Schools: Forest High School, Early History Source: West Carroll Gazette 1935 Submitter: Carolyn Pevytoe Avery OCT 2001 ********************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ********************************************** Forest High School Early History The first school in ward three was built in 1865. It was located across the road from S.T. JACKSON'S place about two and one-half miles south of Forest. The building was a very crude affair, being made of tough logs, with a dirt floor and in place of windows it had only shutters made of split boards. As was the case in most schools of this time , there were no pumps for suppling water. Dug wells were used with a bucket and rope to raise the water. The subjects taught were the three R's, reading, writing and Arithmetic. Spelling was also included. There was only one teacher for this school. He was MR JOHN BROWN, a red headed, red mustached Irishman. Some of the pupils that attended this school were: MR. ED CROWE and MR. WILL ROBINSON. S.T. JACKSON was mainly responsible for the founding and maintence of the school. This same school was used for ten years. In 1875 the second school was built on the old Lawton place (now the Kelly place, north of the Briggs school, near the ward 4 line.) The building was made of logs and stood in an old field. The seats were made of split logs with pegs for legs. The subjects were read- ing, writing, spelling, geography, grammer, arithmetic and algebra. F.D. GALLOWAY was the teacher and MR. J.A. LESTER was one of the students. In 1880 LONE OAK school was built on what is now SAM CROWE JR.'S place. MISS NANNIE CROW, now MRS. SAM WALLER, was a student there. Later she went to collage and then came back and taught in this school. A few years after this the school burned. **MY NOTE** Charges were brought against WARREN PRATT, OSWALD WILSON and ROBERT RIGGINS for arsen of Lone Oak School.** In 1893 school was taught in the building located on the ground now used for the cemetery. Later it was used as a saloon, and was given the name SHIAN. Some of the children who attended this school were the KELLERS, VININGS, CLEMENTS, VINCENT, MORRIS and SESSUMS. The school lasted only through June, July and August. There was no grade segregation; progress was noted by the reader the pupil was studying. They all wrote on slates, with slate pencils. MR. S.T. JACKSON was also responsible for this school. The teacher and principal was MR. JOHN MUNHOLLAND, who is now operating a furniture store in Monroe. There wasn't any school board, but instead trustes--MESSRS. WILEY, CROWE and JACKSON. TILDEN was the superintendent at this time. In 1896 the location for the school was again changed. This time it was located on Lion Bayou across from where MR. GEORGE KEENE now lives. It was a one room log cabin. The teachers were MISS NANNIE CROWE and MISS ESTELLE HEDRICK. In 1901 the first board school house was built. It was a simple structure, consisting of only one room. However, within the next few years anotheer room was added. This building was located where MR. GRIFFIS now lives. In 1908 MR FRANK PEACOCK was a school board member and was responsible for the wooden building constructed then. In 1909 the school was moved into what we night call the heart of the community-- in Forest proper. It was a small three-room building whick is now used as the girls home economics building. Mr. H.L. CAMPBELL, who is now superintendent of the Lincoln parish schools, was the first principal. In 1914 the Forest school was made a standard high school and in 1915 the first brick building was built. In 1917 there were three graduates who were the first to finish from the school. They were: MYRTLE STANDIFER, NANNIE CROWE, and GADDIS BARDEN. The school auditorium was built in 1929 and seated 300 pupils. There was such an increase in attendence that by 1930 the school had eleven teachers and a six room fire-proof addition was made to the main building. The whole building was refinished inside and out at this time. In 1931 a coach and janitor were added. In 1934 there was another addition of two rooms on the east side of the home economics building and the teaching staff had increased to eighteen. MR. W.F. ALMAND is the present principal and MR. O.E. HUEY is the parish superintndent. There are over seven hundred pupils registered and there are four bus drivers, each one of whom makes two trips, going into all parts of the ward to bring children to school.