Fidelity School History

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0 height="100%"><tr> <td valign="top" width=200 BGCOLOR="#333399" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="034c8c00erkjzj.jpg"> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" BGCOLOR="#333399" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <FONT SIZE="6" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >Fidelity School History<B>   </B></FONT><A HREF="http://www.jaspercountyschools.org/" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.jaspercountyschools.org/"><U><B>home</B></U></A><B>   </B><A HREF="id20.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Fidelity"><U><B>Fidelity School</B></U></A></div> <div> "Report for the term ending the 20th of June 1884.  Number of pupils enrolled 42; number of day's</div> <div> attendance of all pupils 1086; average number of days attended by each student, 42; number of days</div> <div> taught 60; The pupils having the highest average of scholarship during term, Matilda Woods.  The </div> <div> following are the names of those having 100 in punctuality and deportment during the term: Victoria</div> <div> Grubb, Gabie Corwine, Myrta Cupp, Nettie Young, Cara Bardoe, George Shivley, Rachel Shivley, Bertie</div> <div> Cupp, Andrew Hopkins, Joseph Lundy, Vilah Newton and Thomas Smith.  </div> <bR> <div> Thanking all patrons and pupils of this district for their kindness toward me and recommending this school</div> <div> to teachers, I close this, my third term at this place.  Clara B. Lundy, Teacher."</div> <bR> <div> <I>The Carthage Banner, June 1884</I></div> <bR> <div> <I><IMG SRC="09b620b0.jpg" border=0 width="610" height="11" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></I></div> <bR> <div> THE FIDELITY SCHOOL HOUSE</div> <div> The removal of the school house at Fidelity recently caused no little excitement and comment. Mr. B. F. Bitner </div> <div> called yesterday and reported that the house had been standing on ground belonging to the Christain church, </div> <div> and at a meeting called to consider the question it was decided by a vote of 19 to 1 to select a new site.</div> <bR> <div> The new site having been selected those interested in moving the house commenced on Friday night so as to </div> <div> get it to the new site by Saturday night and would have succeeded but for an accident which caused some delay.</div> <div> Mr.Bitner states that the house is permanently located on the site chosen and thinks that the contest is ended. </div> <bR> <div> <I>The Carthage Press, </I>Thu. Jun. 16, 1892, page 6, column 5.</div> <bR> <div> <I><IMG SRC="09b620b0.jpg" border=0 width="610" height="11" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></I></div> <bR> <div> The Fidelity school house, seven miles south of Carthage on Grand avenue, one mile south of the W. N. Haggard</div> <div> store, was destroyed by fire which broke out in the roof at 2 o'clock yesterday afternoon.  There was no means of</div> <div> fighting the flames.</div> <bR> <div> The children and teacher saved their books and small equipment.  The school library was burned.</div> <bR> <div> The fire was discovered by H. G. Frame, an insurance man, of Carthage, who was driving along the road.  He went to the </div> <div> school door and told the children to get their books and march out of the building as the roof was one fire.  They did so</div> <div> without mishap.</div> <bR> <div> One small boy ran home screaming.  When he was overtaken and told not to cry he complained that he had left his</div> <div> pencil in the school house and that it had burned.  Another pupil rescued a half bucket of coal that was sitting beside</div> <div> the stove and after dumping the contents of the bucket into the orad went back and hurled the bucket into the burning</div> <div> room.</div> <bR> <div> The school has been taught by Miss Dolly Jeans.  The directors of the district met last night and decided not to make</div> <div> an attempt to rebuild the structure immediately.  No suitable place for holding school was obtainable and no school</div> <div> will be held in the district the remainder of this term, it was decided.</div> <bR> <div> The school building was an old landmark, having been built 40 years ago.  The frame was of timbers hewn from the </div> <div> native forest.  The building was insured for $500.  It would cost about $2000 to replace it new.  The structure was </div> <div> 244 by 36 feet in size.  A defective flue is believed to have caused the fire.</div> <bR> <div> <I>The Carthage Evening Press, February 4, 1922</I></div> <bR> <div> <I><IMG SRC="09b620b0.jpg" border=0 width="610" height="11" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></I></div> <bR> <div> Burn The Last Bond</div> <div> Jonny Bowman thrust the bond in the stove.  PTA reorganized, Mrs. Ruth Moyer-president,</div> <div> W. L. LaDow-secretary.</div> <div> <I>The Carthage Press, </I>Feb. 13, 1930, page 3, column 6.</div> <div> <I>Contributed by Bob King.</I></div> <bR> <div> <I><IMG SRC="09b620b0.jpg" border=0 width="610" height="11" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></I></div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="03806580.png" border=0 width="262" height="600" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> <I><IMG SRC="09b620b0.jpg" border=0 width="610" height="11" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></I></div> <bR> <div> Founded in 1922, the Fidelity schoolhouse, on US 71 Alt, Fidelity, still stands, though its time as a</div> <div> one-room schoolhouse 1922-1965, to its time as a residence of a family from 1965-1979, to its</div> <div> time as another family's residence from 1981 to the present.</div> <bR> <div> <I>The Carthage Evening Press, June 24, 1987</I></div> </td> </tr></table></body>