September 21 Edition

"3 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; 4 And patience, experience; and experience, hope: 5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us." --- Romans 5:3-5

Birthdays this week: Tony Atkins (Sept. 20), Paula Splawn (Sept. 21), Roseanne Golden and Linda Warner (Sept. 22), L. T. Marks and Barbara Chance (Sept. 23), Otis Clary, Melvin Jackson and Judy Simmons (Sept. 26).

We Eagles are saddened at the death of Katherine Childress Langford (NEHS'54). "Kitten" passed away at St. John's Place Nursing Home last Friday night and was buried at New Edinburg Cemetery this Tuesday morning. Please keep her husband Ted and his family in your thoughts and prayers.

Board members of the Southeast Arkansas Economic Development District met for their September meeting at the in New Edinburg Community Center last week.  A good crowd of mayors, county judges and business leaders form throughout Southeast Arkansas were in attendance.

From Schools of Cleveland County, Arkansas: Hollis Special School, located near Orlando, was constructed on land donated by Mr. and Mrs. J. H. Hollis in the summer of 1915. It was a two-story frame building with the auditorium located upstatirs. It had student desks where the seat for one student had a lift-top desk attached for the pupil behind him/her. Before the two-story building was constructed, Rucker C. Carmical taught at Hollis Special in 1912. From 1924 to 1926 Mrs. Iva Hicks Moseley taught there. Silas L. Woodward was principal and Miss Kathleen Ricks was primary teacher in the fall of 1928 and it had a budget of $446.06. For the fall and winter term of 1929-1930 Troy Tipton was principal and Miss Clarice Board was the primary teacher. At that point the school had an enrollment of 116 pupils. Tipton remained as principal and Miss Bessie Mosley was the primary teacher in the fall and winter of 1930-1931. In 1936 to 1937 Mr. and Mrs. Ray Carter taught there. Other teachers remember there wer Mary Belle Carter and Lucy Neal. At one time the school was located on the upper floor of the Masonic Lodge at Orlando.

Go Eagles.

September 15 Edition

“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10 KJV

Birthdays this week include Austin Grice (Sept. 13).

I hope each of you enjoyed this weekend's cooler weather as much as I did.

Jarrod Langford, home from JRMC after a terrible car wreck, has been re-admitted due to blood clots.

Greenland Church's Food Pantry will be open Tuesday September 22 from 11am until noon.

Two bald eagles were sighted here in town this weekend by Joel and Paul Miller. No, this is not a joke based on those boys' receding hairlines and where the went to school. I'm glad to know that our national and town bird is making a comeback.

From the book Schools of Cleveland County, Arkansas: Macedonia School began after Tucker School closed and people began moving out of the Saline River bottoms. Macedonia School was built on Highway 189 on land belonging to Will and Lizzie Bryant. Haywood Harrelson was the primary builder. In 1903 the old Ederington home was used as a school building. Mr. Henry Lash taught there for a three month term and was paid $100. Miss Nina Hicks and Miss Amy Butler were the teachers in 1927. In 1928 Macedonia School District had as its teachers Miss Clyde Thurman as principal and Miss Georgia Richardson as primary teacher. During the fall and winter term of 1929-1930 Miss Dollie Carter was principal and Mrs. Lois Harrelson Ruth was primary teacher. In 1930 the school had 50 students. During the fall and winter term of 1930-1931 Miss Hazel Valentine was principal and Miss Fannie J. Word was the primary teacher. In 1938 Martha Owens was the primary teacher. Others known to have taught at Macedonia were Miss Iva Hicks, Miss Thornton, Miss Mary Sue Haskins, Miss Dorothy Owens, Miss Frances Martindale and Miss Katie Lou Williams.

The school was divided into two rooms with each room having a cloakroom where students could put their coats, and lunches were often placed on a cloakroom shelf until lunchtime. First through third grades were in one room while grades four through six were in the other. The stage, only a few feet high, was in the largest room and had a blackboard for the use of the students. The desks were constructed in such a ways that three pupils sat in each one and each desk had a lift up top under which books were stored. The rooms were heated by a large iron stove in the center of the building and students were expected to aid in obtaining wood to burn. It was reported that pupils who got their clothing or feet wet on the way to school would get to sit by the stove and dry out. One girl reported that she deliberately put her foot in a mud puddle to get it wet so she could sit by the stove because it looked like so much fun. The school well, which was hand dug and covered by a lid, was located east of the building. After the school was consolidated in 1939, the building was torn down and the lumber was used to build a cafeteria at New Edinburg School.

