According to Florence historian Lee Freeman, "The Freedmen’s Public School, seems to have succeeded a series of earlier schools, such as that taught in 1865 by native African-American and former Wesleyan College bootblack "Prof." George Poole (1830-aft. 1900) and also a school under the auspices of the Freedmen's Bureau in early 1866 taught by EM Mears and his wife (apparently supported by a Presbyterian Aid Society). In mid-1869 the Mears appear to have opened up a private academy in Florence which had 22 students.



The Freedmen's Public School opened on October 29, 1866 at Church Springs Methodist Episcopal (ME) Church (now Greater St. Paul AME Church), which was located on the NE corner of Court and Bluff Streets, and was founded by the Pittsburgh Freedmen’s Aid Commission. There was no tuition and the principal was noted black educator Oscar M. Waring (1837-1911), a graduate of Oberlin College. Waring was assisted by locals William S. Robinson and (Celeste?) Allen. Starting with 40 students, by July of 1867 the enrollment was reported as 204 "and so successful was Mr. Waring that a number came from neighboring places to board in Florence and to go to school." The result was that "From the testimony of a number of the most prominent white citizens, including Gov. [RM] Patton, the local press, and our Superintendent, this has been one of the most successful Freedmen's schools in the Southwest." Besides the ordinary curriculum, the Freedmen’s Public school also had a Normal Department "in which the more advanced pupils [will] be placed and instructed with a view to preparing them for teachers."




On January 24, 1867, white educator Dr. David R. Lindsay (1821-1898), brother of Alabama Governor Robert B. Lindsay and uncle of Maud Lindsay, editor of the Florence Journal reported that “The school in Florence is apparently in a flourishing condition, and the character of its teacher in his outward conduct is entirely blameless, and creditable to him as a stranger in our community.”



The school, founded to educate the children of Florence’s freed slaves, apparently eventually morphed into the Florence Colored Grammar School, which by October of 1869 was being conducted by noted black educator educator Jacob Reed Ballard (1845-1902). There is some confusion regarding these early schools and their principals and teachers. For example, in September of 1869 a "Miss Graham" of Albany, New York was said to be superintendent of a freedmen's school in Florence, Alabama. Graham was reportedly harassed into leaving town by a group of Klansmen. So far I can't find any other references anywhere to this Miss Graham or her run-in with the Klan. Prof. Oscar Waring seems to have remained in Florence until sometime in early 1869, at which time he relocated to Winchester, Virginia where he worked as a teacher for the Presbyterian Committee on Missions until 1872; he earned his law degree and taught mathematics at Alcorn College before serving a principal at a school in Louisville, Kentucky. By 1879 Waring and his wife (whom he married while in Louisville) moved to St. Louis, Missouri where Prof. Waring served as principal of the Charles Sumner High School until his retirement in 1908; he died in St. Louis in 1911 and the City of St. Louis named the Oscar M. Waring Elementary School in his honor in 1940."]]>
(1 and 2) Letter from Capt C.A. Tenge, Freedmen's Bureau Agent of Florence to Col. John B. Callis, reporting on the condition of the school in Florence. Historian Lee Freeman notes, "Tenge reports 110 students with an average attendance of 86 and also the number of students using various readers. Then he mentions the "alphabet class" taught by EM Mears and wife under the supervision of what appears to have been a Presbyterian aid society. Tenge also references several "minor schools" in the surrounding area taught by freedmen. Prof. George Poole's school had apparently been one such school taught in Florence in 1865. Tenge also noted that "the former aversion of the whites [to black schools] is fastly [sic] diminishing."]]> (3 and 4) Letter from F.M. Mears, a teacher in the Florence Freedmen's Public School, to Col. John B. Callis. Florence historian Lee Freeman notes that Mears is notifying Callis, "of the fact that there were two freedmen teaching in schools near Florence who couldn't read well enough in McGuffey's Third Reader to be teaching other freedmen and asks Col. Callis to empower Capt. Tenge, the Freedmen's Bureau Agent of Florence with the authority to examine teachers in the freedmen's schools to ensure their qualifications to teach."]]> Report by Oscar M. Waring, principal of the Florence Freedmen's Public School, to bureau agent C.A. Tenge concerning the progress of the school. Florence historian Lee Freeman notes: "Waring notes that the school had 40 pupils enrolled with an average daily attendance of 37 and 1 teacher (Waring) but that he anticipates a school of 125 or 150 students soon."]]> Letter from C.A. Tenge to Col. John B. Callis about the success of the Freedmen's Public School in Florence. Historian Lee Freeman notes: "Tenge also references two or three other freedmen's schools in Lauderdale County who aren't sending reports to him, one of them named "Garner," whom Tenge calls "an adventurer." Tenge also mentions the recent fire in Florence which destroyed his saddlery, harness-making and upholstery business and the Freedmen's Bureau Office which was upstairs over his business. Tenge informs Callis that the cause of the fire was arson, and it was set in order to destroy the Bureau Office and burn out several Unionist families in Florence, however Tenge was able to save "all my books and papers.""]]> 1866-02-08 (1 and 2)]]> 1866-05-15 (3 and 4)]]> 1866-11-02 (5)]]> 1866-11-06 (6)]]> Feb_1866_p_2.jpg (2)]]> May_15_1866_p_2.jpg (4)]]>
These are articles relating to the grammar school for African Americans in Florence in 1869. Florence historian Lee Freeman notes, "I'm not sure but I think the Freedmen's Public School by 1869 had become the Florence Colored Grammar School. By 1869 it was being taught by noted black educator JR Ballard (1845-1902)."]]> (3,4,5) "A Teacher's Monthly Report" by Professor Jacob Reed Ballard. Florence historian Lee Freeman notes: "In his report for the month of October, 1869, Ballard, a noted black educator, notes that in this Presbyterian Missionary school he has 13 teachers instructing 205 enrolled students, with 107 students in the month of October, 47 males and 60 females, with an average attendance of 60, and 55 students who are "always present." 21 of his pupils were over 16 years, 40 could spell and read, while 10 were still on their alphabet. 14 students were studying geography and 29 were working on arithmetic, and 97 were writing."]]> 1869 (1)
1869-10-28 (2)
1869 (3,4,5)]]>
The_Colored_School.jpg (2)]]> School_Report_p_2.jpg (4)
School_Report_p_3.jpg (5)]]>
"Burrell-Slater Opened to Public"]]> A December 8, 1960 *Florence Herald* article reporting that the new Burrell-Slater High School would be completed after the Christmas/New Year's holidays, with an open house planned for January of 1961.

