Schools

Photos and Links
Barrens School, submitted by Leah Bradford Black.
The Barrens Community was in or near the Choctaw Area. This is a picture of Miss Guynith Gooden (Bradford) and her students in front of a one-room schoolhouse in the Barrens community in the 1930's or early forties. I don't know the names of the students but I think some of them are probably children of the Odus Smith and Fate Moore families. Possibly, one of them is Emma Sue (Molly) Moore Hurley, and another Oma Rea Smith Jones who still live around Clinton.
Miss Gooden was my mother, who later married Everett Bradford of Eglantine and lived in Clinton for over 40 years. Mr. Bradford was Van Buren County School Supervisor from 1948 until 1964. The Bradfords moved to Texas in 1982, and since have both died.
Bee Branch Seminary, submitted by Vicky Dennis
Bee Branch Seminary was built ca 1890 and was located about 100 years east of Hwy 65 at Bee Branch, AR.
This came from a friend who said she was given this picture and information on it from a son of #7 in the back row. From what I have been told this picture is of the old Bee Branch Seminary School that was on College Street. Today, in 2005, the Street is named Happy Holler.
Blue Star School, pictures submitted by Sandra Nichols. Text submitted by Virginia Campbell.
The school is located 3 miles East of Shirley on Highway 16 on a gravel road which leads to Poe's Ranch and Middle Fork of Little Red River. The book- Early Schools in Arkansas on page 169 states that the school was originally called "The Lone Star Mountain School", but it burned in 1911 and was replaced with an almost identical building with a blue star painted on the front gable.
Blue Star School, text submitted by Virginia Campbell.
The following information was taken from a Van Buren History of Schools, deed records and Campbell family information:
About 1897, Elijah C. Campbell, who had a homestead in Section 32 and who had married Cindella Weaver, daughter of Joshua Weaver, and Jim Buck Bradford, who had married Cindella Weaver Campbell's niece, Lewis Bradford and several other members of the Community decided they needed a school. Elijah, who was elected as one of the members of the original school board, donated one half acre of his farm land to be used as school property. Jim Buck and Lewis Bradford donated an additional half acre of land to use as school property, so the community would have one full acre of land to use for the school. A George M. Elliott drew up a plan for the school and all the community members donated material and labor for the construction of the new school. The building was tall with a pitched roof. A beautiful carved star was placed high on the front gable, nailed there by the builders and founders, who were members of the Masons, an organization which has a star as part of it's order. Elijah and Cindella Weaver Campbell had five children in 1897 who later enjoyed attending the Blue Star School which was located across the road from their home.
The last time I saw the school in the early 1990's it was being used as a hay barn.
Elijah Campbell or "Lige" as he was called by family and friends was my husband's grandfather. He died in 1932 in Plumerville, Arkansas.
Brushy Creek School, 1896, submitted by Cathy Duvall.
Brushy school was located about 6 miles north and west of Scotland on South Fork Little Red River. Was first known as Walnut Grove School and later as Old Brushy.
Back row: Nettie Henley, Bill Henley, Dollie Koone, Hattie Lowder, Daniel Koone, Geogia Henley, Jim Henley.
Second row: Levi Lowder, Ruthie Koone, Laura Kilpatrick, Nicie Koone, Jessie Koone(teacher) Joe Henley.
Seated: Jim Furr, Maggie Horn, Mary Jane Cousey, Martha Emerson, Andy Koone, Cora Henley, George Koone, Leona Emerson, Oscar Henley.
8th Grade Students, 1940-1941, submitted by Wendy Maxey.
I am thinking it is probably a school in Choctaw, Van Buren County, AR.
My mother, Martha Belle (Suggs) Garrett is located in the front row, fifth student in. On the back of the picture are names of most of the students. They are as follows:
Back Row - Bobby Joe Landford, Carl Quattlebaum, Jack Evans, William Guiling, Wildon Gilliams, Chris Halbrook
Middle Row - Catherine Guiling, Mary Lea Bishop, Elaine Corn, Mary Emma McKuins, Jesse Faye Smith, Emma Underwood, Mary Alice Robertson, Billy M. Rogers, Johnny L. Rogers, Opal Estella Smith, Betty Patterson, Mrs. Lula Gooden (Teacher)
Front Row - None listed.
Choctaw School Reunions
Choctaw Squaws, Girls Basketball Team, submitted by Jamie Burnett
There is no year listed on the photo but is probably 1930.
