"Early Schools in Pleasant Grove Area" Part 1 These schools were in what is now Pleasant Grove School District. The information on the Morris was written in 1936 and published in Texarkana Gazette...... The Morris School Dist. No. 41 had its first school building on land owned by John E. Morris. They had bought land from the Blankenship Plantation and built a home there about 1890. The School was built there on Richmond Road about three miles southeast of the present Pleasant Grove School. This being the first school building built for school purposes and was a boxed house. Later this building was torn down and erected on a two acre site donated by John C. Watts. This site was about one half mile Northwest of the other building site. Some of the teachers in the Morris School District from 1893 until 1913-15 were: Professor Barnes Clean Homes Mary Hale Mrs. Mae Hale Hugh Clung Mr. Joe Stanger Avery Loller Gertie Stagner (abt.1900) Mr. St. John (who had a bachelor quarters in a house across the road from the school and was said to be an artist and did oil paintings, besides being a good housekeeper) Alex Caudle, an uncle of N.E. Bonham (Principal in 1936) Baker School Dist. No. 42 The first school of Baker School District then known as Community School was established in 1877. The second school was taught by Mrs. Euriah Carpenter in a log house for school and church purposed, located on a ridge just east of Claude Jones' present home (1936) on the Myrtle Springs road about a mile east of the present school site. The original logs from this house are still in use by the Jones. The third location was at the present John F. Pinkerton place known as McCurry Schoolhouse. The next school site was given by Mrs. Cora Edward's mother, out of the George Bridlee Survey. This school was located in front of the present site of the Phillips home on the north side of Mrs. Redd's farm. This was when the name of the "Bakers School District No. 42 comes into use." Some of the earlier teachers were Joe Stangner who was father of the twins who taught in District No. 41 about 1900.(One twin was named Girtie) Some of the other teachers were: Price Williams Mr. Strong William Kennedy Chris R. Birdwell Mrs Sheddlebar Janie Morris Research after this article was written give the names of the following who were some earlier teachers. L. Carl Hinkley, Mrs. Mattie Wheeler (who boarded at Hillard McKnights' home as did Avery Lollar) Janie Morris Lawerence Arrington Agnes Shipp Martine Earp Mrs. Tom Dickens In 1901, R.R. Olinger's store building was used for a school house while a new one was being built. This new building was a frame building the first of its type in "Morris District". It was used until it was moved in 1917. Mr. Olinger's store building was located on the northwest corner of the present Northwood Presbyterian Church property on Richmond Road. The road in this curve was later moved over some and cut through Olingers' property. This road was called Richmond because it went to the banks of Red River north and people crossed over into Richmond, Arkansas to use the gins there. They crossed by ferries. One such ferry was located on property owned (in 1976) by George Pearson (out of the original headright survey No. 367 of Collin McKinney) was operated by Lewis Mays, son of Ed P. and Sarah E. Mays. The Mays had bought 2500 acres land in 1893 out of the Hiram Brinlee Survey, No.42. Lewis Mays married Lou White daughter of W.H. and Sarah Elizabeth (Earnest) White. Another daughter was Mae White, who married J. T. Birdwell. These old settlers have many descendants in this area, especially the Red Lick School District which joins the Pleasant Grove School District to the West. The Ed P. Mays family at one time lived on the old M.H. Janes Headwright Survey, now in Red Lick School District. Temple School............... This school was located on the Summerhill Road about 5 miles north of Texarkana and since 1922, The Blacks used this school building due to the change in resident scolastics, and ownership of land near the building. Pleasant Grove No.2 school building was built in 1924 on Summerhill road about 10 miles north of Texarkana on land donated for school purposes. This school operated two years and was discontinued until the fall of 1928. When the land was purchased by popular subscription. It continued to be used as a white school until 1933 when it was again closed due to the state set up of transportation of school children at public expense. During the time this school was closed, the children from this vicinity were transported to the larger school (at the expense of the local district) on Richmond Road. Some of the teachers that taught in this school were: Miss Able Allen Mrs.Herbert White Mrs. Murray (Janette Lassiter) Collins Mrs. Wanda Wyatt. Continued in "Early Schools in Pleasant Grove Area" Part 2 *********************************************************** USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. Submitted By: Jean Scott *****************************************************************