Hernando County Schools in 1883-1884

The following was transcribed by Jeff Cannon from Hernando County School Board minutes from Sept. 3, 1883.

Based on names of the trustees, the following schools were likely located in what is now Pasco County: Ellerslie, Willow Oak, Emmaus, Prospect, Wesley Chapel, Cartersville Academy, Townsend House, New River, Baillie’s, Hebron, Hudson, Pine Grove, Spring Valley, Oak Grove, Clay Sink, Clear Lake, Oak Pond, Oak Dale and Kalon.

All schools listed in this table as 3rd Class or 3rd Grade were African-American schools, although not all are indicated as such.

Proceedings County School Board

Superintendents Office Brooksville, Fla., Sept. 3, 1883

The County School Board of Hernando County met pursuant to adjournment. Present J.C. Clements, Pres’t., A.M.C. Russell, Secretary and Sup’t., J.S. Colding, J.R. Oberry, J.E. Burnside. A quorum present. The Board proceeded to business. D.G. Hennes presented himself as a member of the Board under the appointment of the State Superintendent. It was moved and seconded, That the County Superintendent of Schools be authorized to appoint trustees, examine and grant certificates to teachers and make contracts for teaching Schools during the time that the Board is not in session. The motion passed. The following named persons were appointed as Trustees of Brooksville Public School No. 27, to wit: A.F. Brown, T.S. Coogler, S. Stringer, W.J. Barnett, C.C. Keathly On motion it was Resolved, that the petition of the patrons of Mount Pleasant School, Colored, be not granted. On motion, The petition of the citizens of the Flat Woods Settlement, asking for the establishment of a Public School, was submitted for examination and decision to the Superintendent. Ordered, That a public School be established at the head of Chesowiskee River. The Board adjourned to 2 o’clock, p.m. The Board re-assembled and proceeded to business at 2 p.m. as per adjournment. The Board then proceeded to revise, discontinue, and establish public schools for the ensuing year as follows: (continued next page)

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TABULAR LIST OF PUBLIC SCHOOL FOR SCHOLASTIC YEAR COMMENCING OCT. 1. 1883.

When Established No. of School Name of School When Opened When Closed No. Days Taught No. Pupils Enrolled Average Attendance per Month Amount Paid per Term Grade of School Name of Teacher Name of Trustees Remarks

Oct. 1, 1877 1 Ellerslie Oct. 1 ’83 Feb. 15 ’84 88 23 15-15/88 $60.68 2nd Class Miss Belle Meacham J.G. Wallace, P.R. Weaver …

Oct. 1, 1877 2 Willow Oak Nov. 5 ’83 Mch. 15 ’84 88 18 13-1/2 $54.00 2nd Class Miss Hortense Lee R.J. Bradley, Lot Sellers …

Oct. 1, 1877 3 New Hope July 16 ’83 Nov. 22 ’84 88 33 16-59/100 $67.36 2nd Class S.W. Akin Thos. Graham, F.M. Townsend, C.R. Arnold …

Oct. 1, 1877 4 Emmaus Nov. 15 ’83 Jan. 25 ’84 38 38 … $82.00 2nd Class R.E. Bell J.W. Jackson, G.G. McKendree, J.S. Glass …

Oct. 1, 1877 5 Prospect Oct. 29 ’83 Mch. 5 ’84 88 38 30-10/100 $120.40 2nd Class J.G. McLean A. Middlebrook, V.C. Thrasher, David Osborn …

Oct. 1, 1877 6 Crystal River Oct. 1 ’83 Dec. 31 ’83 66 16 5-47/56 $17.13 2nd Class Mrs. F.A. Rumper J.S. Miller, Nick Barco …

Oct. 1, 1877 7 Pine Level Feb. 4 ’84 June 4 ’84 88 25 … $68.45 2nd Class Mrs. F.V. Goodman W. Willingham, John J. Sharp …

… 8 Spring Lake [possibly erased] … … … … … … … … … …

Oct. 1, 1877 9 Wesley Chapel … … … … … … 2nd Class B.L Blackburn J.A. Boyett, W.R. Smith, J.J. Gillett …

Oct. 1, 1877 10 Russell Hill (Col.) Oct. 15 ’83 Feb 22 ’84 88 37 24-9/11 $99.25 3rd Class P.R. Russell (col.) Mack Johnson, H. Russell, G. Washington …

Oct. 1, 1877 11 Cartersville Academy Oct. 29 ’83 Mch. 4 ’84 87 37 … $112.85 2nd Class J.A. Cunningham N.A. Carter, A.C. Sumner …

