History of Mulberry District Number 40

Mulberry, a county-line district of Jones and Taylor counties, organized in 1901 from territory taken from the Pleasant Hill and Salt Branch Districts Numbers Twenty-three and Thirteen respectively of Taylor County and a stretch of land lying due north in Jones County. The district was named by Mr. W. C. Moore, a pioneer resident of the section, and was called "Mulberry" because the creek of this name runs through the district. The site of the first school building was a two-acre tract about a mile west of the present location, on a bit of land belonging to Mr. F. J. Smith, who took much interest in the school. (Mr. Smith is now a resident of Merkel.) The first building was a rude, one-room frame structure about thirty by forty feet and was built with funds donated by the prospective patrons. In the early days there were about twenty-five pupils in attendance. In the spring of 1917, the house was destroyed by fire of unknown origin. Then it was decided to move the school to a four acre tract of land belonging to Mr. S. N. Morrison and lying about a mile to the east. Since there did not seem to be sufficient time to bond the district and build a large house, money was again raised by donation and a two room house erected for the term 1917-1918; this was the first two teacher school taught in the district. During this year bonds were voted to the amount of twenty five hundred dollars and the taxes in issued to twenty-five cents. The present building, a neat, well-arranged, modern, frame structure, two rooms; was erected and well-equipped. The following year the district again increased its taxes by voting fifty cents it became eligible to receive State Aid, which it has received each year since.

The progress of this good school has been shown by the fact that, in 1921, it was one the first of the county to increase its taxes to the limit of one dollar in order to have first class teachers. Leland Martin, who had been principal of the school the year before, was again in charge with Miss Willie Mae Osborne as a most capable assistant. One marked evidence of Mr. Martin's interest in the school is the splendid playground equipment installed during the year, which is a source of great pleasure to the children and is a credit to the district.

Class Roll