Clifton Forge High School - Alleghanian Yearbook (Clifton Forge, VA)

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PREFACE While it is hoped that the subject matter of the following pages will be self-explanatory, yet in presenting the first volume of The Alleghanian to our patrons and the public, the staff feels that a few personal words are not out of place here. In keeping with the past progress, and in order to create and ex¬ tend a proper “school spirit,” it was thought wise to issue in permanent form a brief his¬ tory of the public schools of our city, together with a somewhat full account of the present session of the High School. A few departures from the usual method used by those doing such work have been in¬ troduced, chief of which is the greater amount of space given to the Junior Class than is cus¬ tomary. This is done because the classes being small, it was thought best to begin is¬ suing The Alleghanian on the bi-ennial j plan, for the present, at least. As to the wisdom of such an undertaking, not all were agreed. In fact the majority of the grade teachers opposed such a publication, as being unnecessary in a public school. This accounts for the limited space given the grade work. Perhaps this work falls short of your expec¬ tations. We are not satisfied with it ourselves, yet with the statement that the preparation has been confined to our spare moments and that we have done the best our circumstances will allow, we have no apology to offer. We take this opportunity of thanking all who have in any way contributed toward giv¬ ing this modest volume whatever merit it may possess. If our effort shall help to create a proper “school spirit, and if in the future the glanc¬ ing over these pages shall awaken a happy memory of school days, our purpose shall have been accomplished. The Stake.

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HISTORICAL On special request, the following article was written by Hon. F. IV. King, ex-superintendent of Alleghany Division, at present member of State Senate of Virginia. It is no great span of time from 1870 to 1909, but it is a long stride from “William¬ son with its one or two houses, to the present city of Clifton Forge, with her seven thou¬ sand souls and her $2,000,000 of assessable values. It is no great stretch of time from 1870 to the present, but it is a far cry from the old log cabin school in Slaughter Pen Hollow, taught by Mr. James A. Ford, to the present magnificent graded and high school building, erected at a cost of something like S40.000, and equipped with all of the most modern school-room appliances. Truly the material development of Clifton Forge has been marvelously rapid, but her schools have kept fullv abreast with her onward march, to the credit not only of her school officers, but to the credit of her people, upon whose sympathies, after all, rests all progress. One hundred and thirty-nine years ago, or to be more exact, on the 12th day of May, 1770, George III., of England, through his Governor of the Colony of Virginia, Baron de Botetourt, granted to one. Robert Gallaspy, fifty-four acres of land on the north side of Jackson River, and on both sides of what we now know as Smith Creek, in which was then Botetourt county. The lines of this fifty-four- acre tract ran due north from the river, up by the old postoffice building and the Presby¬ terian Church, nearly to the south side of Pine Street; then west, bearing south to the foot of the steep hill on which Mr. Cutler’s house stands; then south to the river, just taking in the flat land suitable for cultivation. Two years later, June 22, 1772, a tract of one hun¬ dred and one acres, just north of the above tract, w as granted to the same Robert Gal¬ laspy, which included the present school site, and all of what we know as the Flat. In June, 1789, Robert Gallaspy died, and willed to his son, Alexander, one hundred and twenty-six acres of the above land, which his son sold to Alexander Wilson, October 8, 1805, who on August 24, 1810, sold to James Breckinridge, who in turn, sold the same to a man name Van Stavern, which purchaser directed the deed to be made to Mr. Henry Smith, who was the great uncle of the present Mayor, Mr. Jno. A. Bowles, and after whom Smith Creek was named. When Mr. Smith died, in 1850, or 1851. he devised all of his lands to Mr. David Wil¬ liamson. brother of Mrs. T. P. Bowles, and father of Mr. David A. Williamson. Miss Jean Williamson, Mrs. X. B. Early and Mrs. W. M. Smith, and after whom this place was called when it was known as Williamson. This bit of historv is merelv mentioned by way of leading up to what is more particularly the subject of this sketch, viz., the history of the Clifton Forge School, for it was largely