Schools Part 2

For Benjamin N. Duke, Cooleemee was just one more investment of the many he already held in the growing cotton mill industries of the piedmont. For W.A. Erwin, the General Manager of Erwin Mills, it was much more. Evidence indicates Erwin had a special connection with Cooleemee, one that continued for some thirty years.

In early 1902, Erwin expressed his determination to see an excellent school built in Cooleemee. Reflecting on Cooleemee's early days, Erwin in 1928 spoke of his own personal efforts to see to the education of both the village and township's children. This personal interest assured support for the building and funding of one of the best graded schools of its time in North Carolina. This would be the first graded school in Davie County.
 

In large part, the first people came here to build the village, and would depart when their job was complete. Some had begun moving to 'Cooleemee Falls' by the fall of 1898. However, the building of the village did not get fully underway until July of 1899. Pressure to get a school up and underway didn't really begin to be felt until late in 1900. By this time Cooleemee's construction phase was ending and the start-up phase of operations had begun.

Visiting the place in January of 1901, Erwin was sorely disappointed by the progress. Two years into the project and production had barely begun. Ten months later, the situation had improved little. Some spinning was underway, but looms were still arriving and had yet to be set up. The J.N. Ledford Store, future anchor of the whole downtown, was still being built in December 1901.

Despite the slow pace, as 1901 ended, the shift from New South frontier town to a New South village had begun. The estimated population of 400 people would shortly double and triple as farmers and mill workers flocked to Cooleemee to begin the serious business of building a new neighborhood.
 

By July 1900 Cooleemee could boast of approximately 179 young people between the ages six and twenty. Forty-three of these youths were attending some sort of school. While we are not exactly certain of where this school was located, tradition places it on Main Street. Documentary evidence suggests this was true

By the 1900-1901 school term, the Cooleemee school had taken its place in the Jerusalem Township as District 7. A $160 voucher was paid out for goods and services in July 1901.
 

Representing Cooleemee in 1901 on the County educational board was T. V. Terrell, general manager of the cotton mill and W. R. Culberson, the assistant card room overseer. The Spring term of Cooleemee school was opened by Miss Sadie Tatum in March of 1901.

The Spring 1902 class would be the last to attend whatever makeshift school had been set up. The class of 1902-1903 would be housed in their "new" wood school at the comer of Watts and Cross Streets.
 

The foundation for the old wood school was laid in July of 1902. By October construction was almost complete and it would be ready by class time in November. In the last weeks of construction an accident marred what was otherwise a major event in Cooleemee. Mr. Short, one of the carpenters, fell off a scaffold and was injured.

On November 29, 1902 many in the village turned out for opening ceremonies to launch their new school. The ceremony, held in the new school's hallway, consisted of the presentation of a flag and bible by the Junior Order of Mechanics, a local fraternal group. Speakers from Cooleemee and Salisbury delivered some remarks. Following this, everyone marched outside and raised the flag. After which the boys gathered at the bottom of the flag pole took off their hats and "yelled with all their might." Perhaps one of the last true "Rebel" yells to be heard in Cooleemee.

The principal, Rev. J.B. Craven, announced an enrollment of 160 young scholars. To handle the children he had a staff of teachers, some of these were---Miss H.A. Williamson, Miss Vislula Guffy, Bessie Most, and Miss Grace Coley. There is a good possibility that one or two more may have been present in this first year.

By this time, E. W. Thomas, the cotton mill's superintendent, T. V. Terrell and a local farmer named W. H. Hobson, comprised Cooleemee's representatives to the County school board. Hobson's presence on the Board is an indication of countryside students attending the Cooleemee school.