Schools: Winnfield Public Schools, 1887-, Winn Parish, LA. Submitted by Greggory E. Davies, 120 Ted Price Lane, Winnfield, LA 71483 ********************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ********************************************** From: January 18, 1946 Winnfield News-American 60 Years Of Progress Built Local Schools First Public School Opened in 1887; Pioneers of Education in Winn Parish Campaigned Vigorously for Buildings Principal, Only Teacher of First Institution In 1887 Opened Long and Vigorous Campaign For Adequate Educational Facilities by Dennis Shell Standing as a monument to the pioneers of education in Winn Parish, the modern public schools of Winnfield reflect a struggle of more than 60 years to keep educational facilities of this town abreast with the changing trends and steady growth of the parish. First School in 1885 The beginning of educational activities in Winnfield is vague, but newspaper files refert to a male and female school as early as 1885. A private institution, its faculty consisted of Prof. E. Davies as principal, his wife [Adella Adrienne "Rena" Cowsert Davies] as assistant teacher and Mrs. Ida Milling as head of the music department. The first public school was opened in 1887, with W. A. Nabors as teacher and the first in a series of long-suffering officials who campaigned vigorously for adequate buildings and faculties. He was succeeded by W. T. Bryan in 1890. Winnfield at this time was a mud-rutted rural community in a vast expanse of pine forest. There was then little money and as little activity in the parish, but in the next few years there appeared a group of saw mills through which the town was destined to grow into a transportation center with three railroads connecting it with the outside world. These mills were located at Dodson, Pyburn, Atlanta, Verda, and Lofton. Construction of these plants foreshadowed a rapid increase in the population of Winn Parish, and a corresponding need for larger and better schools. Six Teachers in 1904 By 1904 the faculty of the public school had grown to six teachers, and a proportionate gain in prestige of the institution has been credited to the earnestness and effectiveness of these instructors. Included were G. A. Payne, J. J. Shaw, May Corbett, Gertrude Bell, Ella Peters, and Belle Wallace. Of this group, Mrs. G. A. Payne, the former Gertrude Bell, still is a member of the faculty of the Winnfield schools. The school board at this time was composed of C. P. Mathis, president; J. T. Wallace, T. J. Pinkard, C. M. Durham, C. McGinty, R. L. Tannehill, J. W. Teddlie, and Cas Moss, now presiding judge of the Eighth Judicial District. Picnic Plays Significant Role A picnic held at the end of the 1907 scholastic year is said to have been perhaps the most important single advance ever made toward better schools in Winn Parish. In January of that year, the addition of Grace Hyde as the twelfth member of the faculty indicated a rapid increase in enrollment of students, and the campaign for a larger school building was redoubled. The press joined with education officials in their plea, and the Southern Sentinel on January 11, 1907 called attention to the badly crowded conditions in the old wooden two-story structure that served as the high school building. Records of 1907 show that the total enrollment in the schools was 485. It was about this time that the citizenry voted a 10 mill tax for 10 years to pay for a new structure which they hoped to have completed in 1909. The picnic held at the end of the year was planned perhaps as much for the purpose of strengthening this campaign as for a celebration, for the occasion was featured by a great amount of oratory urging the construction of a new high school building. It was pointed out that the building not only was over crowded and badly lighted, but a serious fire trap as well. Six Graduate in "Opera House" As if to emphasize the critical need for a new building, the first graduating class of the high school in May, 1907, received diplomas during exercises at the city hall, or "opera house" as it was then known. The six seniors included Winnie Vance, O. U. Payne, Nettie Teagle, Minnie Peters, L. C. Moore, and Pearl Williams. It was this body in 1906 that purchased two "wagonettes" to transfer school children in order to give the greatest possible benefit for the educational facilities then existing. These forerunners of the present-day fleet of modern, spacious vehicles were among the first school buses operated in Winn Parish. The first transfer, a mule drawn wagon, was operated across Dugdemonia to Winnfield. At the close of the 1908-09 term the enrollment had reached 600, and the tax for the new building was voted. Prof. W. C. Robinson then was principal, and the faculty included G. A. Payne, J. L. Liggin, Mrs. W. C. Robinson, Betty Nolan, Erin O'Malley, Ella Peters, Betty Huey, Gertrude Milburn, Maud Howell, Anna Lee Mixon, and Jennie Mae Jackson. Huey Long Appears A youth who later was to become widely renowned as a leading figure in Louisiana and national politics began to appear in print at this time. The Southern Sentinel on October 16, 1908 announced that Huey Long and Clabe Terral were arguing the affirmative in a high school debate on the question: Resolved: That the Phillipine Islands should be free. The negative team was composed of Harlie Bozeman and Robert Gamble. Literary and athletic activities were begun in earnest during 1908 and 1909. An example of the former is indicated in a local press account on November 16, 1908, of the following literary society program; Music, Onie Teddlie; vocal solo, Mae Crawford, and special music, Nancy Long, and an eighth grade program, featuring: Reading, Florence Petes; jokes, Tom Huffman; questions, Docia Hall; story, George A. Payne; recitation, Lease Bailey and music, Celeste Brian. By the