The Clarksville Times (Clarksville, Tex.), Vol. 90, No. 13, Ed. 1 Friday, April 13, 1962 Page: 13 of 14
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Edward
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Clarksville Timas, Friday, April IS, W62
ileman Springs Site of School That
wished for Years After Ovil War
group of
fraternal
Editor's note: The following
■per, prepared by DeWttt Med-
ford of Boxelder for the Red River
[County Historical Society is pub-
by permission:
Almost a century ago, In the
[back-woods frontier that was East
River County and the western
[fringe of Bowie County, a small
of men bound by strong
ties established a school
serve the area. They did this
without any state or other govern-
mental assistance Some glimp-
ses of their procedure in so doing
| and of what this pioneer school
was like are to be found In an old
book of minutes of the meetings
held by the fraternal organization
of this group This book records
all meetings from the year 1856
to January of 1873.
It is generally well known and
recorded in histories of Texas that
In the early days of the state’s
settlement by Americans, school/
were often established and oper-
ated by churches, private individ-
uals, and by Masonic Lodges. An
interesting example of an early
school operated
ing winter, further dlsaatlsfaction
had risen against him. This time
it stemmed from his failure to
prevent his pupils from wreaking
some sort of damage upon the
school room or Its equipment.
There appeared to be strong senti-
ment among some members for
letting him go at the end of the
term. Others preferred to con-
tinue with his services.'Two mem-
bers. at their own suggestion,
agreed to serve as a committee
to assure that the school property
would be properly cared for. The
Lodge then granted to them the
"use of the School Room for Prof.
George to teach a school for ten
months, said term commencing on
the 2nd Monday in January 1870,
Bros. Peek and Carnes being re-
sponsible for all injury to the prop-
erty belonging to the Lodge
through neglect during School
hours." - v„.
The school for this year of 1870
was evidently planned to operate
during the summer months and
to observe a vacation throughout
the autumn. During the previous
Masonic jfur, however, vacation seemed
Springs in Southeast Red River
County. This school Was estab-
lished and operated by the Jack
sonic Lodge which had
been organized at Coleman
Springs in 1856.
This lodge first made provision
for -a school Just at the close of
the Civil War. No public school
existed^ That lime in the
part of the county and probably
* nowhere in Red River Couny. The
Public School Law. of 1854 had only
partially provided funds to sup-
port a school system.- During
the war railroad companies, to
which much of the school funds of
the state had been ioaned, be-
came unable to make interest pay-
ments to the school fund. Also
much of the balance of the Special
Fund was used to carry on the
war. In July of 1865 the Jack
Titus Lodge resolved to, build a
new Masonic Hall at Coleman
Springs of which the lower room
was to be for a school under the
control of the lodge.
By late August of 1865 the new
building was completed and the
[-• Lodge selected a .I ProleaSor" W.
C. Parham to teach the school.
It also built a cabin for Mr. Par-
ham to use as living quarters.
The salary of the teacher, how-
ever, was not paid by the frater-
nal organization. This organiza-
tion might well have done so. ap-
parently, for it had In its treasury
hundreds of dollars which it wish-
ed to expend: it had been receiv-
ing during the past year the sum
of $50 00 for each degree con-
ferred—three such to each new
summer. And during this period
a type of summer school unknown
in the twentieth century was held.
It is referred to in this wgv:
-odge gran
privilege to keep a writing school
for Ten days in the School
Room, He being responsible for all
damage done during school
hours.
^Although none 'of WK
or "professors" received remun-
erations from the lodge's treasury,
the lodge did provide for school
equipment. The first seat(, were
probably of the usual spllt-log type
—the smooth side of a log being
turned up and long pegs for leg?
driven into the underside. There
were no desks available for the
first terms. The windows of the
one room contained no glass;
they,were closed with shutters.
After two years, with the coming
of a better financial condition and
improved economy as the state
recovered from the- effects of the
four-vyear Civil War, the lodge ap-
pointed a commtttee to procure
lumber and have the school fur-
nished with de«k* as well as with
seats. Only after another - two
years was such a luxury installed
as "sash and glass." These at
first were provided only for the
south side of the building.
