This Is A Part of The GAGenWeb  and The USGenWeb Project

In 1873, one year before Toccoa City existed and the town was still known as Dry Pond, the first school was formed. This first school, which had no grades, was taught in a wooden building by one teacher that taught everything from elementary subjects to higher mathematics. Sixteen years later, in 1889, a graded school was started. In 1890 the first brick building was erected. The first Principal was N.A. Fessenden and the school offered only five classes. Expenses for the school was covered by collecting, from students, a yearly tuition for each class ranging from one dollar for the basic classes to two dollars and fifty cents for higher mathematics classes. On Monday, June 24, 1891 citizens of Toccoa gathered together in "The Park" to discuss the possibility of organizing a independent school district. This would establish a free school system supported by Toccoa City taxes. After a discussion of the issue, led by S.W. Crawford, W.J. Hayes, Louis Davis, G.A. Cooper and T.W. Dennington, a vote was taken of all present and it was decided nearly unanimously to form a public school system. Lawyers Davis, Cook and Owens drew up the incorporation papers to establish the new school system. The document included the names of W.R. Bruce, T.A. Capps, W.J. Hayes, Jeff Davis, Louis Davis and H.M. Payne to serve as first board of education members. The issue was put to a city wide vote and it passed with more than two thirds of the qualified voters in favor of establishing the new system. In 1893, after the mayor and city council provided $1500 for operation, The Toccoa Public School System came into being. The first teachers in the new system, which included nine grades with a tenth added soon after, was a "Professor Alexander", Belle Smith and Emma Davis. It is reported that one diploma was issued for school year 1896-1897. For school year 1897-1898, four graduates, Mary Spears (Fears) Gilmer, Maine (Mamie Lucille) Owens, Mamie Ramsey and Sallie Strickland received their diplomas. The board of education added an eleventh grade for 1910 which resulted in no graduates for that year. In 1946 Toccoa High School opened, as a separate school in the Toccoa Public School System, on the site which is now occupied by Toccoa Elementary school. This gave the system a total of five separate schools. These were the elementary school, the primary school, the junior high school, the high school and Whitman Street School. In 1946, thirty seven students graduated from Toccoa High School. Eight superintendents served the system from 1916 to 1971. They were J.I. Allen, Mr. Rose, Mr. Boling, A.M. Stephens, Mr. Moss, J.B. Cheatham, Thomas B. Conner and W.M. Barnett. In 1971 the system became a part of the Stephens County School System due to a vote by the citizens of Toccoa to abandon the system to the Stephens County System.

©Copyright 2004-2023 Howard Farmer. All information contained on these pages is furnished by and for the free use of those researching their family origins. Any commercial use, without the consent of the host of these pages or the author of the information contained on these pages is prohibited--COPYRIGHT IS RETAINED--by the author/contributor of the material and publication to any medium, electronic or non-electronic, without consent is in violation of the law.