A February 2, 1961 *Florence Herald* article on the dedication and grand opening of the new Burrell-Slater High School building on West College Street, presided over by Florence City Schools Superintendent Rufus G. Hibbett, followed by speeches by Florence Mayor Ellie F. Martin, Board of Education chairman Clyde Anderson and Burrell-Slater principal WH Lewis.]]>

*Florence Herald*, Thursday, February 2, 1961, p. 1.]]>
February 2, 1961]]>
This collection features two obituaries and a tribute to William H. Lewis, who served as a teacher/principal at Burrell for 43 years.]]> 1994]]> According to Sandra Sockwell's *Place Names of Colbert and Lauderdale Counties, Alabama,* p. 267, the Hewitt School was located in the SW 1/4 of S 15 T2S R 1W near the historic Bailey's Chapel AME Church. Sockwell says:

"This black school, serving grades 1-6 since the 1920s, was a victim of integration and closed in the 1960s. . . . Named for local family that granted the land for the school, the A. H. Hewitts. . . . Aka Hustle School, a nickname . . ."

According to a deed filed on December 3, 1920:

"KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS. That A. [Abraham] H. Hewitt, Sr. and Henrietta Hewitt, for anf [sic] in consideration of the sum of Five dollars cash in hand paid by the State of Alabama the receipt whereof we do hereby acknowledged [sic] and for the further consideration of the aid to be extended by the State of Alabama, in the erection or repair of a rural school on the land hereinafter described under the act of the Legislature of Alabama, approved, Sept. 27 1919 (Sec 4 Art. 18, School Code.) have granted bargained sold and conveyed and by these presents grant bargainsell [sic] and convey unto the State of Alabama, for the Benefit of School District No. 18 of Lauderdale County Alabama, the follo wing [sic] described realestate [sic] situated in the County of Lauderdale and State of Alabama, to wit--Two acres of land in the N. E. Corner of the N. E. 1/4 of S. W. 1/4 of Section 15 Township 2 Range 10 west said tract bding [sic] one acre wide east and west and being two acres long North and South. To have and to hold the aforegranted premises to the said State of Alabama, for the benefit of said school district No 18 of Lauderdale, County Ala, forever. . . ."

