Beech Grove School
Submitted by Kay Mason <KLMPIANO@aol.com on Apr 21, 2000

Grandfather taught a one-room school  (all ages) at Beech Grove, Riddle P.O.,
KY in 1891 (he was 19 years old):


Pages 117-118:

    "Considering my inexperience and lack of learning the school went along
quite well and during favorable weather attendance was good.  The main part
of the pupils came from the following named families:  JOE & POLLY FYFFE five
- JOHN ALONZO, LORENZO, ANN MARGARET [FYFFE] and an older girl whose name I
do not recall; THOMAS MASON & wife, BERTHA MAE [MASON], a small girl; W. F.
and ANN MASON four - LEOTA, MARY, JOHN FRANKLIN and ELIZABETH [MASON]; HOWARD
GILLIAM and wife six - ELLIOTT, NOAH, ELLEN, AMOS, ALVIN and MARGARET
[GILLIAM]; OWEN & JALEY GILLIAM three - PARISH, JANE and NANCY [GILLIAM];
WILLIAM GILLIAM & wife two - ALBERT [GILLIAM] and a small sister; ELI DIALS &
wife five - GEORGE, AMERICA, FLOYD, FERIT and FARIS [DIALS]; WILLIAM & POLLY
HAY one - CHARLES [HAY], JOHN H. & NANCY HAY two - MARY JANE & WILLIAM PARISH
[HAY]; JACK & MARGARET DICKENSON two - NORA and MONROE [DICKENSON].  They
were a nice bunch of children - some mischievous but none really bad - and
after all the years I remember with pleasure the good times we had together
and the friendliness they showed toward me.

    Shortly after the term began GEORGE DIALS and ELLIOTT GILLIAM, cousins -
both near my age - went to the little town of Willard, about 15 miles
distant, on a Saturday, and returned Sunday.  How they traveled I do not
recall, but I think on foot.  This was quite an event for them and they
related to us at school the interesting features and events of the the trip -
to the 'Town.'

    In a few days - I think a week - both GEORGE [DIALS] and ELLIOTT
[GILLIAM] took to their beds with Typhoid fever and very soon both died.  As
they came of respected families and were both well liked generally it came as
a great shock to the community.  The disease soon spread; as there was little
sanitation in their treatment of it those days, and several of the DIALS and
GILLIAM families and other narrowly escaped death and were out of school for
weeks afterward.  It was supposed that while GEORGE [DIALS] and ELLIOTT
[GILLIAM] were on their trip they had drank contaminated water and thus
brought the fever to their neighborhood."

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