Lamar County, Mississippi Genealogy and History

 

Pamela J. Gibbs County Coordinator

Lori Thornton,  State Coordinator
Deb Haines
, Assistant State Coordinator



W.P.A. History of Lamar County, Mississippi

 

COLORED SCHOOLS

 

PRESENT DAY SCHOOLS

  There are two colored schools in Lumberton Quarters, Lamar Training School and Wells Town School. WELLS TOWN SCHOOL is a large one room lumber building. This school was founded in the year of 1906. The first teacher was Lola D. Watson. The first trustees were Pete Jackson, Will Rogers and Ike Winston. First graduates were Edna Mae McDaniel, Odelle Winston, Thecia Holder, Vernell Holder. These were from eighth grade, which is the highest this school touches. It is now composed of fifty six pupils, one teacher whose name is Mary Neely. She expects more pupils when the cotton picking season is over.

 

LAMAR TRAINING SCHOOL: In about the year 1892 there was a small one teacher school with twenty pupils in the Lumberton Quarters. It was located 200 yards from where the high school now stands. This school was taught by (initial illegible) P. Jones. Two years later the school was moved to a bigger building, erected near the Methodist Church. It was taught by E. E. Robinson Robinson. Three years later this building burned, then another small building was built near the store. H.F. Locker was principal. Soon afterward this lot was sold, then the school was carried on in the different churches until the present building was erected in 1925. J. B. Green was the first principal. This is a large lumber building with modern equipments. The Primary Department being separate from the main building. During the first few years of this school Home Economics and Manual Training was taught here and was one of the most outstanding colored schools of the county. The school now is composed of 211 students and four teachers. B. B. Benjamin is principal, Alice Brown is primary and music teacher. She teaches piano music. The school carries as high as the tenth grade. Some of the outstanding graduates of the Lamar Training School are: P. C. Bailey, who finished the 10th grade here and later finished at Alcorn College. He is now principal of Sumrall Colored High School. ; John Henry Spriggs graduated here and also at Alcorn College. He is now English teacher and Athletics coach at Laurel, Miss. Luther Greene graduated here and later at Alcorn.

 

SUMRALL HIGH SCHOOL FOR NEGROES is located at Sumrall, Miss., and is composed of 125 students. It teaches through the 12th grade, has four teachers, with T. C. Bailey from Lumberton, Miss., as principal.

 

LITTLE RIVER SCHOOL, out from Sumrall about 12 miles. There is a colony of Negroes, the majority of them named Watts. They have their school and church.

 

PURVIS COLORED SCHOOL: The first colored school of Purvis was organized in the year 1908 with an enrollment of 132 students, and 2 teachers. Jno. J. Jefferson was principal, Carrie A. Jefferson, assistant. Jno. N. Haywood, Robert Fulton, W. N. Ellis, trustees. At the present time the school is composed of a large lumber building, two teachers Marguerite Pope, Lillian Heard. The trustees are Manuel Dallas, Dossie Ree Rich and Tom Sharp.

 

MT. VERNON: A colored school located on old Highway 11, near Richburg, organized in the year 1904. Teacher Harvey Blakely, trustees, W. (illegible). McGee, L. McBay. At the present time the teacher is Lula Williams, trustees Will Archer, Hiram Brown, and M. M. Hall.

 

LAMARIAN COLORED SCHOOL: Located on County line of Marion and Lamar counties, organized in 1933. F. A. White, principal; Beatrice Moreer, Maggie Redmond, Myrte L. Buss, Rhodie Butcher, Lucille White, Josie Lee Davis, Nyeita Boralee, assistants.

 

 CLYDE COLORED SCHOOL: Organized in the year of 1916. Trustee Sam Lanelle, Teacher Myrtle Wilson.

 

TATUM'S CAMP: This school's students are from the colored families working for Tatum Lumber Co. As the lumbering camps move the school moves. It is now located at Tatum Lumbering Camp near Richburg. Present teacher is Arlean Bourne. Trustees are (illegible) Tatum, L. B. Marana, and John Middleton.

 

FORMER SCHOOLS

 

 Colored schools that passed away with the passing of the sawmills of the county:

 LEO LINE: organized 1903, teacher J. L. Johnson. Closed 1904.

HALF MOON: 1904 - 1908 EPLEY: 1911 - 1919

FOXTOWN: 1906 - 1918

GREENVILLE: 1909 - 1910

LOTT: 1912 - 1916

JONAS PARK: 1916, near Sumrall

ALTON PARK: 1913

LOST JOHN: On the 12th day of June the School Board, Lamar County, State of Mississippi Members of the Board being C. V. Hathorn, Beat 1; N. C. Yawn, Beat 2; Dewitt, Beat 4; E. B. Thompson, Beat 3; S. F. Thompson, Beat 5. "On motion duly seconded it is order that a public school for the colored race to be known as the Lost John Public School be and the same is hereby created with the same territory as is now embraced in the Baxterville Consolidated School and that the site of the same be at the turpentine still at Lost John." The school only lasted only through the period of the turpentine still.

NEW HEBRON: 1924

 MIDWAY: 1925 - 1926

NEWMAN CAMPS: 1925-1926

YAWN: 1923 - 1924                                

LAMAR COUNTY NEGROES: WHAT THEY HAVE DONE

COLORED TEACHERS 1904 TO 1935  

 

| MSGENWEB | USGENWEB| HOME | GUESTBOOK |


Copyright 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007  by Pamela J. Gibbs except where otherwise noted.

 

The pages posted on this website may not be reproduced in any format for profit or for presentation to the public by any person or organization unless written permission is obtained from the file contributor or the county coordinator. These pages may be printed or saved for personal use so long as this copyright information appears on the copies or pages saved.

Rootsweb Logo