William King High School - Midget Yearbook (Abingdon, VA)

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Cave House Vance ' s Tavern Formerly home of General Francis Preston, Martha Washington College for girls for nearly 75 years, now Martha Washington Inn. Abingdon Town Hall and Home of Barter Theatre 5

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A TRIBUTE TO THE COMMUNITY In this year of 1959 when the town of Abingdon helps William King High School con- clude its last year as a secondary school after 156 years, we find it fitting to recount the story of education in picture and story. Since our community has always stood behind our school, and has believed in the best education for our youth, we welcome this opportunity to give credit for the effort that has been made through the years to provide the best education possible and to picture for the community what the school is doing to develop well-rounded citizens. In order to understand Abingdon’s enduring support of education we glance backward through the years to a small settlement called Black ' s Fort where the first school was established, 1784. Since the Academy was founded in 1803, the citizens of Abingdon have believed in the premise that a good design for education is one that fulfills the needs of a partic- ular community. Such was the spirit of Abingdon when William King High School was established on the site of the Academy in 1913. Today this thriving town, located on a main highway, offers excellent educational ad- vantages to all; and its progressive citizens are constantly interested in improving the community. True to the traditions of our forefathers, through a recent bond issue and an increased rate of taxation, the citizens of Abingdon and Abingdon District voted to expand school facilities to fill the changing needs of the youth of the town and district. By fall of 1959, a new high school, offering the best education possible for tomorrow ' s citizens, will be ready for occupancy. With sincere appreciation we say thank you to our community and the people whose beliefs and efforts will serve those yet to come. 4

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Milestones William King was born in Ireland and came to America at the age of fifteen. He re- ceived a legacy of 100 pounds from his grandmother and with this set out to make his fortune as a pedlar. His success was rapid and he established stores along his route of travel and was certain to stock them well with the goods which the people of his day would purchase. He built the first brick house in Abingdon which is still standing on Court Street. In his will he left $10,000 either in money or land to establish a school for boys. The one other man besides William King who made his mark in education in Abingdon was William Webb. Described as a very small man, with a face round as a moon and eyes of jet black, talkative, lively and intelligent and bold as the king of the beasts when aroused . . . this was the first school master of Abingdon. His school was built at the head of Black’s mill pond, south of the present Nor- folk and Western Railway; the ground was the floor and the boys sat on hewn slabs placed on forks in the ground and their writing desk was made in the same manner. In 1786 or 1789 another school was built in the location of the present Sinking Spring Cemetary and here school was conducted until the organization of Abingdon Male Academy. Abingdon Academy was opened in the Masonic Hall which is at the site of the Washington County jail in 1803 and continued there until 1820. William King ' s will was probated December 20, 1808 and it was found that he had made a provision for the Academy. He had been very interested in the Academy and since he had received a good English Education prior to his coming to this country, he realized the importance of education and by his provision to the Academy he rendered a service to the many generations of students who trudged up William King hill during the years of their education. 6