The pupils of this early -school
at Coleman Springs were drawn
from the large area within Juris-
diction of Jack Titus Masonic
Lodge. This was one of only three
Masonic Lodges in the county at
that period, and Boston Lodge was
the only one eastward to Arkan-
orda, covering a period of seven-
teen years, reveal that these were
men with a nigh paaskmate pre-
judice for education, and with a
compassionate compulsion to ex-
tend its benefits to the children of
this area a century ago. No apol-
ogy need be offered that It was
only a one-teacher school they
founded: it was a school. And
that president was perhaps right
who said, "Mark Hopkins on one
end of a log, and I on the other,
would be a University."
The outstanding leader of this
group for two decades was John
H. Beaty.- Previous to Ids arrival
here from Georgia in 1848, he is
said to have attended William and
Mary College at Williamsburg.
Virginia. He brought with him
two slaves to use in the new land.
James Cellum, too, ranked high
in his influence. He had come to
Texas while It was still a part of
Mexico, and had served in the
Army qf the Republic of Texas
during the Texan Revolution
against Mexico. The state In 1857
placed a monument at his grave
in the Gilliam Cemetery which
bears the inscription:
James CelMm -.
Served in the Army of
Texas 1836 r
An earlier stone erected ,by his
wife and- carrying the Masonic
emblem read: —— -1^.7
James
«*'_:___'
Emily Cellum
Born in Franklin Co., Va.
June II. 1815
Died .
July 23, 1875
of the county bear the name Cel-
lum indicating tha\ he too had
owned a few slaves.
James Gilliam, the first Wor-
shipful Master of the Lodge and
often its secretary, likewise was
an influential member. The Gil-
liam Community and Cemetery to-
day hear his name.
-John Coleman, another promin-
ent member of the fraternity, is
remembered today in the name
bestowed upon the community of
Coleman Springs which for so long
ranked as the outstanding one in
Southeast Red River County. The
home which he built sometime in
the 1850’s still stands in a good
state of preservation, being now
occupied by a grand son. He opJ
orated the largest plantation of
the section, -using many slaves
to catry on the varied activities.
The plantation Included a jin, a
sawmill and an iron foundry. The
home is located Just south of pres-
ent Crystal Lake and near it is a
cemetery, where were burled
slaves. Mr. Colemam , with his
father, Stephen Coleman had
moved here front.Marshall, Texas,
during the days of the Republic
of Texas. - ' ' .
But to return to the school it-
self, the question arises, "How
long did the Masonic-operated
school continue as such?" Unfor-
tunately no definite records ap-
pear to be available to ascertain
the answer. The records of the
lodge between the years 1873 and
1888 have been lost. Masons, how-
ever being traditionally strong for
frde public schools, planned to op-
erate only until stata support
would be adequate. (A Mr. Ad-
ams was perhaps the last of the
teachers employed by the lodge).
In the lodge minutes of 1892,
there are evidences that the school
at Coleman Springs had been un-
der control of a local district and
public trustees for some time —
perhaps several years. A church'
by this time was using the lower
room of a new lodge building, and
the public school continued in the
old building.
This public school continued to
be thought of as the best in the
east end of the county. Although
there were now several schools
over his section for smaller chil-
dren, the older boys and girls at-
tended Coleman Springs, during
the 1880’s and 1890's.
During the first third of the 20th
Century, there were any number
of middle-aged residents of the
Avery and Annona Communities
who. -had attended Coleman
Springs School as young people.
With pardonable pride they, en-
joyed enumerating the great num-
ber of professional men who had
been inspired in tills school to un-
dertake later the preparation
which placed them in their pro-
fessions. Among those whq be-
came medical doctors were Doc-
tors Hardman. Pipkin, Medford,
and Mann. One who became a
Methodist Minister of high rank
waf Jim Morris. Two of the prim-
lnent lawyers Were Bob Williams
and Amos Beaty, the latter a
founder and one-time president of
Texaco Oil Company.
