HISTORY

Reprinted from The Mena Weekly Star, Thursday, July 23, 1970

The first Baker School, located five miles southeast of Wickes, and east of the building which still stands, was a log dwelling house with homemade benches. This school was never taught by grades.

Calvin Baker deeded two acres for the schoolhouse and cemetery, and sometime later, Mr. Miller (William C.) gave another strip of land joining it to be included for the cemetery.

The building there now was built in 1908, is made of planed lumber and painted white. For several years there were only long homemade benches for seats. A three month term was taught, and the teacher’s salary was $35 per month. However, this increased up to six month terms and finally to eight-month terms with a salary of $100 per month, including janitor work.

The teachers always arrived early to build the fires. This was a large community, and there were as many as 50 pupils at a time. A few desks were bought, and gradually more were added until there were plenty in later years.

The house had a stage across the back where the teacher’s desk and chair were, and part of the time, this rostrum was filled with desks.

In the beginning, no grades were taught but soon, grades one through eight were taught. Water was carried some distance from a spring. Now 69 years of age, Henry Sullivan told of going to school to visit when he was about five years old. He was running all over the house. The teacher pretended to spit on his hands and rub it all over the top of a desk and then yanked Henry up, sat him down, and ended his running around. The little girls made playhouses; others played hide-and-seek ball and marbles.

Some of the teachers were Ben Adkison, William McKinley, Myrtle Rollins, Barney Thomas, Laura Cale, Mrs. Burnes, Ozie Embry, Mr. Everett, Bessie Blanton, Monroe Sullivan, Audrey Jacobs, Cora Stemple, Regina Barnes, Mrs. Sheppard, and Mrs. C.H. Bell. Some of the families attending were White, Davis, Young, Sullivan, Mayo, Marbut, McCarley, Baker, Miller, Bryant, Green, Blair, Jacobs, Murphy, Robb, Rogers, Terrell, Tidwell, Stories, Tyler, Rose, Lloyd, Taylor, Ellis, Downing, Thomas, and Lowrey.