Chapter Twenty-Four

Early Education and Schools - Prior to 1930

By: Mary Martin

Page 426-431

August 24, 1924, the issue of the paper carried this article:

"VISTING SCHEDULE ANNOUNCED: Visits planned by the County Superintendent. Please save:
Sunday night, August 24, speak at Buffalo.
Monday, August 25, visit Buffalo, Elbow and Rea Valley. Speak at Rea Valley.
Tuesday, August 26, visit Buffa-Cove and Hurst. Speak at Hurst that night.
Wednesday, August 27, visit Hamlet, and Pleasant Ridge. Speak at Pleasant Ridge that night.
Thursday, August 28, in office at Yellville until noon. Visit and speak at Cantrell.
Friday, August 29, Institute at Flippin. All nearby schools dismiss for the day and attend the Institute. Pupils and patrons are urged to attend. The afternoon program of games is given elsewhere in this paper.
Saturday, August 30, in office in Yellville.
Sunday, August 31, speak at Markle, either morning or night, as community desires.
Monday, September 1, visit Markle and No. 18, Keesee. Speak at No. 18 that night.
Tuesday, September 2, visit Jay Bird. Speak that night.
Wednesday, September 3, visit Locust and Possum Trot. Speak at Possum Trot that night.
Thursday, September 4, Friday, September Sand
Saturday, September 6, Institute at Peel. Nearby schools dismiss Thursday and Friday.
Sunday, September 7, speak that night at Keesee, District No. 38, next to Missouri State Line.
Monday, September 8, visit No. 38; at Hide Out that night;
Tuesday, September 9, visit Hide Out and Yocham, No. 70. Speak at No.70 that night.
Wednesday, September 10, visit Pritchard and speak at night.
Thursday, September 11, visit Gobbler's Scratch and Last Chance, No. 55. Speak at Last Chance that night.
Friday, September 12, visit Jones School, No.68 across the river; return to Yellville.
Saturday, September 13, County Board meets. Please do not ask to see County Superintendent. He will have two weeks' mail on his desk and the most important meeting of the County Board for the entire year.
The following week the County Superintendent will be at Fayetteville and Fort Smith on business until Saturday, September 30, when he will be in his office again."

Another interesting article found in the files of THE MOUNTAIN ECHO dated September 28, 1924, follows:

"Saturday the County Board cleaned up the money on hand and apportioned to the districts every cent that the Board was able. Each child enumerated will receive $4.25. It was found a few districts had enumerated children in other districts. In such cases the money will be paid to the district the child belongs to. In cutting down the County Department expenses so closely, the County Board hopes the different districts will spend their money on the schools and not to try to carry any of the funds over with the expectation of voting a low tax next spring.

Transfers were granted to the following petitioners: C.A. Still, Freck; John Rea, Flippin; R. B. Williams, Flippin; G. H. Morton, Eros; J. C. Webb, Eros; Tom Keeter, Freck; Jim Brown, Dodd City; and Gordon Keeter was transferred from Duren Valley, but not his wife.

The County Board voted not to spend any money on a county circulating library.

Possum Trot in the last election voted "No Tax". The following electors have petitioned the County Levying Court to levy a 10-mill tax; H. J. Rogers, 0. E. Stinnett, Jerry Upshaw, Charles Pruett, Lester Rogers, John Upshaw, F. J. Stinnett, Charley Roger, Claud Rogers, Pate Dixinson, Amos Clarkson, San Hawkins, Henry Luellen. This is a majority of the electors living in the district.

The Gobblers Scratch district failed to hold a school meeting in the spring. All but two electors within this district, Marion Ashmead and Walter Ashmead, have petitioned for a 12-mill tax to be levied against all property within the district. These signing the petition are: J. H. Campbell, G. W. Miller, Pate Wilkinson, Elmo King, Kirk King, John Campbell, T. L. Morrison, D. W. Kelley, J. M. Crews, G. W. McKinney, and G. W. Dodson. County Judge Bob Berry drew up this petition and deserves much credit for its successful circulation.

Malidda voted ten to nothing to consolidate with Cave Bottom. Cave Bottom voted unanimously for the consolidation, it is reported.

The petition to dissolve the Wild Cat district and add the territory to the new consolidated district and Kingdon Springs was approved by the County Board. Wild Cat is No. 13, one of the oldest districts in the county. Every patron, it seems, signed the petition. The Wild Cat house will be left for church purposes.

Kingdon Springs voted Saturday to move their school downtown. The old building will be torn down and a new school rebuilt. Every patron voted for the move, proposed by County Superintendent weeks ago.

Friday morning the County Superintendent returned from the northwest part of the county. This week he visited the following schools: Turnbo, Hide Out, Yocham, Pritchard, Gobbler's Scratch, Chigger Hill or Oak Hill, Jones School, Peel and Locust. Thursday night he spoke at Dodd City.

