( Unavoidably Omitted Lut Week I
EAST FRANKLIN
CONSOLIDATION
OF 4 SCHOOLS
Clark's Chape1, Holly
Springs, Watauga,
And Oak Ridge Merged
By MRS. FRED ARNOLD
(Assisted by Mrs. Charlie Sutton
and Mrs. James P. Wurst)
East Franklin Elementary
8chool is a modern twelve-class
room building. It has a library,
lunchroom, teachers' lounge, of
fice, and an auditorium with a
aeating capacity of 400.
East Franklin School is the
consolidation of four two-teacher
schools and the eastern part of
the Franklin Elementary School.
The four small schools were
Clark's Chapel. Holly Springs,
Watauga, and Oak Ridge.
Having spent ten years in two
of these smaller schools, it fell to
my lot to collect facts of earlier
days. The four of them were alike
? each a small frame building
with two ill-lighted, crowded class
rooms. a few patent desks, open
?prings, small playgrounds, and
the ever-present wood-burning
heater with a pipe running into
? flue.
The pipe always fell at least
once during the winter months. It
filled all eyes with tears and tried
our tempers and stopped all learn
ing for a time.
The water bucket and dipper
had to be kept clean. Children did
not drink from the dipper. Each
had his own cup or glass and
water was poured into the cups
from the dipper. Hands were
washed in the stream well below
the spring. Other physical needs
were cared for. as time went on,
in small wooden out-houses. Much
of the firewood was broken brush
from nearby woodland. This was
the duty of the primary children.
"Billy, The Kid" double
knee denims. Also box
er style, and polo shirts.
BOYS' SHORTS
Seersucker and Denim
The Children's
Shop
Older boys cut wood from plenti
ful oaks of generous farmers near
by. The classrooms were swept
and cleaned by the older girls
(There was something "folksy '
and wholesome about the division
of labor In these small schools.)
These four schools enrolled all
children within a radius of about
ten square mile; in the eastern
part of Macon county.
Clark's Chapel
In 1883 ? land was donated by
Lucius Cabe for the Clark's Chap
el School. Tl)is land is now the
cemetery of Clark's Chape!
Church. The building was a one
room log house with dirt hearth
and half chimney. The first teach
er was Charlie Kimsey. School be
gan late in the fall after all farm
work was done and lasted for
three months. It was supported
by local tax funds. If the com
munity wished to extend the
school term, it was done by sub
scription. Patrons who wished
their children to attend thi5
school paid the teacher's salary
which amounted to about twenty
five dollars.
After eight years, a new schoo'
was built. This log building wa'
located about a half mile north
west of the first building, on the
Billy Penland estate. The ' first
teacher in this school was Jeff
McConnell. When this building
became too crowded, a new frame
building was erected just across
the road. This building was paid
for with county tax funds. The
school term at this time was five
months; sometimes this was ex
tended by subscription.
Some of the teachers were:
John Fulton, John Arnold, John
Mann. Joe Daves, Nellie Reece,
Myrtle Bolick. Ruth Callahan,
Nora Leach, Fannie Mae Arnold,
Lola S. Klser, Mary S. Byrd, Joyce
J. Cagle, Hazel P. Sutton, and Lu
cille K. Wurst.
Holly Springs
The first school at Holly Springs
was built before the memory of
any present resident. It was on
land now owned by Woodrow
Franklin. It was attended by chil
dren of the earliest settlers ? the
Corbins, the Berrys, the Youngs,
and others. It was a typical one
room log building heated by a big
fireplace.
The second Holly Springs school
was built about 1876 with funds
from the Peabody Grant. (This
grant was set up by George Pea
body to further education in the
impoverished South after the
Civil War.) This was also a log
building, which served as a
church as well as a school. Thi;
building was located on property
now owned by Earl Justice, nils
building burned and was replac
ed about 1892 by another log
structure located on the ridge di
rectly above Earl Justice's home.
