Page 23 - MOST RECENT

during the early years of the school's operation were Mr.
Frank Lash, Mr. Julius Lowe, and Mr. Walter Phillips.
There are numerous persons who still have fond
memories of former years, whose beginning education
seemed somewhat less than first-rate because of "limited"
facilities, but who were, nevertheless, deeply inspired
to seek - and they found and are still finding that our
little schools were valuable and effective in many ways.
A Public or Free School in Kernersville was built
riext to the Plunkett Place or what is now known as the
Pierce Funeral Home. According to Mrs. W. G. (Carrie
Winfree) Cooke, a former student who attended there
in 1892, it opened in October of this year. The following
description was related by Mrs. Cooke: It had the Big
Room and the Little Room. Prof. Henry Tharp was
principal and Miss Nan Bodenhamer was teacher for the
"Miss Floy", Florence Rights
lower classes (1, 2, 3, and 4. No grades. They "pro- Professor and Mrs. J. M. Stafford, taught in the Tanyard
Weatherly
gressed" by books). They started with the Primer. Mrs. Lane Free School, also the school
by
the
sponsored
Moravian
Cooke, age 5½, and Russell Komer were the only ones Church and finally ran a school
in her own home.
in the Primer. The others were in the first, second, third
and fourth readers. They attended six months - from
October until March. Their lessons were recited on the
recitation bench in front of the class facing the princi-
pal or teacher, whose desk was on a platform ( approxi-
mately 6 by 10) across the front of the room. The chil-
dren sat in double desks and their recitation bench was
about the length of the platform. Mr. Tharp taught
algebra, history, geography, Latin and French. Four
other teachers were: Add N. Linville, George Fulp, Sr.,
Miss Sue Galloway, and Cid Hastings. Mr. Tharp taught
summer school and it was called a "Subscription School."

There was a charge of approximately $3 per month.
Miss Alie Fulton taught in the summer of 1894 and
Miss Bodenhamer taught in the summer of ~895. A very
interesting event in the Free School was the Medal Con-
test. The children selected their own speeches and
recited these at Commencement exercises. During the
second year a division was made in the Big Room and
1906 Public School Building located on site of present city hall burned
this became a three teacher school. The division was December 31, 1925.
made by a canvas curtain in the center of the Big Room.

Mr. J. N. Whicker began
teaching in the 1890's and
taught for 31 years in many
schools in this area including
Crews, Bluff, Valley, Sedge Gar-
den, Jacks Temple, Broadway,
Guthrie. Wh;tP Rock and Ridge-
field. In 1906 he taught at
Bluff, a one teacher school, for
the entire term of 4 to 5
months for $140.00. He had
54 pupils that year.

Kernersville Graded School
Class of 1910
ames listed on page 96

19