Several of you have asked about this school, so I copied this. This is copied from an article about the History of Mart. Baptist Church Organized In 1879 a school was started in the little building used by the Baptist Church. The school's organizers were H.T. Vaughn and W.H. Criswell. In 1880, Mrs. Cowan taught a six-month term in the church building with an enrollment of 28 pupils which included every child in the community old enough to attend school. At the close of school in June 1880, Mrs. Cowan listed her pupils: John Suttle, Daniel Suttle, Ibe Suttle, Gus Douglass, A.E. Young, Daniel Young, Hattie Muse, Billie Brandon, Lon Brandon, Laura Pevyhouse, Clarence Stephens, George Tidwell, Eddie Hunter, Joe Hunter, Mary Vaughn, Mattie Douglass, Watts Vaughn, Annie Cancelor, George Douglass, George Arnold, and Phillip Arnold. FIRST SCHOOL ESTABLISHED Just across from the church a crude one-room building for a school was erected to be replaced by a structure of four rooms in 1885, where the present school on Navarro is located. This school burned in 1900, along with the Masonic Lodge which was upstairs. Professor W. A. Allen was the first superintendent. The school was replaced by another frame building which burned in 1909. A three storied brick building was erected in 1910.

I've been thinking about Professor Allen today and have to say more about him. He was such an inspirational teacher that when my grandmother, Mamie Dew/Hunter was in her 80s she was still talking about him. As a result of his teaching and inspiration my grandmother became a teacher and inspired many students including my brother and me. After my mother was born, her mother, Mamie Hunter reduced her teaching responsibilities to teaching piano lessons. I have no trouble surmising that Mamie was inspirational in the classroom because of her gentle way of teaching me piano. While in her eighties she still had the patience and knowledge to tutor me in English and geometry. (Can you imagine!) Mamie taught her taught her daughter how to play piano, but she did not have her in a regular classroom setting. Mother always said she didn't take well to school, but then both of her children did. First, my brother started teaching in the late 1950s in a university setting. He taught for many years and was known throughout the South for his inspirational teaching as well as his prolific writing in the fields of literature, politics, and history. I taught hundreds of students over a period of 29 years, and many of my students are now teaching others. This just goes to show the influence of Professor Allen. Hats off to you Professor Allen! Thank you for teaching in Mart and not being a mediocre educator. I forgot to ad that Eddie and Joe Hunter were brothers at the school, and my grandmother married Edward Lawrence Hunter. Could have been my grandpa. Rosemary Bradford Grant daughter of Ruby Hunter/Bradford sister of Dr. M.E. Bradford ----- Original Message ----- From: "Carol Couch" <ccouch@hot1.net> To: <TXMCLENN-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Thursday, December 13, 2001 5:59 PM Subject: Mart Schools and Superintendant Allen > Several of you have asked about this school, so I copied this. > > > This is copied from an article about the History of Mart. > > > Baptist Church Organized > > In 1879 a school was started in the little building used by the Baptist Church. The school's organizers were H.T. Vaughn and W.H. Criswell. In 1880, Mrs. Cowan taught a six-month term in the church building with an enrollment of 28 pupils which included every child in the community old enough to attend school. At the close of school in June 1880, Mrs. Cowan listed her pupils: John Suttle, Daniel Suttle, Ibe Suttle, Gus Douglass, A.E. Young, Daniel Young, Hattie Muse, Billie Brandon, Lon Brandon, Laura Pevyhouse, Clarence Stephens, George Tidwell, Eddie Hunter, Joe Hunter, Mary Vaughn, Mattie Douglass, Watts Vaughn, Annie Cancelor, George Douglass, George Arnold, and Phillip Arnold. > > FIRST SCHOOL ESTABLISHED > > Just across from the church a crude one-room building for a school was erected to be replaced by a structure of four rooms in 1885, where the present school on Navarro is located. This school burned in 1900, along with the Masonic Lodge which was upstairs. Professor W. A. Allen was the first superintendent. The school was replaced by another frame building which burned in 1909. A three storied brick building was erected in 1910. > > > ============================== > To join Ancestry.com and access our 1.2 billion online genealogy records, go to: > http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=571&sourceid=1237 > >