Shown from left to right are: Claudia Ward - run center, Nancie Shannon - run center, Inez Rogers - forward, sub-captain, Irma Halbrook -forward, captain, Dora Smith - j. center, substitute, Lola Bates - guard, Bethel White - guard, Bernice (last name illegible) - center, Miss Sara (last name illegible) - coach.
Choctaw School Senior Class of 1930, submitted by Jamie Burnett.
Back row (l to r): Penzel Emerson, Irma Halbrook, Naucie Shannon, Inez Rogers
Center row (l to r): Eva Goates, Eula Fullerton, Carmen Trawick, Flossie Cooper, Jessie Peck
Front row (l ro r): Cecil McCormac (teacher), Curtis Bull, Verna Logan, Herschel Burnett, Leonard Kidd
Not pictured: Carl Gunn, William Gordon, Pearl Miller.
Claud School, 1902, submitted by Guy W. Guiling.
My father, Golden M. Guiling, is sitting on the ground above the small arrow at the very bottom of the picture.
Can you identify more of these folks?
Culpepper Mountain School, submitted by Mary Bostian.
Culpepper Mt. School began ca 1885 and was at four different locations before consolidating with Clinton Schools in 1948.
Culpepper Mountain School School ca 1911
top left Lizzie Miller, second from right on top Belle Miller.
Culpepper Mountain Band, ca 1917, submitted by Mary Bostian.
Left to right: John Taylor, Roy Smith, Sam Hardin, Will Bowling, Lee Unknown, Sam Unknown, Fred Unknown, Edgar Thompson, Omer Merryman, Unknown, Fred Unknown.
Eglantine School
1917 Formosa School Group, submitted by Mary Bostian. Belle Miller back row in dark dress.
Formosa High School Girls Basketball Team 1929-1930
Glayds Gardener - Coach, Verda Mae Crownover, Hazel Morgan, Ollie Bowling, Mildred Evans, Edith Brown, Hilda Stobaugh, Iida Ledford, Vangie Gilliam, Elza Honeycutt, Pansy Barnes, Glenna Mayhan.
1931 Formosa Elementry Class, Teacher-Miss Warbritten
Barton Crownover, Don Brown, Truit Goatcher, Junior Hammett, Hubert Williams, Marie Lindell Needham, Lon McCuin, Lyle Huie, Norman George, Dick McCuin, Wayne Mackey, George T. Honeycutt, Maudie Chew, Arlene Bowling, Doris Brown, Arlene Winningham, (top of head) Athelene Hazel Martin, Kathryn Bradley, Jewell Waddell, Lois Turney, Macel Hammett, Johnnie Malone, Leo Wright, Garner Cates, Chester Martin Hayes Bowling.
Giddens School 1909 or earlier, picture submitted by Genia as an unidentified Van Buren Co school.
Information submitted by Kathy - According to the book "Early schools of Van Buren Co. 1850-1950 by Van Buren Co Historical Society" pages 155-156 is Giddens School 1911, names unknown. The school was established 1891, land donated by A.R. Giddens. The one room school no longer stands on Lute Mountain road four and one half miles from Shirley, AR. Can anyone help with names?

More Information submitted by Linda Maxey Prater - "listed under old schools on the Van Buren County site, there is a picture of Giddens School 1911. I do not think this is a picture of a school group. Maybe they held chruch services there. Too many adults to be teachers for a school so small and also some of the children are too young to be in school.
In the back row of adults - the second man from the left is William Joshua Maxey - he died in Oklahoma in 1909 so the date would have had to be prior to 1911. William was a coal miner not a teacher. So perhaps some of the children are his children, some could be Hensley's as he married Francis Anna Hensley."
Gravel Hill School, submitted by Norman Guiling
This is a picture of Gravel Hill School at Beveragetown, which my Father Golden M. Guiling donated 5 acres to the Beverage Town School District for the School. The siding was not on the original building but was added later. I believe the building is still standing but has been used as a storage place for a nearby house and it is in very poor condition. The second picture was made on a different date.
Gravel Hill School, submitted by Norman Guiling.
Hillcrest School 1920's-40's, submitted by Wanda Carey.
Can you tell us more about this school?
Holly Mountail School, 1908, submitted by Beverly Berry.
Can you identify any of these people?
Low Gap School House, submitted by Beverly Berry.