Some of the teachers who taught
at this school were: Mack Led
ford, Frank Murray. John Am
nions, Elmer Johnson and a Mr.
Griggs. This building was used
for church services until the
Junior Hall was built. It was sold
to a Mr. Cox, who tore it down
and built a house ? the pres
ent Jesse Corbin home.
In 1915 the last Holly Springs
school was built on land deeded
to the county by J. R. Franklin
This was a two-room frame
building, which served the com
munity until the school was mov
ed to East Franklin in 1951. It
is now called the Community
Building and is used for meet
ings of the Rural Community
Development program, for Home
Demonstration club meetings, box
suppers, neighborhood parties, ant1
other activities.
Some of the teachers who taught
there will be remembered as Nora
Leach, Vernon Hlgdon. Elisabeth
Higdon. Mary S. Byrd, Sanford
Smith, Elsie Franks, Mae McCoy,
and Nancy Taylor.
A pupil recalls the double seats
where good friends could sit to
gether, taking the tin pails and
dippers to get water from a neigh
bor's well, going into the wood*
for dry kindling and wood to build'
the next morning's fire In the big
pot-bellied stove. Once the stove
pipe fell, and lessons were sus
pended until It was fixed and the
smoke had abated. The high point
of the day was the one-hour lunch
period when the children gather
ed under the trees to eat the lunch
they had brought from home.
That done, they joined Joyfully in
whatever games they fancied at
the moment and played until the
ringing of the bell summoned
them back to work.
Watauga
Watauga school was one of the
first schools established in Macon
County. Land for the school was
given by Joseph Brendle about
1872. Both a church and a school |
were built. The school was a wood
building with a rock chimney,
glass windows, and hand-hewn
benches made of logs. A four
months school was held as early
as the late 1800's. There was al
ways a two weeks' stop for har- 1
vest or "to pull the fodder". _
Without funds for repairs, this
building became so dilapidated
that it was uncomfortable on cold
days, so the classes moved across
a little stream to the church, '
which had all its glass windows
intact.
Mr. E. Austin Snyder said, "In ;
1907 I taught my first school at
Watauga. I remember that I had
80 pupils enrolled. I had nearly
40 in the first grade. A member
of the local school committee told
me I had to teach the ABC's, since
the teacher before me had not
done so. To oblige him, I tried."
Later a two-room frame build
ing was built on the same spot.
It was furnished with patent
desks and black chalk boards.
This building was in use when Wa
tauga became part of East Frank
lin school.
Some of the teachers who serv
ed at Wataugli were: John Cathy,
Marion Love, Mr Amnions. Mrs
Vernon D. Hlgdon. Mrs. Maude
Hudson Norton, Mrs. Vera Hud
son Henry, Prank I. Murray. J.
Blanchard Brendle. Mrs. Elsie W.
Franks, Miss Thompson from
Clay county, Mrs. Lola S. Klser.
and Mrs. Fannie Mae Arnold.
Oak Ridge
In 1896 Oak Ridge School dis
trict was founded. It was part of
Rose Hill district In Cowee Town
ship and part of Watauga District
in Millshoal Township. It was
deeded to the Macon County Boar'l
of Education by J. E. Calloway.
For many years It was. a one
teacher school. Then, by a special
tax levied by the district, the
school had two teachers. A n?w
two-room frame building and two
state-employed teachers gave the
children more advantages. Later i
?he special tax was discontinued. J
then box suppers were held to pay I
for the new "patent desks". The
length of the term was the same
as in other nearby districts. For
many years Mr. Austin Snyder
was principal of this school. Mrs.
Vernon Dean Higdon taught the
primary children. Later Mr. C. A
Tilley taught there with Mrs. '
Mary Ann Bryson Angel and after ,
that, with Mrs. Gladys Pannell
Kinsland.
