Updated May 29, 2010.
Interviews are from THE ISLANDERS. A publication produced by the Knotts Island Junior Historians at the Elementary School under the guidiance of Faye Freeman. These interviews are from Volume 1 of 1987.
Frances Barnes. Interviewed by Kelly Williams & Melissa Dianne Watts. Story written by Mike Daugherty. Mrs. Frances Barnes, 80, a resident of Knotts Island remembered her days at the three-room school house. Well, when I first started school, it was still up there near the church, but it was an old looking building. See it had three rooms into it, but it wasn't larger than scat hardly, the rooms were small. You only went until fifth or sixth grade. There were no school buses. We had to walk to school each day. We never had anything to carry us unless our parents hitched up a horse or something and carried us and that didn't happen very often. The school did not have a cafeteria. We had to bring our lunches. We had little lunch boxes or either some kind of little container Mama would put it in.
Bessie Cason. Interviewed by Sherry Cason. Story written by Sherry Cason. Mrs. Bessie Cason, 77, recalled what the schools used to be like on Knotts Island. The school that I went to stood there by the parsonage, where the Methodist parsonage is now. It was a nice school. I think it had about four or five rooms. We had to walk to school; that was the only transportation. Well, there were two schools on Knotts Island. There was a one—room school where Mrs. Ferguson lives over by Jones', it‘s now called Knotts Island Market. The rules were stricter than what they are now because when you got punished they didn't make you you write. They would whip you.
Casey Munden. Interviewed by Suzanna Flannagan & Brandy Futrell. Story written by Suzanna Flannagan. Mr. Casey Munden remembered attending the one-room schoolhouse on the north end of the Island. He started school in 1915. Well it was just an old rough, one - story building made of pine wood. It had one door and four windows, I think. Weren‘t very light in there. It was dark, expecially on cloudy days. I think we used candles (for light). I don't think we had any kerosene lamps at the time. We had to walk (to school) back in those days.There was no transportation. It took about thirty minutes for us to walk there, I guess. Well, I remember it was always two boys that kept the fire going at school, and I remember one time the fire died down. See, it was coal that they were using. Some red coals were at the bottom but at the top the fire was gone. Some boy poured some gasoline in the stove and the stove blew all to pieces! For excitement, we didn't have any back in them days. The best excitement I can remember was two flocks of sheep. People back in them days had sheep, you know, they were open range and they would come to this school yard to graze on the grass. Well a neighbor up the road probably had eight or ten, and the neighbor on the other side, a half a mile maybe, had another bunch. They (the sheep) both would meet at this school on days, and they would get fighting. One black sheep and a white sheep would get to butting one another, like these mountain goats, you know. They would rare up and run together. I seen them hit so hard it would knock one of them out, and he would lay there for twenty minutes before he would ever come too. They would come right on back and fight again the next two or three days.
Edna White Carroll. Interviewed by Jr. Historian Club. Story written by Chris Hemsath & Kelly Williams. Edna White Carroll, 72, was able to recall her childhood memories of the one-room school at the north end of Knotts Island. She talked about their school supplies. We had very few books, and those books lasted for quite a few years. You didn't change books like you do now. Everybody in first grade used the same book all the time. The second grade had the same books. You used books until they were worn clear out! You know what we wrote on? We didn't have any paper. We had slates. Everybody had a slate. You wrote on it with either a slate pencil or chalk. When you were doing math or spelling you had to take it up to the teacher's desk and she would say it was ok. It was either right or wrong and if it was wrong you had to right whatever you had wrong. But the ones that were right were wiped off. So we did not have paper. I must of been in the 4th, 5th, or 6th grade before we used ink or ink pens. It was a staff, you know, it wasn't a fountain pen.