Organizations pertaining to the improvement and support of our schools have been in existence for many years. The forerunner to the PTA (which we still have) was the SIA which stood for School Improvement Association. It operated somewhat like the PTA does today with probably more enthusiasm. Remember, the church and the school were the chief means of entertainment and communication.

At the time the high schools over the county were being formed, there was a requirement of an eighth grade examination given by the County Superintendent. If the grades were passing, a pupil was allowed to enter the ninth grade. Otherwise, he repeated the eighth.

Throughout the history of schools, competition in sports has been a major attraction to the greater percentage of high school students. The major sport in Marion County since the early 1920's has been basketball. Outdoor courts for basketball were used until the schools began to improve and interested patrons could find a means of building gymnasiums.

Transportation from one school in the county to another was by any type the group could get. Some communities were fortunate enough to hire the owner of a 1 1/2 ton truck to take the teams to games. However, if these motor vehicle owners were unable to make the trip and the destination was out of walking range, the horses were hitched to two-seated hacks. These vehicles were loaded with all who could hang on but what fun those youngsters had traveling from, perhaps, Bruno to Zinc. This traveling by hack and open trucks was always "air-conditioned" even in zero weather. The pupils were sturdy and withstood the trips. The games were played in the afternoons with at least one team happy-sometimes one school would win all the games that day.

The parents built up a great interest in the games and, if possible, every one went along to the games. Most families were large and often had two, three or four players. Mrs. Ethel Ham (now 96 years of age) tells of having four daughters playing at one time. They were Pearl, Opal, Erma, and Ruby.

Each school had team names: AGGIES from Bruno; PANTHERS from Yellville; PIRATES from Pyatt; CARDINALS and BULLDOGS from Flippin. Each school has trophies won in some county, district or, perhaps, state tournament.

Some players remembered from the 1920's are: From Bruno: Bernice Pope, Norma Burns, Doris Wilson, Ruby Ester, Lola Thompson, Grace McClain, Dorothy Keeter, Johnie Pyle, Ruby, Opal, Pearl, and Erma Elam, Hugh Wilson, Everett Burns, Lester Burns, Rual Keeter, Hoyte Pyle, Howard Wilson and Raymond McNair; From Pyatt: Cinderella Tippit, Beulah Treadway, Hilton, Halpain, Fred Lowry, R. A. Milum, Berry Mellon, and Fred Stevens; From Yellville: Florene Layton, Virginia Hayes, Mary Alice ESter, Fern Angel, Clyde Angel, Lyon Wood, Vena Covey, Roland Williams, George Hand,Boss Hudson, Oscar Mellon, Ewell (Rabbit) Adams, and Ulis Wood; From Flippin: Zena Huddleston, Inez Henry, Eula Keeter, Artha Barnett, Mary Linck, Elsie McCracken, Winnie Erwin, Pauline Marshal, Alsie Pierce, Esther Mean, Doyne Hunt, Clyde Estes, Russell Keeter, Matt Linck, Mark Linck, Lowell Wooton, Guy Rose and Leo Morris.

In the March 13, 1930, issue of the MOUNTAIN ECHO under the front page headline: Flippin Again Wins In District.

"In one of the most successful district basketball tournaments ever held since the organization of this association, the Flippin Cardinals played their way to their third championship in as many years, on Friday night, Saturday and Saturday night of last week in Flippin High School gymnasium. Nine teams were entered. The tournament was in direct charge of W. F. Slagle of Alpena Pass, President of the Association. Mr. R.L. Caylor of Jonesboro College refereed all the games. (Here are the scores shown at length) Scotland 28-Formosa 27; Eureka Springs 16-Cotter 8; Flippin 54-Oxford 4; Yellville 39-Melbourne 17; Scotland 14-Pyatt 45; Flippin 87-Eureka Springs 3; Cotter 15-Oxford 8; Melbourne 25-Formosa 24; Yellville 34- Pyatt 27; Eureka Springs 26-Cotter 28; Scotland 16-Pyatt 41; Pyatt 59- Cotter 3; Finals Flippin 30-Yellville 7. After final game Referee Caylor selected the first and second all-district teams. First Team-Henry and Huddleston, Flippin, forwards; Hilton, Pyatt, jump center; Angel, Yellville side center; Linck, Flippin and Treadway, Pyatt, guards. Second Team-Keeter, Flippin and Layton, Yellville, forwards; Halpain, Pyatt, side center, Covey, Yellville, jump center; Casinger, Scotland, and E. White, Yellville, guards. These excellent ball players didn't just arise from "nowhere". They were well-coached by school people who were not only interested in winning games but also in building character for the future. Many, many extra hours were spent with these young people. So let us remember Beulah Thompson and J. B. Ewart from Bruno; Dolph Elam and Thurman Lancaster from Pyatt; P. V. Blankenship and Ed Carson from Yellville; and G. B. Keeter from Flippin, as being builders for our Marion County Schools."