Go Eagles.

September 5 Edition

“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10 KJV

Birthdays this week include: Royce Hall and Jennifer Parker Adams - Sept. 6, Vester Thompson - Sept. 9, Gina Hemphill and Charlene King - Sept. 10, Nita Beth Hall - Sept. 12.

Happy anniversary to Marvin and Princess Jackson - Sept. 7.

Darn little going on around here this week.

Jarrod Langford continues to be in critical condition at JRMC following his near fatal car accident a couple of weeks ago. Keep him and his family in your thoughts and prayers as he struggles back to health.

I entertain and educated you with a further entry from the Historical Society's book Schools of Cleveland County Arkansas: Hebron Special School was begun around 1921 or 1922 as a subscription school where parents had to pay one or two dollars a summer term for a student to attend. The public school started before the new Hebron School building was completed, so the pupils began the school year at Hebron Methodist Church. A curtain was hung between the two classes held there. One day Clyde Brazelton and Tommy Doss got into a fight, and as the fight continued, they tore down the curtain dividing the two classes. The teacher's desk from the Green Goose School was moved down to Hebron to be used. It had a lift top desk that allowed books to be stored below the desktop. Miss Anita Knowles recalled using the desk when she taught at Hebron. Students had tabletop desks with drawers to store their books. To construct the building, logs were cut from the area and hauled th Hamilton's sawmill near Cranes' Lake where the lumber was planed. The lumber was hauled back to build the school. Mr. Tate McGhee led a drive to raise enough money along with other donations to purchase desks and other materials needed to furnish the school. There were two rooms at first that were separated by a partition that could be removed when there was a program and the stage in the larger room was needed. Later a third room was built on the side. The partition between the rooms was made of wood and so heavy that is took several large boys to raises it. Each room had a cloak room. Students supplied their own books and used McGuffey's Reader, the Blue Back Speller and Ray's Arithmetic.

In 1928 Miss Mattie McCoy was principal at Hebron and Miss Katie Varnell was primary teacher. At that time the school had a budget of $470.82. For the fall and winter term of 1929-1930 teachers were Mrs. Julia Biggers, principal, Miss Mary Rhodes, intermediate, and Miss Erma Rodgers, primary. In November 1929 it was reported in the Cleveland County Herald that the school had a White House relic, a piece of timber from the President's mansion that had been presented to the school by Mrs. Julia Biggers (note: it would be nice to know if this relic still exists today and where it might be - JCB). It had two large cloakrooms with a small library between them. One room had a porch where the water bucket was placed. The school had its own well, the remains of which are still discernible today (2010). In its early days the school had an enrollment of around 100 pupils. In 1930 it had a total of 80 students with 55 in the first six grades and 25 in grades 7 through 10. The teachers in the fall and winter terms of 1930-31 were Fred Nutt, principal, Miss Beatrice Hornady, intermediate teacher, and Mrs. Fred Nutt, primary teacher. Miss Mary Ella Lash, later Mrs. Barney Atkins, taught at Hebron in 1932. She taught the older pupils which ended with the 10^th grade. Miss Anita Knowles taught at Hebron from 1932 to 1934. The first year she taught, Fred Nutt was principal and Claude Johnson the next year. In 1939 Hebron School received $300 in county school funds. Among other teachers remembered there were Lela Mitchell Miller, Miss Bertha McCoy, Miss Bess Lowe, Miss Blanche Thompson, Troy Tipton, Miss Erma Rodgers, Erma Waddell, Misses Jewell and Mary Wallace, Randolph Ellis, Helen Campbell Elliss, Florence Raymer, Louise Herne, Carrie Hamil and Mrs. Haskins. The county school census in 1937 showed the Hebron had 88 students. The last year of Hebron School was 1941-42, and then the district was divided into two parts with the students north and west of the school going to Kingsland and those south and east of the school going to New Edinburg.

Go Eagles.

August 31 Edition

^"4 And even to your old age I am he; and even to hoar hairs will I carry you: I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you."  --- Isaiah 46:4

Happy birthday this week to: Mark Schienle - August 30, Becky Morgan Cheney and Lynette McCallister - September 1, Don Pennington - September 2, Jennifer Parker - September 6.

NEVFD very quickly converted its new acquisition over to a tanker truck last week.