East Franklin School
A county-wide school bond Issue
was approved February 21, 1950,
by a five to one vote. Bids for a
contract for the East Franklin
building were opened on July 14,
1950. A year later the building
was ready for use.
On September 4, 1951, East
Franklin School opened Its doors
to the children for the first time.
In 1956, two additional primary
classrooms were built. The total
cost of this building was about
$175,000.
?illiam G. Crawford is princi
of the school and classroom
hers are: Mrs. Vernon D. Hig
(Unavoidably Omitted Last Week)
Iotla Has
Long Had
Good Schools
By MRS. CLAUDE BOPER
And M1S8 LOUT A DEAN
The schools of the Iotla Com
munity began In the days of
James Cansler ? perhaps more
than seventy-five years ago. He
built the first schoolhouse, a one
room log building with a wood
fireplace. The students brought
in the wood.
As settlers came and multiplied,
more schoolhouses were needed:
districts were laid out, and in each
district, a one-room log house was
built.
The present location of the Iotla
school was selected in 1900. and
the land, about five acres, was
given by the Ramseys. It became
a high school, and among the first
graduates were Mrs. M. L. (Bessie
Barnard) Dowdle and George Mal
lonee.
Fire destroyed this building in
1913. It was replaced by a block
building, containing four class
roomsy stage, and library. This
structure was used until 1951.
when it was torn down.
Between 1900 and 1951, much
school progress was made in the
don, now retired. Mrs. Katherine
A. Crawford, Mrs. Merle P. Dry
man, Mrs. Nina Tippett McCoy,
Mrs. Hazel P. Sutton, Mrs. Lu
cille K. Wurst, Mrs. Dorothy
Wright. Mrs. Genevieve M. Barn
ard, Mrs. Elizabeth D. Higdon,
Mrs. Louise B. Holden, Miss Amy j
H. Deal, and Mrs. Fannie M. Arn
old.
The school recently was recom
mended for accreditation.
Remember Mother . . .
With a
? NELLY-DON DRESS
? BERKSHIRE STOCKINGS
? GRACE WALKER And CONNIE SHOES
? NO HIKE SLIPS
She Will be Glad to Receive a Gift
on "HER DAY"
The Quality Shop
"Where Quality Meets Economy"
Iotla community. Citlaens taxed
themselves to add tvo extra
months of school, when the state
was paying (or a term of only six
months. A beautiful dormitory, to
accommodate students from other
I districts and adjoining counties.
' also was built.
During the period of consolida
tion, Iotla high school students
were taken to Franklin High
School for graduation in the year
1926. There were eight in that
class. Later, all high school stu
dents were assigned to Franklin,
leaving only the elementary grades
at Iotla.
Today the Iotla Elementary
School Is consolidated, serving the
communities of Oak Dale, Burn- 1
ingtown, Olive Hill, and Rose
Creek. Brought in by busses, the
pupils enter modern classrooms.
Tommy Cole Spending
Leave From Navy
Tommy Cole, son of Mr. and
Mrs Clint Cole, of Franklin. Route
3, la spending a 30-day leave at
home.
He has been stationed, with the
U. 8. Navy at Batnbridge, Md.,
and at the end of his leave (May
17) he will go to Norfolk. Va? to
receive overseas orders.
He was married this month to
Miss Betty Cabe.
well lighted and warm. At noon,
they are served a delicious, whole
some lunch in the lunchroom. The
auditorium is for play and enter
tainment.
Iotla Elementary School is one
to be proud of. It has eight teach
ers, headed by Harry Moses, who
has been principal since 1951.
Vile "* tf&i tt uJ&ftk
i/owi Satt P
Granted you are doing a good job for your
employer and thus are "worth your salt," as
they say. One question is: What kind of job
are you doing for yourself? Pick any date in
the future. Will your financial worth then be
commensurate with the money that you will
earn in the years between? To get "Yes" for
an answer, "salt away" part of every pay check
in your savings account here.
THE BANK OF FRANKLIN
Member Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
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