality education.  Besides the basic educational subjects, students were instructed in French, Latin, algebra, geometry, trigonometry and history.  In addition, there was piano, voice, orchestra and domestic sciences.  All combined to supply a well rounded education.  One source has stated that due to the quality of the instruction, there was never a failure in college or a graduate from the High School at Chestnut Glade.

Extremely poor road conditions had been a large factor in the consolidation of these small schools.  At times, students had difficulty just walking to their local school.  The roads were so bad that the folks in the McClain School area were talking of putting down boardwalks along fence rows for the children if the consolidation did not go through.  Indeed, school wagons with four stout horses were a wonderful improvement!  Still, in hilly areas the students had to get out and walk sometimes to make it up the hills.  In the winter they sometimes got out and walked just to keep warm!

But not all students were allowed to ride the wagons.  If someone lived within 2 miles of the school, they had to walk unless a fee of $1 per month was paid.  Some remember trudging through snow and slush with books and lunch pail, being passed by the wagon of students.

A look at Chestnut Glade School would not be complete without mentioning J. B. "Pomp" and Flarra NANNEY, who ran the store there from the time the school was started, except for two or three years when it was run by Rufus and Martha NIX.  Mr. and Mrs. NANNEY'S son, Paul, ran the garage.  Another son, Mike, operated the mill there for a period of time.  In addition, there was once a barber shop run by Omer POUNDS.

The first "store" was a chicken wire, screened off corner of the Nanney garage, built about 1918.  In the 1920's a small store was built.  It was so small that the students could not even come inside.  Mr. Pomp would walk from the door to his stock and back to the door with the needed item.  Some seemed to recall that just about everything cost a penny in those days.  Later, a larger store was built.  Miss Flarra was always on duty.  Mr. Pomp was often away, busy with his plumbing and electrical work.  He installed the first electric lights and wells in scores of area homes as well as bringing in the first telephone lines from Dukedom after the Fulton phone service failed in eastern part of the community.

In the 1920's the Chestnut Glade Home Demonstration Club was formed.  It was organized by Ruth EDWARDS FINCH, Obera BREEDEN SHANKLIN, Bona KINDRED STRONG and Stella NANNEY MILAN.  This club met continuously for over 60 years and is still active [as of 1986]

With the coming of the Depression, tough times became even tougher.  Many families were very hard hit.  As the economy failed, many sought relief in the urban areas where jobs could be found.  Soon empty houses were a common sight in the community.  The decline in the number of area residents was a severe blow to the special school district tax base.  The school was rapidly becoming financially pressed.  It became necessary to close the house provided for the teachers.  They were boarded in local homes, a custom that continued for several decades.

Some students from that period remember becoming quite good at acting.  In order to raise money for the school, they put on plays, sometimes a different one every two weeks.  But they recall that they had one advantage.  Even before the days of electricity, they had lights for their plays.  Mr. Pomp, that "great fixer", would situate his portable generator just outside a window and run the stage lights inside.  The only drawback was that "you had to speak out loud so people could hear you over the motor!".

Into the 1930's the financial situation steadily deteriorated.  At one time lack of money to pay the teachers forced the school board to end the school sessions early.  There was some concern as to whether the students would get credit for these short terms.

In 1936, the school was reduced to a two year high school.  The last graduate to receive a high school diploma in 1934 was Mike NANNEY.  All other members of his class had dropped out before graduation, some for financial reasons.

The 1935 graduating class received a certificate instead of a diploma, due to the high school having lost its certification.  These class members were Mary TAYLOR, Ruby BRUNDIGE, Betty Sue LAMB, James PARRISH and Lavell HARWOOD.

This ended the dream of a high school education for many students.  In order to achieve the additional two years, it was necessary to go to Martin, Dresden, or Fulton.  Due to the poor road conditions, this was not possible for most students.  In some cases, a student might have family or friends in town with whom they could board during the school sessions, but many families could not withstand the loss of a childís labor and the expense involved.

The exact year the school became a county school is not known, but it is thought to be about 1938.  As financial woes increased so did the opposition.  The decision was made to enter the county school system.

In the spring of 1939, the original school building burned.  It was replaced that same year with the building that now stands.  The local school committee members were J.B. NANNEY, Dewey NELSON, Eugene TAYLOR, Vasco SIMPSON and Harvey VAUGHAN.  This new building had one advantage over the old one - it had a lunch room.  Instead of bringing lunches to school, the students now had hot noon meals.  Mr. VAUGHN, who served on the local school committee, was a graduate of Chestnut Glade High School.  He served on the Weakley County Board of Education for 24 years, acting as chairman for 19 of those years.

In 1947 the school was reduced to an 8th grade school with busing provided by Martin High School as weather permitted.  The roads had been improved some over the years, but there were many times when the buses could not get through.   Several more years would pass before regular busing became possible.

In 1960 the school ceased to exist.  Students were bussed to Martin on a regular basis.  A dream realized over 40 years earlier came to an end.  But this dream had accomplished its purpose.  Determined school supporters and made it possible for the children to receive an education equal to, if not better than, many urban children.  Because of Chestnut Glade School, hundreds of rural children were able to advance into scores of businesses and professions.

It is not possible to estimate the number of lives touched by Chestnut Glade School.....surely thousands.  We do know it was the "heart throb" of the community.  Activities revolved around the school.  Each person has several special memories of the school.  There was a closeness - a "family feeling" not found in schools today.

School activities varied with the seasons and were always well attended.  Those involved remember the early plays, tent movies and shows, baseball, basketball, field days, Halloween carnivals, cake walks, box suppers, the High Christmas trees, and class trips.  The memories go on and on:  the janitor having the stove warm on a bitter day, favorite teachers, spelling bees, speaking contests, a sack of fruit and candy at Christmas, playing in the thicket, having money to go to the store at recess and buy a candy bar, play parties, long-suffering wagon or bus drivers, and most of all, special friends, their faces forever etched in memory.

Chestnut Glade School may have ceased to exist but it will always be with those who were a part of it.

Written by Pansy NANNEY BAKER
Historical Contributer to the "Chestnut Glade our Heritage" 1986 Homecoming at Chestnut Glade School

Submitted by jp HOWARD THOMPSON

Note by MaryCarol: The Chestnut Glade School Community came together in 1986 for a Homecoming, as many places and families across the State of Tennessee did to celebrate the State wide "Homecoming 1986". The good people of Chestnut Glade put together a little History Book about the school and also about the people in the community.  Many activities were planned for their celebration day of August 30, 1986.  There were the welcoming ceremonies, visiting and renewing of friendships, showing of taped interviews, live TV coverage, drawing for door prizes - including one for $100.  There was a groaning board of food - lots and lots of good country food!, a square dance, a photographer, fun filled activities for the children, and special souveniors available which included: Historical Book, Caps and Visors, Old Time Fans, Buper Stickers, License Plates, Reproduced photgraphs of the old school building, and Prints of the school building made from artist painting. Many good people worked many hours to help put on this truly "warm and fuzzy" event.  A good time was had by all.