The benefit for LaVetrice Gill last Saturday drew a small crowd who had a good time. West Saline Community Center has been forced to post the school property with No Trespassing signs due to a small few who are abusing the property after hours.

The Trammell Family reunion will be at the New Edinburg Community Center this Saturday from 10am to 2pm.

Jarrod Langford is in serious condition but recovering from a severe car wreck a week ago this Monday. He's at JRMC and has had at least two surgeries.

Greenland Baptist Church Food Pantry will be open next Tuesday, Sept. 8, from 11am to noon.

More history from the Historical Society's Schools of Cleveland County Arkansas: Stonewall School was located on the south side of Highway 8, about two miles from Mt. Lebanon Church. Stonewall was constructed to serve also as a church and a club room. Lena Rutledge, who boarded with the Herman Word family, taught at Stonewall, and Bro. M. M. Whayne, a Baptist preacher and Civil War veteran from Kingsland, occasionally led serves at the school on Sunday. Thomas Hoy, Mr. Offutt, Hoy’s brother-in-law, Nat Moseley and Monroe Smith led in getting the building constructed. In the 1930 Cleveland County School Report, Stonewall School had 45 students and one teacher. Trell Haynie taught there in 1928, 1929 and 1930. At that time Stonewall had 26 students. She later taught at Kingsland after Stonewall consolidated with Kingsland.

Stonewall school had a pot-bellied stove to heat the one-room school. Clyde Moseley said Mabel Stone was his first teacher and Baby Ray was his first grade book from which reading was taught. Before the consolidation, Marks or David Attwood of New Edinburg ran a so-called school bus that he had built from New Edinburg to Kingsland for those who wanted to graduate from the 12^th grade. Attwood would stop at the intersection of today’s Hwy 8 and Hwy 97 and pick up the Stonewall students who also wanted to go to Kingsland. The bus had a capacity of about 20 students, and it cost $5 a month for students to ride the bus. After Stonewall School was consolidated with Kingsland, the school ran a small school bus to pick up the students.

Please feel free to share items of interest with this column by Monday morning for inclusion in that week's paper.  This column appears on the internet (whenever I get around to posting it) at http://WeAreTheEagles.blogspot.com. Go Eagles.

Agust 24 Edition

“Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.” Isaiah 26:3 KJV

Birthdays this week include: Leslie Beverage - August 24, Shirlene Jackson - August 26, Marshall Wilson and Jackson Perry - August 29, Mark Shienle - August 30.

Remember the family of Ann Gilbert, as she passed away last week after years of illness.

Torrent rains bring a lot of rain over the past 5 or 6 days with different reports of 2 to 3 inches. It's much needed and we could use some more.

New Edinburg Fire Department purchased a used military tow truck for... get this... $218. This is a vehicle that the military originally purchased for $130,000. The plan is to move the water tank off the old tanker truck onto the bed of this one.

The Thompson Reunion last Saturday drew about 70 family members despite the weather. We had a good time, ate good food, and caught up with each other. Next year's reunion will again be at the New Edinburg Community Center.

West Saline Community Center will hold a benefit for LaVetrice Gill who is battling cancer. This will be in the old school cafeteria this Saturday night from 7pm until midnight. While no food will be served, there will be a DJ and all donations for the cause will be greatly appreciated.

More school history courtesy of Schools of Cleveland County Arkansas: Boyd Special School was near Tipton, west of New Edinburg, and was also used as a church by the Methodists and Church of God. In 1928 Orie Stone was principal and Miss Mabel Stone was primary teacher. In October 1928 it had a budget of $198.24. In the Fall and Winter of 1929-1930 and 1930-1931 the teachers were Miss Ora Stone, principal, and Miss Mabel Stone, primary teacher. In 1930 it had an enrollment of 47 pupils. It later consolidated with New Edinburg School.

Vance School was begun near Tipton in the 1800s and was one of the early schools in the area. In 1899, Jewell Rice taught there. Professor T. J. Harrison was teaching at Vance School House near New Edinburg in November 1903. Later the school name was changed to Mt. Lebanon.

Thanks to the Historical Society for providing this information.

Thank you for the positive feedback about these excerpts in specific and this column in general. If you have stuff you want in this column, please get it to me before Monday for inclusion in that week's column.  This column will appear on the internet at http://WeAreTheEagles.blogspot.com.  Go Eagles.