Oct. 1, 1877 12 Brooksville (Col.) Oct. 15 ’83 Mch. 27 ’84 88 46 … $181.00 3rd Class C.C. Johnson G.W. Geiger, Joe Mills, Henry Harper …

Oct. 1, 1877 13 Townsend House Oct. 1 ’83 Dec. 20 ’83 44 44 … $90.77 2nd Class C.J. Jenkins W.R. Nicks, J.E. Burnside …

Oct. 1, 1877 14 Mount Pleasant (Col.) Nov. 12 ’83 Mch. 19 ’84 88 … … $180.00 3rd Class P.L. Hamilton (Col.) Tony St. Clair, John St. Clair …

Oct. 1, 1877 15 Lecanto Oct. 1 ’83 Jan. 31 ’84 88 30 18-75/100 $75.00 2nd Class E.A. Harrison Josiah King, J.P. Morrison, J.J. Davis …

Oct. 1, 1877 16 Wooley Pond Oct. 8 ’83 Nov. 9 ’83 40 22 … $25.29 2nd Class Mrs. M.S. Godman R.E. Quinn, F.M. Hedick, W.J. Mickler …

Oct. 1, 1877 17 New River June 1 ’84 … … … … … 2nd Class Mrs. Lula B. Austin H.D. Ryals, Jas. P. Smith, H. Darming …

Oct. 1, 1877 18 Shady Grove Oct. 2 ’83 Dec. 21 ’83 59 34 … $60.12 2nd Class J.C. Clay J.W. Allen, M. Mason, C.C. Rooks …

Oct. 1, 1877 19 Spring Hill Jan. 14 ’84 May 9 ’84 88 22 … … 2nd Class Mrs. Fannie A. Coryill J.F. McKeown, J.B. Law, H.F. Lykes …

Oct. 1, 1877 20 Ft. Cooper Oct. 1 ’83 Feb. 29 ’84 88 33 … $94.63 2nd Class R.W. Hill T.C. Cato, Jasper Redding …

Oct. 3, 1877 21 Baillie’s … … … … … … 2nd Class Geo. A. Brock W.J. Baillie, E.A. Hill, J.R. Sawyer …

July 7, 1884 22 Hebron July 7 ’84 … … … … … 2nd Class … M.W. Page, N.A. Williams, A.M. White …

Oct. 3, 1877 23 Hudson Mch. 3 ’84 July 4 ’84 88 17 … $50.54 2nd Class J.S. Bryan Wm. Lang, W.G. Frierson, J.W. Hudson …

Oct. 3, 1877 24 Pine Grove Mch 24 ’84 … … … … … 2nd Class Mrs. M.E. Alexander T.R. Dean, David Heisler, R.C. McKinney, James Shearer …

Oct. 3, 1877 25 Lake Lindsey Oct. 1 ’83 Feb. 1 ’84 88 19 14-5/11 $58.12 2nd Class Mrs. N.A. Alberson J.R. Snow, C.Q. Nevitt, J.M. Hedick …

… 26 Kalon [possibly erased] … … … … … … … … … …

March 29, 1878 27 Brooksville Oct. 1 ’83 … … … … … … A.F. Shands, + Mrs. Wall A.F. Brown, T.S. Coogler, S.Stringer, W.J. Barnett, C.C. Keathley Drs. 1884

May 25, 1878 28 Floral City Oct. 15 ’83 … … … … … … Frank P. Ornett J.C. Clements, W.A. Duval, J.M. Baker …

Oct. 1, 1884 29 Belle View Oct. 3 ’83 Feb. 2 ’84 88 43 27.95 $111.83 2nd Class Geo. A. Brock H.C. McRed, J.W. Osborn, T.S. Bleach …

Oct. 25, 1878 30 Red Level Oct. 1 ’83 Jan. 31 ’84 83 33 19.55 $78.50 2nd Class W.J. Rumper H.D. Edwards, T.S. Winn, W.C. Turner …

… 31 … … … … … … … … … … …

Jan. 29, 1879 32 Spring Valley Oct. 2 ’83 Feb. 7 ’84 83 42 23.84 $95.59 2nd Class R.O. Carter J.M. Oberry, W.N. Dowling, J.G. Blanton …

Mch 6, 1880 33 Hunter’s Hill Oct. 15 ’83 Feb. 22 ’84 88 26 21.68-2/11 $86.72 2nd Class Mrs. Son E. Whitman E.G. McGeachy, H.V. Allen, Wm. Rutledge …

