Mars Hill College - Laurel Yearbook (Mars Hill, NC)

Page 12 text:

l . 1 2 E H l s i 1 4 11 lg ix! f is A 1 i I I .-I Struggle' To .Veer the Cort A Slave If Levin! On IO Srrnre the Deb? The School I: Opened Eighty years ago there were very few familiesliving Within live miles of Mars Hill, and they had only humble dwellings and little land. There was no asso- ciation or group of people willing to back the effort to build a school for the children, who were without educational opportuntiyg thus the burden rested en- tirely upon the shoulders of these men. Work was begun toward drawing up the plans and securing subscriptions for the school, and a contract was given to Shackleford and Clayton of Asheville to erect a two-story brick building, which was not finished until the spring of 1856. This same building was used for more than fifty years as a classroom and also as the meeting place of the Baptist Church, which was probably organized in the same year that the school opened its doors. Even though many made liberal gifts, the school was left with a debt of approximately 51,200 and not a cent in the treasury, after the completion of this building. Joe, a slave of the president of the board of trustees, was levied on for this remaining debt. The sheriff took Joe to Asheville and placed him in jail, where he was to be kept until the day of the sale. Eleven of these faithful men agreed to share the debt equally. Joe was brought back from Asheville and forever remained grateful to the people who would not permit him to be sold. The school opened in the fall of the year 1856 under the name of The French Broad Institute, with W. A. G. Brown in charge. hir. Brown was a distinguished scholar of his time and helped to found several colleges. A few students entered this first year, with Nlajor Wallace VV. Robbins as the first to register. ln the year 1858 Nlr. Brown was succeeded by John B. Nlarsh of Binghamp- ton. New York. lN'lr. hlarsh was an accomplished English scholar. thorough in l iA v ' 94143156-'iliiiitlitiiiiliiiililihiiiiifiixilli53155331213liiiiiifiliE-1H5hililiiliiilliisiiillhill!

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4 frets'-::i:i tgnmmw-tin'umlmu-,rw -M but-5 I 1 . l m :HH-4 H :J A -.,.. ..., ,L . s i'-,iaif J f iq ' ' . h xv . yr'-'!T,7AvT':.f rYdLb,'-'Jig-ilu vu I ai' ,.'.,3.f7','1f-gif I' Tri' 'Ti ' ' 9 I, -t' . - - - r I r f ,. I ... l I I C ,ii :A Kb? I Il ii ' ii, ' li! t 1 i r A - v ju: I ' ' 1 . ' , 1 f - 1 -4,-.vtvf :vs ' , ggi cszfozgtj of Jlflau Clogs 5 During the first decades of the nineteenth century a few white pioneer settlers came to that part of lVestern North Carolina now known as Madison County, clearing away the forests and planting settlements among these beautiful moun- tains. For a number of years there were only a very few people who lived in and around the vicinity which we call Mars Hill today. Work was begun, how- ever, and the civilization here began to grow. Educational opportunities for the children were very much limited. The dire need for schools became increasingly evident to the older people as the years passed. There were no schools nearby where the children could attain knowledge. A boarding school was organized near Burnsville, but this was several miles away and was dilhcult for the students to reach over the mountain roads. Even Asheville was just a small rural settle- ment Without schools. and Asheville children had to be sent away to secure their education. There is some doubt as to who was the First to conceive the idea of a school at Mars Hill. Rev. William Keith, -I. W. Anderson, and Edward Carter joined together in this venture, the first school being built on property belonging to Mr. Carter. It is reported that some of these men and their relatives sent children away to Burnsville to attend school. These children were converted at a revival and joined the hlethodist Church. Their parents, being all staunch Baptists, were aroused by this proselyting. It was decided best to educate the children under the influence of their own doctrines and beliefs. but to do this, schools were needed. Thus. with others joining zealously in this effort, the school which was to become Mars Hill College was founded where it stands today. ,I U'iftfz'121rH fit'HfUVIlr'1lf -I Sffinof fy I,'o1rf'wl-:nl ' ' ' i ' ' 7 'lfd'1ii 'lZl!!'!i!iVl!54'tilW'uBiE!llwlW1Lf5lIif!2unf2-'d15Ihi+iLt1Ild 1 1 1 5 ALHVH' - '. l l7 'H i i Uldlr' 159' fllflfa -i ' ', Ef1 '1,.Q , j ,ff-r-2 i i' ffi'17 ' 'l 'T A T' :J f1:!',:Q'E : 1' A 1 L i x I H , '. ,,. .iliizl-'we 'C ziaaaaniz-11:11 j::fi,i-eihmzfiruizF-fiat-lv''ftSyst:-iff.-ln.i.:llaal5n:.iinlMs.s,1'iiiEmll'-Js...o-1it!-villla-:n...u1'lii,.:.i1.sui. t-L.-fa. .ia-ii . -, cn Z j. fl gl ll .lt il lil ii' 1 A l 3 l

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I i vw-urn .'l'E1N I':l:1'ln!lhu.g-1-ge -I-r w 2 et 1 , W 5 . wiht t lu , MH Mm.. -dt.. ..A.. - - Cf W Ffi I .- , 7 .X L....,:,,: f G ' . 4 41,9 . 1 ' A ,, -1 -' M 5 N21 L3 V , .M kt .. f - L-7, , V J.. J , 3 f all nfl? as f l f Hg' ,I - -5 J teaching and discipline. The school was very successful under his management. At the time this was the most prominent Baptist school in Vllestern North Caro- lina, students coming from counties as far east as Guilford. During this term two other wooden buildings were erected. In the year 1859 the school was chartered by the General Assembly of North Carolina, and the name was changed to Mars Hill College. This char- ter gave the college the power of conferring all such degrees and marks of literary distinction as are usually conferred in colleges or seminaries of learning. This power has never been used, nor has it been taken away. It was very unfortunate for the school that the WVar Between the States should break out. During the war it was necessary for the college to close its doors to students. The buildings on the campus were used as quarters for the soldiers, and during the latter years of the war the two wooden buildings were burned. These buildings signified great sacrifices on the part of those who had helped to build them, and the burning of them brought a tremendous loss to the community. As a result of the war the college was left in a very bad condition. This section was shadowed by poverty, and the hatreds engendered during the con- flict were probably responsible for a lack of cooperation. For a period following the war a branch of the Masonic Orphanage of Oxford was set up on this property, and more than thirty children were placed here. After this had proved unwise, the property was turned back to the board of trustees. There was no satisfactory equipment. and the college was unable to furnish anything but very poor salaries for the teachers. Althought the outlook for the college was gloomy. Thr Charter Ci-wr Power of lffifzlrrrirzg JIU Dfryrffir Thr' UYIU' llfffrfffl flif' Sfzifm Rz't'l11I.1ffllfffull Dayr al .Vary Hill ' tr-L ::L j..b, 1.-1:7511 9:5 wv'a':inmeeg'Ar,pFf v f Lk .si an -y ..1 ,. ,ls-ff, ,. ..:4r-,, ig , V -g sw ' , .i .. . - .V r- .vm ,. i . will-' th.-!2d?z!'ii:25vZr!.i. :nl-awe-imatle5 'U1.-ia 1iH1sfJr11sisflleSdn:,i,izliilfkkivm' .f-allfzimslwsliwfifzuiil...:'I ...aa-:' ' . '-JZe5ldll!5fRENiH:alM34l5ilB3Z2i2H'J?-ff.lh'Eira'hfv'uw-9:u21:1r:mnraun-mas