Greene County Arkansas

Paragould, Arkansas

Centennial Edition Section 2

 Monday, August 29, 1983, Paragould Daily Press                                                                                                                     Section 2, Centennial Edition - 17

=============================================================================================================

"Schools in Paragould"

 

top left photo:
Miller School, 1920 or 1921, teachers Vester A. Phillips and Harry Day

In 1891, Professor R.S. Thompson ( at extreme left in photo) moved his Thompson Classical Institute from Alamo, Tenn., to Paragould. Located on the southeast corner of Court and Third, his school provided firm discipline and the only secondary education available in the area for several years. Paragould did not graduate its first high school class until 1903. Thompson closed his school that same year when his health failed. Standing next to Thompson in the photograph is another pioneer educator, George Hopkins.

Photo courtesy: Mary Keasler
~~~~~~
East Side, later named Elmwood

Photo courtesy: Dr. C.W. Starnes
~~~~~~
North End had its own school before District 83 consolidated with Paragould.

Photo courtesy: Zula Loften		   West Side also housed the city''s first public high school. This building burned about 1918 and a new high school -- now the middle school -- was built on its site in 1925.

Photo courtesy: Dr. C.W. Starnes
~~~~~~~

South Side, later named L. W. Baldwin
~~~~~~~~

top right photo:
This may be Paragould's earliest public school. Architecturally similar to the school at the left, it either underwent major remodeling or was replaced by copy-cat construction. The photo is thought to have been taken about 1892.

Photo courtesy: Harley Woodside
~~~~~~
After the new high school was built on the old West Side site, the west side elementary school was renamed Woodrow Wilson and located in the remodeled high school building, which had been built in 1909.

 

 

Transcribed from the 1983 Centennial Edition by : PR Massey

Return to Greene County, Arkansas Centennial Edition

Return to Greene County, Arkansas Newspapers

Return to Greene County, Arkansas Index Page

© 2011PR Massey