May 8, 1880 34 Crystal Rock … … … … … … … … R.T. Willis …

Oct. 13, 1880 35 Hickory Island … … … … … … … … C.C. Carroll, E.F. Wheeler, W.H. Pratt …

… 36 Oak Grove Oct. 1, 1883 Jan 25, 1884 84 45 28.22-1/2 $112.90 2nd Grade G.W. Eatherly Charles Croft, Henry Jordan, R.M. Wilson …

… 37 Clay Sink Oct. 1, 1883 Feb. 6, 1884 88 11 9.97 $39.88 2nd Grade J.L. Bryan W.R. Prichard, E.J. Johnson, W.J. McNatt …

Mch. 31, 1884 38 Orange Grove Mch. 31, 1884 July 7, 1884 65 18 9.48 $28.45 2nd Grade Mrs. P.E. Perkins E. Croft, J.R. Hawthorne, S.B. Erichenlast, M.V. Vanniss, C.C. Todd …

Mch. 31, 1884 39 Crescent Lake … … … … … … 2nd Grade … James P. Vogels, L.S. Bradham …

Sept. 30, 1882 40 Clear Lake Oct. 1, 1883 Jan. 31, 1884 88 52 44.6 $178.00 2nd Grade R.S. Pringle Wm. Mobley, Stephen Sear, B.L. Ray …

Sept. 30, 1882 41 Oak Pond Oct. 1, 1883 Dec. 15 ’83 55 24 … $57.77 2nd Grade B.L. Ray A.H. Smith, W.C. Smith …

Oct. 1, 1882 42 Davidson Oct. 1, 1883 Dec. 11 ’83 44 24 10 $19.86 2nd Grade H.E. Weist O.P. Keller, E.K. Carter …

… 43 Lockhart … … … … … … … … … …

… 44 … … … … … … … … … … …

Oct. 1, 1883 45 Clark’s Settlement July 7 ’84 … … … … … 3rd Grade C.C. Johnson Sol. Oneal, Sandy Stewart, Henry Oneal …

… 46 Dampier’s … … … … … … … … J.W. McNatt, J.F. Dampier, J.H. Hampton, A.D. Tompkins …

1884 47 Oak Dale … … … … … … … … J.M. Abbott, Elias Geiger, Jno. D. Spivey …

Oct. 1, 1882 48 Kalon Feb. 11 ’84 June 16 ’84 88 41 … $123.12 2nd Grade R.S. Pringle Steve Weeks, Harrison Slaughter, J.E. Mills …

Oct. 1, 1883 49 Ft. Taylor Nov. 26 ’83 April 4 ’84 88 33 23.79/88 $92.40 3rd Grade Mrs. M.J. Adams Berry Hughs, John Fagen, Asa Giles …

Oct. 1, 1883 50 Bay Port Jan. 2 ’84 Feb. 29 ’84 44 13 5.96 $11.96 2nd Grade Miss Jennie E. Hill L.B. Sanders, J.W. Whisnant, John Parsons …

ANNUAL REPORT 1885-1886

The Hernando County School Board Annual Report for October 1st 1885-September 30th 1886 lists 74 schools. This list only indicated expenditures for each school and did not list teachers or trustees.

Schools that were included in the 85-86 annual report and not listed above were as follows:

Annattaliga, Arlington, Ashlea*, Bay City, Bay Viera, Bee Tree Pond*, Beulah*, Blanton*, Cedar Tree*, Center Hill, Chipco*, Dade City*, Double Hammock, Fort Dade*, Hatton*, Homosassa, Lee’s Mount, Lenard*, Loyce*, Macon*, Matchett Lake*, Morton, Mt. Olive (Col.), Oriole, Owenboro*, Plassie, Ravesies, Riverland, Rock Hill, Rural, San Antonio*, South Brooksville, Stage Pond, Sumner*, Tomkinville, Tuckertown*, Vereen*. [An asterisk indicates that the school was located in what became Pasco County after Hernando County was divided in 1887.]

This annual report states that there were 81 schools in Hernando County during the 1885-86 school year. Of these, 25 were constructed of log, 56 were wood frame structures, and none were made of brick. Of these 81 schools, 27 were erected during the 1885-86 school year; 4 were constructed of log and 23 of wood frame. These 81 schools occupied 60 acres of property in Hernando County valued at $600.00.

These annual report totals and figures were endorsed by A.H. Ravesies, Chairman of the Board and W.C. Zimmerman, Co-Superintendent.

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