. And the instructor who then sat
on one end of the log at this "uni-
versity on a log" must truly rank
by any standards as a great
teacher — Nat Doak.
By the turn of the century how-
ever, other public schools sprahg
up at the newer railroad towns—
at Walker Station (now Annona)
and at Isaaca Hater called Doug-
las and named A very in 1902).
(Solemn Springs" as a
tpr, declined in
7
name and charter until the fell of
1961. Then it consolidated . with
the Annona Masonic Lodge, one
of three lodges which had splint-
ered off from flack Titus Lodge.
The site where the lodge, church
and school sat Is now enclosed In
e plnes-wood lot; end le some two
or three hundred yards from e
public road. Recalling the rapt
and responsive reminiscences of
the adults who attended the school
In their youth, one might well par-
aphrase their sentiment in the
words of the poet:
Green be the pines about thee.
School of our youthful days;
None knew thee but to love thee.
Nor named thee but to praise.
**~r '
determined course. The tiny in-
strument has only one moving
part which moves only e fraction
of an inch when it is operating.
When it is disturbed by external
vibrations and shocks, It sendl out
an electrical signal which com-
bines In the guidance system to
accurately pinpoint missile loca-
tion. If missile la not on course,
the device reports the error beck
to the guidance system, instruct-
TALENTED DADDY
Sen Diego -<D- On f
the country to show his twn ■
Isons some real, live sews,
I Hagen, an attorney,
cations 1 mooing. After.hoering i
real thing, Denny,
Daddy, you moo I
do."
Though
from Alaska to Sough America's
the world's
tip. more than half
Increases
Missile Accuracy
A device small enough to hide
behind a 25 cint piece will in-
crease the directional accuracy of
giant missiles almost a hundred-
fold.
The tiny Instrument, which
weighs three-quarters of an ounce,
has been developed by an aero-
space company for the weighty
task,of helping to stabilize missile
guidance systems. The Job was
previously done by rate gyro-
scopes hooked up to the guidance
system. But because of the com-
plexity and the tremendous vibra-
tion and shock pressures exerted
on the guidance systems, the
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school cen-
tmportance; and
ft ceased to exist as such in 1938
At the same time the Masonic
Lodge was moved to Boxelder. It
continued to work under the same
gyros at times proved unreliable.
The new device serves as a
brain cell which permits the guid-
ance system to tell how the mis-
sile is situated in space, and sense
if it is going-according to a pre-
;
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member—and 830.00 for any mem- -gas. patrons of the school,
her who affiliated from another
lodge. Professor Parham, never-
theless. would not have preferred
to be paid a fat salary from the.
fraternity’s overflowing^treasury:
for it bulged with bills which its
members no longer referred to
as money but as "Conferederate
notes." In factjthe Lodge had
named a committee in November
of 1884 to “dispose of
of Confederate notes to the best
advantage of the Lodge"; and.
finally, in June of 1865 it resolved
to receive no more such money
for dues dr initiation fees. (In
November 1864 the secretary had
purchased one quire —. 24 sheets
of writing paper — for 850.00 of
TT
this currency).
The teacher's remuneration was
to come from tuition charges
made of the individual pupil, and
perhaps often paid in com or oth-
er commodities. Perhaps because
of inadequate compensation, or
perhaps for other reasons, Profes-
sor Parham was not to be the
school's teacher for the second
year’s session, 1866-1867. In July,
of 1866, the Lodge appointed a
committee of five of its members
"to solicit and receive proposals
from any teacher or teachers to
teach a school at this place for
the next scholastic year."
The teacher selected was G. D.
Dalby, who like Parham was a
Mason himself and became a
member of the Jack Titus Lodge
He taught the school for the next
two years.