Grace Williams. Interviewed by Kelly Williams & Melissa Diane Watts. Story written by Rosy Barker. Mrs. Grace Williams, 84, recalled the three room school. It was a three—room school right where the Methodist Parsonage is. The rooms were big. We had a wood heater and the fire had to be made every morning. The boys made the fire when they got there, and we girls always had to clean the windows when they needed it. We had a big bell and that bell was rung every morning to get the kids in, and we marched in two by two. And the school taught from the first grade, no high school. It was just through grammar school. Then you couldn't get your diploma. You had to go to Poplar Branch a year, before you could finish high school. We had a water bucket with a dipper and that thing; every body drank out of it until I don't know just how long. We did that but then we had to buy little cups you could mash together, it was a little tin cup that would fold. Everybody had to have their own cup, so that seem to do better, you know. I didn't finish school, you know. We couldn't get a high school over here. There wasn't enough children for it. Pauline Munden went to Poplar Branch and finished a year over there and got her a diploma, but nobody else ever did. Well, at that time, my dear, no body could afford it. Mrs. Williams remembered four teachers she had; Mrs. Catherine Jones, Mrs. Eure, Mrs. Bray, and Miss Olden. She also remembered one time she got in trouble in Miss Olden's room. It was the second room then. I got out of the first room. Well, we were all having a class and we would sit on the bench by the fire when it was cold, and the teacher taught from that. Sometimes, Mr. White (Emmett White) could lick his tongue clean to his nose and he did this particular thing this day. I laughed and so did Frances Ansell, and we were right in front of him. There he was, just like a snake. Now Miss Olden came at the door. Do you know she whipped everyone of us for that!
Mahlon "Mike" Wade. Interviewed by Jr. Historians. Written by Melissa Diane Watts. Today schooling is really advanced compared to yesterday‘s schooling. But education has always been important to the people of Knotts Island. Mr. Mike Wade, 77, resident of Knotts Island, shared his memories with us about the earlier schools. Mr. Wade attended the three room school house near where the Methodist Church is today. Well, there was a lot of children and you had to walk to school then. There was no school bus. If it rained or snowed, or if it was cold, it wouldn't make any difference. You had to walk to school and you walked home at night. Back then, there was no lunch served at school. You had to take your own in a little bucket. "There was no such thing as hot soup." School hours then were about the same as today but there were some major differences in who was let out at a certain time! The good children were let out about five or ten minutes sooner so that they could get ahead of the next crowd. Well, the next bunch that was let out, was a little better. Then the last bunch was, excuse the language, but the last ones were known as the hellions! They were the mean ones, so you had to get the good ones ahead so there was no fights or scrapping going on. The school rooms were not fixed up like they are today. There was one old, big wood stove that sat in the middle of the room and the older boys had to bring in the wood in the mornings and start the fire before school began. There was no electricity. Rules then were very strict at school. You were not told twice to do something. In the corner of the room was a big stack of switches and believe me they were used! They were not there just to look at. In the morning school was always opened with prayer. Mrs. Pauline Munden, one of the teachers that Mr. Wade remembered, taught reading, writing and arithmetic. Geography was also taught then. Every year each school in the county would hold a May Day. Each school would compete against the others. There were spelling bees, music and sport events. Mr. Wade remembered one year in particular when Knotts Island won all the May Day events. He remembered the ball game and the race particularly. He weren't very big then, Hope (Hope Williams) was not, and played first base. A big leaguer couldn't have played no better than he did that day. So we went down there (Poplar Branch) and beat them. We won everything there was to win! Well, she (Miriam Waterman) was a racer. She had to run against two or three girls out there. These other girls come out-—they had running suits. Poor Miriam, there she was with a dress down to her knees. I shain't never forget; she pulled that dress up and tucked it right down in her panties. when she took off, I'm telling you that was it! She was gone! Education was tough and hard to come by then. But when you were able to go, you learned and benefited from it.
Preston Jones. Interviewed by Jr. Historian Club. Story written by Lori Bishop Preston Jones, 68, in a visit with the Junior Historians recalled his days at the earlier schools. I walked to school from where I lived. I used to carry a little metal dinner bucket. You would go up there in the morning and that janitor, he'd take your dinner bucket. They had this table, I can see it right now, up there in the corner. You had your name on the dinner bucket, and you would set it up with all the rest of the dinner buckets and go outside and play a little while. One teacher taught you practically everything you were learning. My wife (Marie Jones) taught school right here (present Knotts Island School) for thirty-seven years. She had, at one time, three or four grades that she taught. They taught basically the same subjects: reading, writing, and arithmetic. Mr. Jones told us of one of the mischievous things he remembered the boys doing when he attended the present Knotts Island School. One day we had snow. They (the boys) rolled up a snowball and threw it at the teacher. It hit her umbrella. That thing shot off like a parachute! Mrs. Steel was principal, and I won't never forget that. We stayed one week over that--every night! If you did something bad or mean during the day, you didn't go out at recess. You sat in Mrs. Steel's office. You didn't go out and play.