In the fall of 1912, I began teaching in the public school of my hometown, Pearlington. I was principal and teacher. My pupils numbered thirty-two from primer through eighth grade.
I had had two years of helping my mother in her private school in Pearlington. Then attended the Tri-County Normal School in Wiggins, Mississippi, for nine or ten weeks, then took teachers’ examination in the Bay St. Louis Court House, and got license to teach.
Due to the Poitevent and Favre mill preparing to close, people commenced moving from Pearlington. Before this Pearlington Public School had had two teachers, now, with a decreasing population only one would be needed. I applied and received the appointment.
On the first day of school the trustees told the pupils they would have to stop addressing me as “Jeanne,” and use “miss” before my name. They did.
When cool weather came we used pot-bellied stoves that burned wood. We had no janitor; the trustees saw that wood was put in the schoolyard. The larger boys kept the wood boxes indoors filled with wood. The older girls were assigned days to sweep and dust. I lit the fires and saw they were out before we left. I also helped with sweeping and cleaning.
We had no play equipment, outside of marbles, balls, bats, etc., that the pupils brought. In groups we would play “Drop the Handkerchief” and singing games.
There were no free books. Our books were bought or handed down from generations or given by someone that could use them no longer.
Lunchrooms were unknown. Most of the children were in walking distance from the school and went home for their mid-day lunch. If it was a rainy day, they did as I did every day—brought their lunch. I enjoyed the sessions. However, so many families were moving or just waiting for Poitevent and Favre to get their sawmill in Mandeville built that I was in doubt about accepting the school for the next session.
My mother closed her private school in Pearlington and accepted a position in Logtown Public School. My younger brother attended Logtown school and used to drive my mother back and forth in a horse drawn buggy. A short distance nearer, Gainsville , a one-teacher public school needed a teacher. I accepted the position and rode with my brother and mother. The school was the “Bennett Special.” It was a small one-room building, not near (ly) as nice as Pearlington School. I only had twenty pupils, all grades. The heater, janitor service, play equipment was the same as in Pearlington, only this heater’s pipe often smoked and fell down a few times.
After this session my family moved to Mandeville. I did not go with them. I spent the summer in Hattiesburg at Mississippi Normal College, now U. S. M. I visited my family when I left Hattiesburg and on the second day I was in Mandeville I received a telegram from Mr. John Craft, then the county superintendent of Hancock, telling me there was a position as primary teacher open for me in Bayou Talla Public School, near Kiln, Miss., and if I accepted he would assist in getting a good place for me to board, and he did.
Several years before the small one room school in Kiln had been done away with.
The school board with the help of Mr. Haas and Mr. Herlily (Herlihy ?), who owned a sawmill, pointed out the advantages of a larger building and more teachers to accommodate the increasing number of pupils.
Although Bayou Talla School was about one mile from Kiln, the patrons and pupils did not seem to mind the distance. Many lived at Bayou Talla, so did I. I boarded a short distance from the school.
The school was two-story and had three large rooms. The principal, a man, taught sixth, seventh, and eighth grades upstairs. The intermediate teacher and I each had a room downstairs. She taught the fourth, fifth, and part of the third grade. I had the beginners through third grade.
We had no heater problems; they were in good conditions. The desks were comfortable and we had tables and chairs for reading purposes.
Our play equipment was not very plentiful, but the larger boys and girls had spacious grounds to play outdoor games. The little folks spent recess periods on the school’s front porch or playing under shade trees.
The book situation was poor. It was either buy new books or use “hand-me-downs” other members of the family had used.
We had to bring our lunch, teachers as well as pupils. My classes sat at tables to eat, and I sat with them. I would spread a tablecloth made from colorful feed sacks on our reading tables.
I was the only teacher that had signed a contract to teach at Bayou Talla the next session.
Our principal had agreed to finish a short-term public school near Kiln at the John Necaise community. But as he was moving from the area he asked if I would take his place. I did. It was a small building, only a few pupils, and being warm weather I had no heater battles. (This seems to be some type of summer school session.)
The following September I was back at Bayou Talla, had the same room, same position, but a larger salary. Before long rumors were in circulation about the passage of the Consolidated School Law of 1914. Many wide-awake citizens of Kiln and vicinity listened and visioned what an excellent location Kiln would be for a large, well-equipped school. Finally, in 1916 a petition was circulated at Kiln, Fenton, and elsewhere for a consolidated school district, which was endorsed by over one hundred and twenty-five taxpayers and electors of the district. The petitions were presented to the school board in due time when they were acted upon favorably, the result being a magnificent two-story building known as Kiln Consolidated School. It was formed by the following named schools: Necaise, McLeod, Fenton, Silver Hill, and Bayou Talla, comprising a district of fifty-two square miles. The building, together with the equipment, cost ten thousand dollars.
[During] the first session large covered vans drawn by horses were used to transport pupils that lived far from school. Later motor trucks were used; it was faster and cheapest in the long run.
All the classrooms were spacious; so was the auditorium, each well equipped.
Mr. Vernon Asendale was the first principal, and the first graduates in the new school 1916-17 session were Etha Kergosien and Edgar J. Doby, my youngest brother.