beginning of 1909 a basketball team had been organized, plans for a football squad were being made and track work was to begin under the direction of Tom Huffman, who later became one of the greatest high school athletes this state has ever known. Winnfield joined the North Louisiana High School association in order that athletic and literary activities might be encouraged. Later in the year the pioneer grid squad of the local school was defeated by Pineville, much to the chagrin of the old and patriotic Winnfield "Comrade," which claimed the defeat was unfair because the referee had too much power. A later defeat at the hands of Ruston by a 39-23 score was excused for the same reason. While Winnfield's early football teams found the going tough, the 1910 baseball squad materialized into the best in Louisiana. Early in June of that year the local nine whipped New Orleans three times in five games to win the state high school pennant. Batteries for Winnfield included Charlie Smith and Tom Huffman, Hasson Morris and Jack Wallace. The games were played in the old Wallace ball park, the present site of the Mosley colored quarters {now the site of the Winn Parish Hospital helicopter pad}. Early training on this Winnfield high school ball club proved valuable to Wallace, who later became a major league catcher. ("HappyJack" Wallace, Chicago Cubs, and manager of the year several times in the Southern Minor League). In 1910 a delegation from Winnfield attended a rally at Minden, but Huey Long, who took third place in declamation, was the only member to achieve recognition. This year saw also the organization of a new literary society which was sponsored by Bess Graham. Its members included Everett Fick, president; Morell Milburn, vice-president; Freddie Thomas, secretary; Lorena Walker, treasurer and Arbury Orr, lictor. Still another group the alucinion was organized on December 8, 1910, and members who participated in the first program were Keith Jones, Estelle Tannehill, Lester Hall, Ruth Harper, Stewart Hunt, Willie Durham, Nellie Gibbs, Minnie Burket, Ethel Wallace, John T. DeLoach, J. J. Peters, Edna Godfrey, Ottice Barnes, and Betty Stevens. Formation of a third group, the Excelsior Literary Society, was effected shortly thereafter, and the first meeting was held in Betty Nolan's room with the following program: Life history of Grady, by Lillie Cupp; recitation, Lillie Cotton, declamation, Arbury Orr; debate on woman's suffrage, with Clyde Bozeman and Ruth Milburn arguing the affirmative and Harry Davis and Roy Wright, the negative. Music was furnished by Lillian Hearne, a reading was given by Florence Peters, and a song was rendered by a quartet composed of Roy Wright, Tom Huffman, Averett Watts, and Aubury Orr. Six Graduate in 1910 The second graduating class of the local high school was no larger than the first, with six seniors receiving diplomas in exercises held in June, 1910. Name were George E. Bozeman, salutatorian; Ruby Moss, who presented a piano solo; T. Edwin Banks, who rendered a declamation; Ethel Allen, reader of the class prophecy; Eva Sowers, another piano soloist, and James W. Godfrey, valedictorian. Rev. Harper read the invocation, and diplomas were awarded by Prof. W. C. Robinson. J. J. Mixon was superintendent of schools at this time. Enrollment of both Winnfield schools was recorded at 437 in September, 1910, and the need for a new building was more acute than ever. On January 15, 1909, bids had been awarded for a new building designed to be one of the most outstanding in North Louisiana at that time. Planned by William Drago, the structure would feature 17 regular school rooms, could accommodate 650 students and would cost $ 28,850. High school teachers at the opening of school that year were Mr. Fontenot, Mr. Harrell, Miss Nolan, and Miss Redwine. The principal was W. J. Avery, and Mr. Pugh had charge of the athletic activities. Addresses at the opening of the term were delivered by Sen. R. W. Oglesby and Hon. Cas Moss. Records state that "a creditable football team was definitely assured" in October, 1910, and Rawson Stovall, a former L. S. U. grid star, was employed to coach the Winnfield eleven. Games with Louisiana College and Alexandria were promptly scheduled. Diplomas Given Four in 1911 The third graduating class managed to finish in 1911, only one year after the second, which was remarkable in view of the three-year period between the first and second. Only four students were given diplomas, however, a fact explained by the change in curriculum from 11 to 12 grades. Graduating were Edna Shelton, the valedictorian; Everett Fick, salutatorian; Ruby Scarborough and Olive Shelton. Huey Long, then beginning to manifest the strength of purpose with which he was to be characterized in later years, found the change not to his liking, vigorously opposed it and moved to Shreveport. There he completed his high school work and received his diploma. The 1912 class did not graduate because its lone member, Edna Godfrey, dropped out of school to avoid graduating alone. Her brother, Webster, however, was a member of the 1913 class and received his diploma with Ida Porter, Ruth Harper, Keith Jones, Nancy Long, Enid Teddlie, and Estelle Tannehill. 10 Graduate in 1914 The class of 1914 was the biggest to that date, and the completion of that school year marked the end of the first period of progress by the Winnfield high school. Graduating were John T. DeLoach, Nellie Gibbs, Daisy Huffman, Florence Peters, Marshall Heflin, Jack Fowler, Roy Wright, Ethel Riser, Lillie Cupp, and Mary Kelly. The News-American next week will conclude the second period of growth of the Winnfield public schools and the story of their progress from 1887 to the present date. (Note: Professor E. Davies, principal, mentioned in the beginning of this story was the great grandfather of this submitter).