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Section B—Page 6. Nie a wien a NORTHWEST ARKANSAS TIMES 80 Yea SCHOOL SYSTEM IN COUNTY HAS AN INTERESTING HISTORY First Negro School in State Established in Fayette ville in 1866 By LESLIE 8S. READ First white school in Washing ton county of which any record is made is mentioned in Circuit court files under date of March 2, 1829. This was one year after a founding of Fayetteville in 1828. First negro school In Arkansas was founded in Fayetteville in 1966, the same year that the Fay etteville public school (district 1 ashington county was organ under the first district super intendent, Ebenezer E. Henderson of Indiana. Oh These facts are written in books ‘eritted out by Zillah Cross Peel, archivist, and placed for safe keep ng in the county treasurer’s office. Vineyard School in 1829 First school on ‘record was that Vineyard township. The book f 1829 records a county election ‘which will be held in the school house at Vineyard adjoining the Hugh Marrs home.” This early school pre-dates by ‘4 years establishment of a public chool system by the State of Ar ansas under Gov. Archibald Yell of Fayetteville), who, the records is a show, “ ‘owed the public shoot act on Feb. 3, 1843. The act provided “that upon req uest of the people of any town alp in which there were as many , five householders and 15 white children that the county could ov er an election to be in order elect commissioners and trus tsor the said township.” The school at Vineyard (and others extant with it but record was made) prob was supported by private sub and schools of the county as those of Fayetteville have continued with such for several years, because county notices having to do Arkansas school laws on fhe court house, there seem to been no more entries until it , that Washington coun t Judge Jonatand Newman, pty judge, took advantage of this act on April 11, 1844, and asked for a special election ® be held in the various townships in the county where a request was made,” and after that no mention of districts having been voted. Mount Zion District Two Tradition has it.Mount Zion pe titioned for the first school dis trict but that Supt. Henderson in 1866 desiring that the county seat should be named District One hur ried up organization of the Fay etteville district and gave Mount Zion the name of District Two. With the coming of public schools for white children in 1866, came also the erection of the first school for negroes in Arkansas. School records on file at the court house which Mrs. Peel has uncovered reveal the following data: Agro School District was Made by Sy Circuit Superintend ent Ebenezer E. Henderson of In diana. Land on which the build ing was erected was given by the American Missionary Society of New York for the purpose of site for a school house to be used for the education of Freedmen and children ‘irrespective of race or color.” Twenty-five years later this same society, who in the specified it never was to be used for any other purpose, deeded the property to the Fayetteville School District which seems to have “made many repairs and added a room”. From 1871 until 1895, Mrs. Peel’s school records, gathered from court house books show, “the American Missionary Society of New York aiid the in surance on the building, helped to find capable Negro teachers and paid half of the expense toward repairing the school house.” In 1935 the building of the Hen derson school and lot, was traded for a plot of ground further south and a new school building, re named Lincoln school was built at a cost of $12,000, work of ex cavation? being done by Negro W. P. A. labor and the building erected by white WPA labor. Cit izens of Fayetteville inspired by or, of one of the Negro citi zens (George Ballard) gave books for the school library. First School Board In 1871 The present organization of schools in the Fayetteville School District dates from 1871. Before that the schools were governed by a school trustee but little conaigeration was given to the free school. The first city school board con sisted of Dr. J. C. Massie, presi dent, (father of Prof. J. C. Mas sie, later police judge, now retir. Sie uel Iles wpest retary), and D. D. . They took office in March, wer. Records show the first public school under these directors was taught three teachers and had an enrollment of 150 pupils; that the district owned no school prop erty. At this date, units studied texts as they have, and pursued individually, such courses as such advancement would per From this beginning city schools have grown in 1940 to a profes sionally trained staff of 60, an annual enrollment of more than 2,200 pupils and the district owns seven plants ha an ap proximate value of $340,000. Other growth and advancement is reflected, F. S. Root point out, through state-owned textbooks for allentary pupils, curriculum off providing standard aca demic courses through an 8 year elementary school and a four year high school, and such cul tural courses and activities as: School music (vocal and instru mental including band), dramat ics, home economics, journalism with an 11 year old school paper provided by the Northwest Ark ansas Times, sports, honor socie ty wide scope of activity clubs, a library, library training and op portunity for sympathetic pupil guidance by staff members and plans for a future inauguration of vocational guidance. Supervised play and a public school play field has been added, together with school clinics in which all children are given pre-school and elementary school health exam inations and vaccination against certain diseases. 4-Year High School in 1907 The 4-year high school was or ganized in 1907. The first gradu ating class consisted of 14 mem bers, while the 1939 class had a membership of 115. The Fayette ville school has held a continuous membership in the North Central Association of Colleges and Sec ondary Schools since 1923. The first district owned school building the old Washington school was erected in 1885; the old Jefferson school building in 1892; the old Leverett school building in 1900; the High school in 1908; the Midland school in 1916; the Westside school in 1924; the new Washington and Jeffer son schools in 1930; the Lincoln school (negro) in 1937; and the new Leverett school in 1939. At the date of this issue plans have been completed for the immedi ate erection of a gymnasium in connection with which music rooms and vocational rooms ae being provided. Coincidences Cited Interesting coincidence concern ing the 70 years of development and progress of the City School System are cited by Prof. F. S. Root. They include the fact that exactly 70 outstanding citizens have served on the Fayetteville school board; the first school board set the opening date of school for the first Monday in September, Sept. 4, and the date of the opening of school for the 70th year was also on the first re in September, Sept. 4. te of opening is not tra pple but is the legal opening date of the city schools as set forth in a resolution by the board); then the fact that retired Judge J. C. Massie is the son of the president of Fayetteville’s first Board of Directors. Through all the years the teach ing staff in the Fayetteville school system has consisted of people who are devoted to the profession of teaching. Most of the staff mem bers have been graduates of the University of Arkansas, and all have demonstrated their profes sional loyalty and sacrificing ser vice to public education. During all these years that four educators have held the official position of Superintendent of Schools. The following are the names of the superintendents in the order of their service: O. C. Gray, N. P. Gates, J. C. Mitchell and present incumbent, F. S. Root. When Mack McRoy was a car rier boy for the tteville Dairy Democrat ..(now Northwest Ark ansas Times)? That was back in 1887. When Damon Clarke a nd a Republican newspaper Fayetteville, printing it in a scent located upstairs over what now is the Taylor market and grocery on East Center street? When the Lyricenter was lo cated where the Yellow Cab of fices are on Black street? When the Fuller nor Grocery store was located where the City Administration building is now? When Vaughn's Livery stables were located where the Hudson Liquor store is now? When Guisinger’s Music store was at the site now occupied by the Palace theater? When Davies and Sons occu pied the corner building now oc cupied by Gutsinger’s? When Dr. Cox ran his drug store on the Square? It was back about 1868, Whitworth had a drug store 10 years later. Fayetteville High school, shown, above, takes care of most of the graduates of the five grade schools. Leverett grade school, shown above, was the latest addition to the several new city schools.
Newspaper Details
Northwest Arkansas Times
Fayetteville, Arkansas, US
Thu, Mar 14, 1940
Page 94
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
USA 15 Jul 2026
Other Publications Near Fayetteville, Arkansas
Fayetteville Democrat
Fayetteville Daily
Fayetteville Northwest Arkansas Times
Northwest Arkansas Times
Fayetteville Daily Democrat
