My earliest memory of Mt. Airy School was in 1920 when I was four years old. My sister, Azalee, was old enough to go to school and needed someone to walk the one and one quarter miles to school with her.

Mt. Airy, as all country schools, was a one room, one teacher school. It was located north of Highway 12, midway between Ackerman and Sturgis, just beyond Mt. Airy Church at the fork in the road. One road to the left joined the Bethlehem road, another led to Mrs. Mollie Oswalt's where all the teachers boarded. The one to the right led by the Rev. E. L. Taylor place and forked again. To the right it joined Highway 12 by J. M. Black, Henry Shurman and Jess Oswalt's.  To the left, the road led to Sand Creek, Steadman School, Spring Hill and Reform.

There were hollows on each side of the schoolhouse that served as rest areas. In another hollow was a spring where the older boys took turns carrying water to be poured into a keg with a faucet resting on a partitioned case where each one kept their glass to drink from. In the schoolroom was a big stove - in front, a long recitation bench where we went to recite what we knew in ten minutes. We only had a six month term and by the time one finished the eight grade, they could begin teaching in a country school.

My first teacher was Miss Vera Rowell with Miss Ella Wells substituting when she was sick. Some of the ones I remember going this year were: Hilyard, Grady and Richard Cutts. Willie Cutts was already through and Merra, Everette and Ilene were to start later in Ackerman. They walked from what is now the Game Area.

Next in line were the Gatlins. By this time Elmer and Stella were in high school elsewhere. They were: Cootcher, Aubrey, Lentz, N. H., Willie and Lillian. Evelyn was too young to go. The Crowsens, Earl and Everette, lived at the Fulcher Crossing and came this year.

Mr. and Mrs. Martin Oswalt lived at the Whatley place and their children; Gassie, Marcus, Alma and Ila came. On the Bethlehem Road lived Mr. and Mrs. Jimmie Oswalt and their children; Raymond, Lela and Lois came. Vernon, their eldest, was already out of school. Next was Mr. and Mrs. Wesley Oswalt and their children; Coy, Celia, Mildred and Maxie came. Jewell was already married and Cramer was to start later. Mr. Robert and Mrs. Bell Oswalt's children attending were; Mamie, Noel, Houston and Brady. Earl was already out of school.

Living on the Moses Black place were Mr. and Mrs. Bud Hyde. They were the first family to own a car in the community, a 1923 Model T. Their adopted son, Soverign Regan Hyde, was in attendance. His sister, Jessie Regan, was out of school. Mr. Richard and Mrs. Eva Oswalt lived by them at the Jackson-Oswalt place. Pearl and Thelma were in school. At the SilasBlack place lived Alfred and Mary Oswalt and their three sons; Howard, Duff and Erbun were in attendance. They later went to the Steadman School. In later years, their sister, Louise, went to Ackerman.

We (J. M. Black family) lived where the Fulchers settled when they moved to the area. Across to the next hill were the Joe Stacy family. Their children attending were: Stella, John, Okla and Akla. Della and Charlie were already out of grammar school. At the Alexander place, Nova and Ruby Wood attended.

In the fall of 1921, with new blue and red lunch boxes, we began school in October with Miss Mamie Collier as teacher. Several had dropped out at this time.

The fall of 1922, Mr. Calton Edwards came to teach. This year we had a basketball team! Here is where Mr. Calton met and married Stella Gatlin and they were the parents of four children: Gatlin William (G. W.), Calton Jr., Imogene and Sammy Faye. Mr. Simmie Oswalt's daughters, Merle and Beulah, came this year as Steadman School was no longer in existence, The Mings had moved to Fulcher Crossing and Carrie and Christy came. Clint Vaughan moved on to Dido road and his daughter, IdaMerle, came.

In the fall of 1923, Miss Rosa Oswalt was our teacher. The Pollys had moved to Fulcher Crossing and Helen, Anita, Cullen and another sister came. In a spelling match, Cullen Polly spelled down everyone by spelling "Chicago" correctly. Sula Adams also attended this year. Pearl and Thelma Oswalt were in Sturgis School by this time. Mr. and Mrs. Boyd Hollis moved into the Snow house and Mildred and Evelyn were in attendance. Carolyn was too young at this time.

In 1924, Mr. Calton was teacher again. He was very strict and would not allow anyone to look out the window. One day a dirigible came over and he let us all go outside and look. Then one day Mr. "Poke" McMinn rode by the windows on a mule and Mr. Calton said, "Let's all look at that!"

This year, Mr. Wesley Oswalt's youngest daughter, Cramer, attended as did Helen Oswalt, daughter of Dell and Lovie Oswalt. Willodean and Marvin were later to start at Sturgis. By this time, Aubry and Lentz Gatlin, Okla and Akla Stacy and Noel and Mamie Oswalt were finishing. We had a program at school, curtained off the front and as it came our time to recite our poem, we came in the window. I remember N. H. Gatlin's poem:

At recess and dinner, we played games like dropping the handkerchief, mad dog across the road, stealing sticks, jump rope and others.

The next year, Hudson Orr was our teacher. Many had dropped out and gone on to high school at Sturgis. Merle and Beulah Oswalt went to Weir, and here is where Beulah met and married Martin Edwards. Dutch was out of school. Mr. Martin Oswalt's family had moved to the Delta. Mr. Jimmie Oswalt moved to Sturgis.

Our last year at Mt. Airy in the fall of 1926, Mr. Joe Keen came to teach the nine of us: Mildred and Evelyn Hollis, Mildred and Cramer Oswalt, Ida Merle Vaughn, Brady and Erbun Oswalt and Azalee and Desiree Black. They had school the next year with even fewer attending. We went on to Sturgis. The schoolhouse was moved to be used as a potato house. Now the only building left in the community is Mt. Airy Church, a very sacred place.

"...the next year (1869), I bargained for a homestead from Jesse Fulcher, opened it up and made our home there till 1879. During those years, I taught school at Mt. Airy to which place I gave the name of Mt. Airy on account of its exposure to cold winds. The name was afterwards given the name of the Methodist Church there. Perhaps but few know how the name originated but this is how it was." - H. P. Dotson, March 19, 1909.
 
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