Low Gap School House, submitted by Beverly Berry.
and some of it's folks. Can you identify them?
Mountain View School, 1913, submitted by Wanda Carey
South of Junction 16-330 Near Shirley, Arkansas.
I got this picture from Wyndell Mauldin several years ago. He also listed the names he knew.
Tall boy by the door is Wayne Bradford.
2nd row left to right. older girl Eunice Privitt, Iris Privitt, Rosa Huggins, Edna Bradford, Stella Bradford, Annie Gaddy, Myrtle Bradley =(Mert Harper), Anna Williams, Effie (Tinscum)?, Teacher Connie West, Hand on chest Zetah Bradford, 8th from left standing Beaulah Bradford.
Sand Springs School, submitted by Alice Burroughs Shipley.
"Sand Springs School, east of Gravesville, near Quitman, was built before 1900 on land donated by John LeHeigh....In 1949 Sand Springs consolidated with South Side School near Bee Branch...."
"The schoolhouse was one large room with wood burning stove. Miss Sudie Spires of Damacus was one of the firt teachers. She lived with the Jim Davis family of Gravesville. She walked to school and built a fire in the stove. There were about eighty students. She taught two months in winter and two months in summer for $40.00 each month. Mrs. Alzora Davis Burroughs, age 90, related this information to Marie Hutto."
Sand Springs School, submitted by Alice Burroughs Shipley.
Scotland School, submitted by Norman Guiling.
Scotland Gym, submitted by Norman Guiling.
Snowlick Mountain School

Photo of the last Snowlick (Snowlic) Mountain School building as it stands today. Respecting the no trespassing signs, I took the photo from the road, County Road 70. This building is one mile east of the Pope/Van Buren County Line and is on the east side of Snowlick Mountain. We don't have a whole lot of information on the Snowlic Community, anyone have a story or anecdote to share? Please email me from the main page. Photo taken Nov 15, 2008 by Dennis Earle.
Southside High Class of 1944, submitted by L. Sims.
My grandparents were Charles Arthur Chrisco, b. July 18, 1878 in Mississippi and Henrietta Shilling born, March 2, 1888 in Cedar Creek Community, Conway County, Arkansas. They lived in Martinville, Sulfur Springs, Centerville and Damascus.
Graduates are left to right- top: Reba Mae Allison; Dales Griggs, Pres.; Fannie Bailey, Vice-Pres.;W.E. Castleberry, Supt.; Meridith Landers, Sponsor;Betty Jo Fullerton, Sec-Treas.; Winnie Bell Johnson, Reporter; Reba Nell Johnson, Salutatory;
2nd roll - Avanell Chrislo (This is my mom. Didn't realize her name had been mispelled until I started trying to read the other names. Here name is Avanelle CHRISCO.) Wenonah Collums; Lucille Fullerton; Nellie Gifford.
3rd roll - Mildred Hall; Wesley Hutchins, Seth Hutto, Geraldine Joyner; Dale Joyner; Ova Lee Jones, Valodictory; Winnie Faye Odom;Donnell Odom. 4th roll - Christine Payne; Lyla Prescott; Maxine Hutto; Vaulda Lee Skinner; Mildred Cossey; Lorene Williams; Hazel Williams.
Stony Point School 1917-1918, submitted by Mary Bostian.
Stony Point school was built in the early 1900s and was located on the southwestern point of Culpepper Mtn.
Consilidated with Formosa Schools in 1929.
Walnut Grove School, 1916, submitted by Shirley Clark Coyle.
Walnut Grove school was built in 1915 at the site of the Hogan school (between Scotland and Clinton). Picture taken by John Skidmore.
Yehouse or Yellow Bank School, submitted by Charles Stuart, Cleburne County Historical Society.
A visitor to the Cleburne County Historical Society submitted a picture labeled "Yehouse Bank School". She thinks some of the people lived in the Central community area, just over the line in Van Buren county from Quitman in Cleburne County.
Have you ever heard of Yehouse School? (2/5/08-have been told it was Yellow Bank School).
Note the names listed under the picture - appears to have been taken around 1903-04?
Unknown School of Van Buren County, submitted by Alice Burroughs Shipley.
This unknown school picture was in Julia McClue Jordan's things. She is a grandmother to my husband. At the bottom of the picture it says J.H. Scroggin Photographer. She used to live in the Scotland Formosa area.