Etowah High School - Chief Yearbook (Etowah, NC)

Page 5 text:

THE CHIEF -’39 DEDICATION To R. G. Anders, who has been outstanding as a leader of the great progressive educational movement that has been carried on in Henderson County during his regime; who at all times has cheerfully and intelligently responded to every eal l that the school has made on him, and who has ealled around between assignments to ask for other tasks, whether trivial or of great import, this, the 1939 ‘‘Chief’’, is dedicated, with the hope that it will in some degree bear witness to the prideful affection of a mother for a stalwart and devoted son. Page Three

Page 4 text:

THE CHIEF -’°39 FOREWORD The year is done and here is the chronicle of its events. Through the pages of this volume we have sought to reflect as much of the spectacle of high school days as time permits. Our design was to pattern the book closely after this motif and thus present a panor- amic view of the history of local education. We hope, though Time moves onward and dims memories, that this yearbook has succeeded in catching and depicting enough of the story to keep vivid our recollections of the whole. If we have failed, our great labor accepts only the criticism merited by inability. If we have succeeded, we seek no great praise; we have only accomplished that which we set out to do. } aoe, THE STAFF Page Twe

Page 6 text:

THE CHIEF -’39 HISTORY OF ETOWAH SCHOOL “Still sits the schoolhouse by the road A ragged beggar sunning.”’ The schoolhouse which Whittier immortalizes in ‘School Days” must have been similar to the old Hopewell School, that stands in. crumbling ruins on the Gash home- stead near the Etowah depot. In construction Hopewell was similar to the majority of rural schools of that day. It was built of logs and was hardly as large as the average classroom of a modern school building. Besides the door there was no other source of light and air except a small opening in one end. On cold, disagreeable days it was necessary to close both the door and window, thus practi- cally excluding air and light. The building was heated by a large fireplace. Desks such as are used today were unknown then. Instead, rough hewn logs split in half and set on stilts were used as seats. The blackboard was a small pine board blacked with lamp black. There was no other teaching device. How- ever, each child had his own slate which was put to good use. The earliest facts about this old school date back to the late sixties. During this period a school term was three and one-half to four months. The school fund, raised by a tax on property, was often supplemented by subscriptions. At Hopewell, free board was regarded as a supplement to the teacher’s salary. There was no limit to a school district. Anybody who desired and who was able to walk to school was enrolled. Many walked as far as four or five miles. In the fall of 1871, Mr. James Wilson Morgan, a young man from Buncombe County, was engaged as teacher at Hopewell. His two predecessors had been run off by obstreperous students, therefore, the school fund had accumulated and Mr. Morgan was given a four months term. The enrollment was well over a hundred, but many, lacking depth of purpose and a real thirst for knowledge, soon dropped out. However, the daily attendance was frequently high as ninety. The course of study consisted of the three “R’s”; the blue-back speller being taught in connection with reading. Webster’s Diction- ary was regarded as an undisputed authority in vocabulary building. Usually, a child learned his ABC’s at home and was ready for reading the first day. Certain prevailing customs of the old schools were an integral part of the Hopewell school. Every Friday afternoon each child was expected to recite a “speech.” Often these programs, to which parents were invited, included spelling bees and debates. The exhibition given by the pupils on the closing night was, perhaps, the most enjoyable occasion of the school year. These programs con- Page Four