Friday, Aug. 15, 2008

Mountain Creek St. Paul School

By BILL BEARD

For the News-Mirror

William and "Aunt Susie" Gardner donated land in 1881 to trustees of the Mountain Creek School Community. The land was to be used for a school and a graveyard. In 1884, the Fife family donated an adjacent piece of land to the school and cemetery to be used for building a church. Mr. Fife placed the stipulation on the donation that the church have a Biblical name, thus St. Paul. Although the school was officially called Gardner School, everyone referred to it as the St. Paul School.

The picture shows the entire student body and the teachers, Professor and Mrs. Myrick, for the school term covering the fall of 1904 and spring of 1905.

The school was disbanded and the building was sold and moved to Midlothian in 1940. The church was inactive for a number of years but stood for several years although it was propped up with large boards to keep it erect. It eventually burned. The cemetery, located about six miles south of Mansfield on U.S. 287, is still viable and is the final resting place of many of the area’s early settlers.