The American Missionary — Volume 36, No. 8, August 1882Various
History
The American Missionary — Volume 36, No. 8, August 1882
Various
Congregational churches -- Missions -- Periodicals; Home missions -- Periodicals
In Jackson County, sixteen miles from Berea, there has long been
a church called Walnut Chapel, similar in character to the church
at Berea, and connected with the same association. A few families,
slightly colored, have always lived among them, belonged to the
same church and attended the same school. Indeed, their minister,
the most prosperous man among them, and long a trustee of the
public school, was said to be slightly colored. Another minister,
who preached to them a few years, exhibited more signs of color. In
this neighborhood lives Robert Jones, who, in 1856, was whipped by
a mob, thirty-three lashes on his bare back, for being a colporteur
of the American Missionary Association, and for sustaining Mr. Fee
in one of his meetings. Four of the old man’s sons live about him;
one is a preacher, as is the father himself.
When the colored school law was passed in this State, their harmony
was disturbed. It is made unlawful “for any colored child to attend
a common school provided for white children or for a white child to
attend a common school provided for colored children.” This utterly
deprived the colored children of school privileges, for there were
not enough of them to organize a school district, and there was no
prospect that there ever would be. In this emergency the church
asked advice of the Association. After due deliberation they were
advised to build a good school-house that should be open to all
children of the neighborhood, and let the common school take care
of itself. Aid was promised them, if it should be necessary.
The community accepted this advice. A plan of a school-house
was furnished them, and a promise made that if they would build
according to that plan, they should have a good teacher the first
six months without expense to them. The school-house was to be
25×30, 12 ft. from floor to ceiling, with four large windows, two
doors, and good seats and desks for 60 scholars.
This was a great undertaking, unheard of in that region. There
was no house equal to it in the county, for schools or meetings.
But enthusiasm was developed, as the work went on, and culminated
at the dedication on the 26th of June. Three times as many were
present as could be crowded into the house, and so great was the
rush for the school it was necessary to publish that only sixty
could be admitted. The children of those who aided in building
the house were to be admitted first, but must make application
within three days. At the end of the three days nearly a hundred
applications had been received.
Before the dedication the people had, in some way, named the school
“The Pine Grove College.” They were advised to drop the name
college, as their most advanced students would never get within two
years of college. But names are not easily dropped, and this seems
destined to endure.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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