Our next principal was Prof. S. P. Powell. We were six classroom teachers, a domestic science teacher, and a music instructor. Mr. Powell coached the boys’ ball games. One of the classroom teachers taught manual training to her boys that were in the sixth grade. Later when the older girls wanted a basketball team, Mr. Powell was their coach. Kiln pupils took active parts in ballgames [and] field meets in Hancock County also in neighboring counties. Pupils who wished to do so took piano lessons.
Along in 1918-19 session 4-H Club work was introduced in the school under the guidance of Miss Sallie Cirlot, County Home Demonstration Agent, and Mr. Frank Pittman as agent.
The school was carefully watched and cared for by the County Health Doctor, D. M. Shipp, and the nurses who assisted him. They lived in Bay St. Louis, but visited often.
Every room had adjustable steel sanitary desks, charts, maps, blackboards, and other necessary school apparatus. We had electricity throughout the school even to ring the bell. We had a maintenance man and janitor, sanitary drinking fountains, and indoor restrooms. For recreation there were swings, slides, and ball equipment of all kinds.
In 1918-19 the teachers prepared a little volume, “Kiln Consolidated School,” and dedicated it to the children of Hancock County. By this time the school’s enrollment had reached three hundred and fifty. The patrons were proud of their school, so were the teachers and pupils.
The 1919 graduates were four in number: Jessie Cuevas, Mae Mauffray, Delia Beech, and Lottie Cuevas.
After this, many graduation classes of larger numbers followed. Kiln Consolidated School grew like magic. When Edward Hines Lumber Company opened a large mill in the community, people began moving into the town. Some built their own homes; many rented houses the Hines Company built. The school added more teachers and built an annex to ease the congestion. Primary grades and other work occupied the new building. At this time Kiln had two doctors, a well-staffed hospital, a moving picture show, and even a railroad. The railroad was mostly used to get timber for the mill. Things went fine for several years; then timber grew scarce. Like all sawmill towns Kiln commenced to go down; people moved away in search of work.
When my husband lost his job as lumber checker, he was offered the same work in Weston’s Lumber Mill in Logtown. He accepted, and we boarded in Pearlington. I was principal again in Pearlington Public School. But [I] only taught one session. Logtown mill was feeling the timber shortage and my husband decided to work at Crosby Lumber Company in Picayune, Mississippi. My next teaching position was Gainsville Public School. We were two teachers. I was principal. I missed the large, spacious Kiln School. But I enjoyed my years at Gainsville. Many school patrons had been friends of mine when Pearlington had been a booming mill town. The beautiful oaks and sparkling Pearl River brought memories of my girlhood days when Pearlington was my home. The high school students from Gainsville rode back and forth on a school bus and attended Bay High School. I taught and lived six years in Gainesville. Then [I] accepted a position as principal of Clermont Harbor Public School as living in Clermont Harbor would be a shorter distance for my son to ride back and forth to Bay High as he was to enter high school that session. I had an assistant teacher. We had good blackboards, heaters, sanitary drinking fountains, and quite a bit of outdoor play equipment. The school had a large number of boys and girls who were active in 4-H Club. We also took part in the carnival celebration at Bay High. Our school entered a float and marched with Bay High pupils in the street parade. I taught four years at Clermont Harbor, and when my son finished high school, I bought my present home in Bay St. Louis.
By then, Lakeshore had built a large modern school. I accepted the position I was offered. [I] taught third and fourth grades; fifth and sixth; sixth and seventh; then seventh and eighth, the session I was principal. The school was modern, our heaters were gas heaters, and we had electricity and lunchroom, free to those who could not pay. Before the lunchroom started, the schools of Hancock County were getting free textbooks. At Lakeshore we had a maintenance man and janitors. We had a large number of 4-H boys and girls. Many were winners in various contests, no only in athletics, but in sewing and crafts. I was 4-H leader for our school and went with the group; the county let us use the school bus. Our 4-H group from Lakeshore and Clermont Harbor also entered contests in Harrison County, Picayune, Hattiesburg, and Jackson.
By the close of the school session, Clermont Harbor had built a pretty, well-equipped new school. As it was nearer my house, I returned as principal of Clermont Harbor Public School. I taught eighth grade and also worked with the 4-H group.
In 1957-58 session I taught fifth grade at Bay High School, now junior high. At the close of the 1958 session, I retired.
When the 1958-59 session arrived, I taught seventh and eighth grades at St. Joseph’s Academy I Bay St. Louis.
After retiring I substituted in the Bay/Waveland City Schools and also at Lakeshore and Clermont Harbor for a number of years. I also did tutoring at my home.
Recently I help some with the R.S.V.P. program, helping children who are a little slow in some school subjects.
On my long journey through Hancock County Schools I have seen a remarkable growth: consolidation, larger building, better classroom equipment, better prepared teachers, less teacher load, better salaries, sanitary drinking fountains, indoor restrooms, proper lighting, modern heating systems, air conditioning, libraries, science laboratories, music and art classes, language instructors, guidance teacher, projectors and screens, free textbooks, lunchrooms, desegregation, modern buses, trained bus drivers, maintenance men, and janitors.