Baldwin Primary School was an elementery school established in 1922, 4 miles west of Milledgeville on Hwy 22. It was combined of students from Proctor, Watson and Pleasant Grove. The high school students were sent to G.M.C in Milledgeville. Teac hers here were Miss Ruth King, Miss Lois King and Mrs. Frank Watson up to 1925.
Proctor School was
built by and located on Peter Proctor's land in the Brown's Crossing community
in 1897. It was a 14x16 one room frame building with a chimney at one end, glass
windows on both sides and a door in front. He also made all the desks, which
were all the same size, and recitation benches. Students kept warm by taking
turns sitting by the fire.
The first teacher was Mrs. Frances
Moore Bealls who taught here 7 years. She walked 2 miles to school and back
daily, taught from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Her salary was $35 per month, waiting until
the taxes were paid to collect her salary. All grades were taught here. All
grades were taught here as was the custom in rural schools in Baldwin County.
After 7 years the school moved up
into St. John's Primitive Baptist church and Miss Maggie Humphreys taught one
years. Some of the members objected so the school was moved across the road in
front of the church to a little one-room house that had been occupied by a woman
named Harriett. The children called their school "Harriett's College. The
official school on record was Clinton Road School. Miss
Bertha Gilman taught here until the school was discontinued.
Pleasant Grove School Lawrence Rd., off Hwy 22, West. School was located across the road from church at intersection. was established in 1860. Trustees: David P. Brown, Oliver P. Bonner, Thomas Morris, Thomas Horne, and Oscar V. Brown Church & School incorporated together. In 1895 the teacher was Miss Mabel Hodges. Some other teachers were Clifford Speight, Berta Williamson, Laura Horne. The school building was destroyed by fire when Laura Horne was teaching here and was rebuilt in the same place. The new building was opened with Mary Lizzie Ivey as the teacher. Not having any furniture she borrowed chairs, church benches and other homemade items until she got her school furniture. Miss Ivey taught through the 8th grade and introduced Domestic Science to the school. Mrs Dollie Horne Lawrence had charge of the school when it closed in 1921 and the children were transported to Watson School.
Watson School was
established in 1907. Mr. J. F. Miller, who was instrumental in
establishing the school, moving to Milledgeville from Sanford, Florida.
Robert and Frank Watson hauled the lumber for the one-room school which was
built by Mr. Bungertell on Watson property. The school operated for the
first 5 years with Mrs. F. M. Bealls as teacher. Mrs Frank Watson taught from
1913-1914. Other teachers were Louise Quarterman Blanks
(1914-1915). Mrs. F. E. Watson (1915-1916), Miss Mary Blitch (1916-1917), Miss
Viola Hill (1917-1918). Miss Fannie Lane (1918-1919), Miss Bertha Holt
(1919-1920) and Mrs C. S Cowan (1920-1921). In 1921, children from
Pleasant Grove and Meriwether schools which increased the enrollment to
16. The schools was then consolidated in 1922, by a suggestion of J. A. Stiles,
during a meeting with the Board of Education. Dr. Dawson Allen suggested calling
the school Baldwin Primary School. The high school students were
trucked to G.M.C.
Source:Union-Recorder Nov. 26,
1925