Hewitt was a part of the Rosenwald School Building Program. In 1912 Julius Rosenwald gave Prof. Booker T. Washington of the Tuskeege Institute permission to use some of the funds he had donated to the Institute for the construction of six small schools in rural Alabama in 1913-1914. Satisfied with the results Rosenwald agreed to fund a larger program for the construction of schoolhouses based at Tuskegee, thus set up the Julius Rosenwald Fund, a Chicago-based philanthropic foundation, in 1917. By 1920 the Rosenwald Fund had established an independent office for its school construction program in Nashville, Tennessee. By 1928 one out of five black rural schools in the South was a Rosenwald school. By the program's conclusion in 1932 it had produced 4,977 new schools, 217 teacher's homes, and 163 shop buildings.

Lauderdale County boasted seven Rosenwad schools, including Hewitt.

According to Fisk University's Rosenwald Fund Card File database Hewitt School was built at a cost of $1,000, with half that amount being contributed by the Rosenwald Fund and the other half raised by local families. Family tradition says that Union Civil War vet and Brannon family progenitor Anthony Brannon (1836-1929) made a sizable contribution towards the construction of the Hewitt School. The school served grades 1-6 and closed due to integration sometime after 1964 at which time the State sold the school property. As of now the only known teachers of this school are Lucile Acklin in 1942 and Mrs. Susie Buckingham in 1964. The Hewitt School may have succeeded an earlier school taught at the Bailey Springs AME Church.

Abraham H. Hewitt (1851-1948) was a farmer near St. Florian/Bailey Springs in Lauderdale County who married Henrietta Hough (1854-1945) in November of 1871. The couple had several children and grandchildren. Abraham and Henrietta moved to Los Angeles to live with their daughter and son-in-law, Effie and Ben Fields and their family. Both elder Hewitts died and are buried in Los Angeles, California. Some of their children and grandchildren are buried in the Hough/Huff Cemetery near Bailey Springs, in Lauderdale County.

The map shows the Hewitt School (top right, just southeast of Bailey Springs).

The two photos are of members of the Brannon and Brown families at Hewitt School on Easter Sunday, 1950.

In the first photo, on the left: Eula Brannon and right, Marie Brown (holding Easter basket).

On the steps are, from left: Gladys G. McNeal, Joseph Brannon and Charlie Brown.

In the second photo are, from left: Joseph Brannon, Jr., (wearing hat and standing next to steps), Gladys G. McNair or McNeal (top step), Eula M. Brannon (lower left), Lula B. Brannon (center step), Charlie Brown (wearing hat and standing at top right of steps). Standing in front is Mrs. Viola Brown, Charlie Brown's sister-in-law.]]>

Sandra Sockwell's *Place Names of Colbert and Lauderdale Counties, Alabama,* p. 267.

"Activities Open for Jr. Red Cross," from the *Florence Herald,* Friday, November 13, 1942, p. 2.

"Negro Teachers," from "Teachers Named for Lauderdale County Schools," *Florence Herald,* Thursday, August 13, 1964, p. 2.

Hewitt School from 1922 County Map by Evans and Meade Engineers.

Brannon family photos.

]]>
December 3, 1920.]]>
This is the 1949-1950 Burrell-Slater High School yearbook.]]> 1950]]> This is the response of Florence Times editor MW Camper to the letter to the editor published by George Seawright in that issue taking to task certain black citizens "hooting" at teachers of the Colored Free School because they were Democrats, calling them "Democrat Negroes." Ed. Camper agrees with Seawright, saying that such conduct is "reprehensible."]]> 1895-08-31]]> A list of names of people who graduated Burrell Normal School in 1933.]]> This collection is a comprehensive history of Mount Zion School, which opened in 1918. The school is now referred to as a Rosenwald school, and this collection features photographs of the building and some of its teachers, as well as letters from students and teachers.]]> 2017]]> TMB_SCN051a.jpg through TMB_SCN_051n.jpg]]> This is an article about the 1904 Burrell Slater school year.]]> 1904-09-09]]>