With the succeeding teacher, a
"Professor” George, the Lodge
had a little disagreement. It
seems the cabin which had been
erected as' a teacherage w*w
deemed by Professor George as
(inimitable for further residence.
d tf> TTHirt*1" his Hv-
ing quarters in one en<T of the
school room, partitioned off per-
haps with a curtain. The Lodge
members became irritate^ at this
action and appointed a committee
to "wait on ‘Professor’ George and
. learn by what right he is occu-
pying the school room of the
Lodge and report their action - at
the next communication."
At the following meeting, the
..^committee asked for and wa
granted further time in which
1 report their findings end their rec-
ommendation of action to be tak-
en. Apparently Professor George
had been able to persuade the
committee that he had sufficiently
godd reasons for moving Into the
school room He was unmolested
for the remainder of the school
term, and in the ensuing summer
~~ the Master of the Lodge appoint
the Master of the odge appoint-
ed a second committee "to ar-
range with Professor George the
on which, he might oc-
cupy the SC Hurt Risjiii."-
• Professor George continued as
the -teacher. In January of 1870,
the Lodge granted him the further
right "to teach a school for ten
months.” However, by the fotlow-
then, lived as far to the cast as
Dalby Sprihgs In Bowie County
(where several members resided)
and to point* east of the Bowie
County line northeast of the pres-
ent town of Avefy- And they lived
as far to the northwest as the
present Annona. No doubt some
pupils boarded near the school;
others rode horseback.
of pupils whlse mothers
Tuition of pupils whose mothers
were widows of deceased Masons
was in practically all cases paid
by the Lodge from Its treasury.
For several terms there were as
many as three or four such fami-
lies whose tuition was paid thus,
such
\
ter of a widowed mother who re-
sided about ten miles northeast
of the school. Her Interest In ob-
taining further education Is the
subject of one paragraph in the
Jack Titus Lodge minutes of July
16th, 1870:
"James Gilliam appointed to
wait upon the daughter of Bro. W.
J. Honeycut, deceased, and report-
ed that she was deeply_lnterested
in regard to education and wished
assistance in obtaining one; a~rmv
tion was made by Bro. Beaty and
seconded by* Bro. Jas. Gilliam that
the Lodge take the eldest daughter
of- Bro. Honeycut (Board furnish-
ed by Bro T. J. Cellum so long
as he remained in the Co.) Bro.
Cellum requested that she be fur-
nished with the necessary clothing
to keep her in decency, the Lodge
paying the tuition, clothing bill."
And what of the men who found-
ed this .frontier school at Coleman
Springs? The returns to the Grand
Lodge of Texas made In Decem-
ber of 1870 contain a list of 30
members. In several- cases there
were two and three individuals of
Jtfc same family name Most of
!hesc~M)»Mbcr* still hive descend-
3
ents In the east part of Red River
County or in the western portion
of frowle County Names occurr-
ing Include Beaty. CellUm. Peek,
Coleman. Floyd, Montgomery. Gil-
liam. Dalby. Doak, Fleming. Med-
ford. Garland. Scroggins. Bearden.
Davis and Carnes. Members who
had died between 1856 and 1870
were Wade, Honeycut. Moss and
Richard Peters, James Peters.
Gaines and "Joseph D Dalby,
killed near Griswolvllle. Ga.. .on
22nd of November. 1864, by the
federals." • ■ 'i «.
The minute book for'the years
1856 to January 1873 Is In His
handwriting of some six or more
who served as secretaries The
form of the handwriting, the vo-
cabulary and general manner of
expression used In these recpfflg,
Indicate the writers were well edu-
rated men. * AU ] of them Were
farmers. It is very doubtful wheth
er In any organization in the courv-
Ity today, even though i
lng varied .professions, there would
be as large' a proportion whose
writing and rompoaftion indicate
as high a degree of proficiency.
Furthermore the written rec
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Pinson, Joe. The Clarksville Times (Clarksville, Tex.), Vol. 90, No. 13, Ed. 1 Friday, April 13, 1962, newspaper, April 13, 1962; Clarksville, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth893508/m1/13/: accessed July 13, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Red River County Public Library.