[Granville-Hough] 16 Aug 2009 - Schools 5

[Trustees for Granville W. Hough]

Date: Sun, 16 Aug 2009 07:27:04 -0700
From: Granville W Hough <gwhough at oakapple.net>
Subject: Schools5 - 16 Aug 2009

  Oak Hill School. (p 146, WPA History of Smith County)

ôIn 1893 the Oak Hill School was established and supported by the Wares, 
Wells, Yelvertons, and McAlpins. It was a two-story building of four 
rooms, located five miles west of Mize, near the Simpson County line. At 
this time this was one of the best and most highly advanced schools of 
the county.
Professor Rooker, a Baptist minister, was one of the first and most 
outstanding teachers of this school. He stayed there five years, living 
in the teachers home on the school grounds. Rooker was succeded by 
Richard Beavers, who taught for several years; Allen Caughman also 
taught at the school; Professor Ryan, a highly educated and renowned 
teacher taught there for a few years; Tom Tangle also taught there.
The curriculum of Oak Hill School was always very high, with the 
following pupils (remembered): Dr. Archie Ware of Greenville; Newell N. 
McAlpin, county superintendent of Smith County; ED and Anse Ware, and 
Hulon Little, merchants; George Meadows, instructor in DraughnÆs 
Business College; Dolphus and Carroll Yelverton, outstanding school 
teachers. This school remained here until 1926, when it consolidated 
with the Mize School.ö

GWH: It was the pull of the Oak Hill School, as well as proximity to the 
railroad, which caused the Jim and Mary Richardson family, the Henderson 
and Toodie Sullivan family, and the Lisha and Lizzie Hough family to 
leave Upper Cohay and the Salem Church Community to move into the 
Concord Church Community which supported and maintained the Oak Hill 
School. This was a county line community and students of the Kennedy, 
Runnels, Garner, and Maddox families came from Simpson County to attend it.
In the last year of the school, I was able to walk over with my older 
brother Rudolph once or twice to "go to school." I was about four years 
old, and I sat with Rudolph through his classes. Dueward and Harold, my 
other older brothers, must have been in high school in Mize. I do not 
remember them on this great adventure. More about Oak Hill later.