4A The Mountain Messenger, Thursday, November 8, 1990
Jonathan Wright got the assignment to write about the
old Kellison Mountain School (see page l-A) in the northern
part of Greenbrier County. Poor ,Jonathan, he thought he
was going to the ends of the earth when he travelled the
rutted mountain roads to the old school site the other day.
Be sure to read Jonathan's personal account of the trip to
KeUison Mountain in his Wright To The Point" today, ff you
haven't done so already.
We first learned of the school from the February 1937
edition of The West Virginia School Journal --- "Official or-
gan of the West Virginia State Education Association." In
that 1937 publication, an unknown writer said that there
were 1376 log school buildings in West Virginia in 1882.
The writer went on to say the State Superintendent of
Schools issued a report saying the last log school was aban-
doned in 1908 --- he wanted to make sure the public knew
we were on the road to modernism.
Well, Herbert M. Harr, assistant superintendent of Green-
brier County Schools in 1937 blew the State Super's story --
Mr Harr was quoted as saying tile Kellison Mountain School
(which Incidentally carried his name) was "...erected only
four years ago [1933] and is modern in design and equip-
ment."
Mr Harr said "rhe construction of this building furnishes
a fine example of co6peration. The patrons cut the logs,
hewed [stet] them, and did the construction work." The
Board of Education got off rather easy by furnishing part of
the materials and paying for the labor.
One of the most telling statements in the Journal was this
short paragraph: "The assistant superintendent reports that
good work is being done in this school. For the third month
this year, tile school led the county in percentage of atten-
dance with a record of I00 percent."
Now, I wonder. What ff a couple of families lived in a re-
mote part of Greenbrier County today and decided the travel
time was too long for their children to attend a more popu-"
lated area's school? Perhaps they might determine the win-
ter travel would be too dangerous?
Could there be such an agreement today with the Board
of Education? Could/would the parents build a school for
their children? Would our state laws now permit such action
to take place?
Mountain people throughout the world are known for
their fierce independent spirit and West Virginians certainly
are no exception. Independence. I think, is one of our great-
est treasures -- only ff it is used to benefit the commonweal.
Do you think we'll ever see .the day of the one-room log
school, and everything It implies, again?
-- Chas A. Goddard
\
I
Remember
Our Veterans
The Mountain Messenger
STAFF
Chas. A. Goddard, Editor
Dotty Brackcnrich, Office Manager * 122 N. Court Street
Troy Forrcn, Advertising Lewisburg, WV 24901
Tcrri Boone, Advertising
tlelcn Scark:, Advertising 304/64%5724
Betty Morgan, Ad I)csign Published c','c~ Thursday
Matt L,m'ldcrs, Ad i)esign
Jonathan Wright, Staff Writer
Lou [turroughs, Typesetting
13rcnda Ghcrman, Production
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Big issues, some age-old, face us today.
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grow and learn.
To the point
By
This job takes me to some inter-
csting places, but absolutely no-
where like where I went last Friday.
What 1 had expected would require
only a couple of hours ended up tak-
ing over five. It was a rare opportu-
nity I'm glad I didn't pass up,
though.
Several weeks ago a 1937 edition
of The West Virginia School Journal
found its way to the Mountain
Messenger offices, and inside was a
provocative story about a one-room
log schoolhouse on Kellison Moun-
tain in northern Greenbrier County.
My research at the Board of Educa-
tion offices began--and ended--with
administrative secretary Chris Al-
tizer. When I asked her if she had
any records on the history of the
school, she said she believed one of
her aunts taught them. As it turns
out, both of them did, ,and the photo
accompanying the story pictured
Chris' Aunt Pansy and the Hart
School student body--all 12 of them.
It was a happy coincidence which
made tracking down the history of
the school much easier.
Eventually Chris and I were able
. to co6rdinate a time when she, her
aunts, and l could ride up the moun-
tain to the school in her uncle Joe
tlarrison's truck. Pansy was unable
to go, but Mrs buell, Chris, and the
Harrisons and I piled into the truck
at Renick and took off on one of the
trips of a lifetime for me.
I have been to remote places, but
nothing prepared me for the isolation
of this place. A growing feeling of in-
credulity crept over me the farther
we traveled from
tured the place not tool
from Auto. The paved:
ally gave way to gravel,
yet on and on we
an hour we finally
side road, which was
ruts at least a foot dee
the mud had dried, and
skillfully kept the tires
It was only Mrs
trip to the school since
there 50 years ago, and
brother had a
old landmarks.
lived in houses we
where certain roads
how tall the trees had
countless other
showed their love of thisfl
When we finall
mountaintop and
quieting experience
old schoolhouse for
traveling 90 n-dnutes
wealth of detail
"ally there, looking at
eyes. I felt fortunate.
one of very few persons ~
made the difficult trip
mountain to visit the
made me appreciate
of Mrs Fuell. her sister,
ers who taught ther
lengths they went to
share their knowledge
these children.
I doubt I'll have
riences which can
visit to the old llal-r
Journalism may
the rewards are
Past-due real estate loans
Map shows real estate loans held by banks that are 90 days
past due as a percent of all real estate loans. As of June 30,
El 2%or El a-/.otn r
Mont.
Alaska Hawaii
Value of past-due real estate loans
Held by banks, at the end of
each calendar year.
In bilUuns. $16.7 $16.1
$9.4 $8.1 $8.2
'82 '83 '84 '85 '86 '87 '88 '89
SOURCE: FDtC
\
By U.S. Senator Robert
Region of odgin for the over l milUon irmrtigrants admilt to lhe Untted
States in 1989.
North America
Asia
, Includes 346,000 resident
[ ] 312,200 Mexicans legalized under
Central America 1986 Immigration Act
I ,o ,ooo ....... .....
Europe "" ", ' "¢ -'- i¥" ",-,-.
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N. A erica'2a : urope Asia
SS,soo c. ( " !(:)ceania
Oceania '-/
4,400
Map tI1ow where legal kmlltgrants to the U.SJleUi in 1988,
El under .ooo OI ,00o'3,o0o IJ
Alaska Hawaii
SOURCE: U.S. Immigration and
Naturalization ,~r wee
Dear Editor:
Cold nights and cool sunny
days signal the coming of the
Holiday Season and the joys it
brings. It also signals the ap-
pearance of the familiar Bell
Ringers Salvation Army Kettle
Program at our local malls and
shopping centers. This once-a-
year fund raising eH'ort provides
the resources to keep the Spirit
of Chrishnas of helping our
friends and neighbors through
tough times going throughout
the year.
The Greenbrier Valley Chapter
of the Salvation Army is asking
for members of local civic
groups, clubs and organizations
to vohmtcc~ to ring the bell this
season. We will be ringing this
year at Aides (Red Oaks Shop-
ping Center} and at LA Joes
(Greenbrier Valley Mall) on Fri-
day evenings and Saturdays. The
scheduled dates are November
30 and December 1. December 7
and 8 and December 14 and 15.
AIW groups or individuals wish-
ing to participate should call Al-
lan Clower, Linda Perslnger or
Frank Lewis at 647-7476, If not
available, please leave your
name and telephone number.
Lets all pitch in to make this
years Bell Ringing a great suc-
cess.
Frank Lewis
Rupert
Dear Editor:
Please find enclosed a check
to cover postage and your
trouble to send me the Old
Hillsboro Store article in the 10/
18/90 issue.
Archle.Walker, pictured in the
article, is my father. I grew up
next door and helped him and
my grandfather in the store.
Now. I want to send these ar-
ticles to my children for a heri-
tage scrapbook.
My compliments to Jonathan
Wright for the article. We'll also
consider a subscription to your
paper, even lhough we don't
know too many people there. We
do love the town however, so
much that my daughter had her
wedding there this summer at
the Old Stone church and recep-
tion at the General Lewis Inn.
"Fake care.
Sincerely.
Tom Walker
Huntington
Other voices...
"State Sen. J, D. Brackenrich. D-Greenbrier, who's ruiming for
re-election, says there's nothing wrong with having a voting pre-
clnct in his mother's home. with his mother serving as one of the
poll workers. Well, it probably meets the election fairness stan-
dards of several counties -- Mingo. for instance."
-- The Charlestnn Gazette
November 4, 1990
Civil War Sidelights in West
With millions of other
Americans. [ viewed with interest
the recent presentation of The
t_i , l War by the Public Broad-
casting Service (PBS).
Unfortunately, time limits
permitted little treatment of the
Civil War battles that occurred in
Wc ,t Virginia.
In fact, West Virginia was a
,,,.,. th :ater of Civil War activi-
and boasts an often
..recognized Civil War heritage.
In recognition of the impor-
tance of John Brown's Raid as a
herald of the Civil War, I have
made the preservation and restora-
ti
