The first Cleveland community school was built on John Cupps land, probably in the early 1880’s, and was sometimes called the Cupps School.  When it was decided to build a new school building, this first building was moved up on the hill close to the Cupps’ house and used as a barn.  As a child, I would play with Grace and Cora Cupps in the old building.  The west end had about 6 boards painted black, for a blackboard, from wall to wall, with no windows.  There was a lot of lattice work in front of the blackboard, between the pupils and those who were at work at the boards.  There were two doors at the front and one on each side of the house.  It had only one room and was a tall building.

The second Cleveland school building was built about 1887, about 3/4 of a mile north of the first, off the main road.  There were lots of pretty shade trees.  It had two large rooms, with blackboards painted on the walls.  It faced south, had double doors with glass windows above the doors, four windows on the west side, with blackboards between.  There were three windows and one door on the east, with blackboards between and the north end was blackboard all across.  There were swinging doors to raise up when having any kind of gathering.  There were two big wood heaters and an underground cistern.  We had a see-saw on the wood pile, just a plain boxing board over a log.  We had no out houses.  The boys went to the west pasture, the girls to the east.  Later an outdoor toilet was built for the girls.  There were no closets or coat rooms, just nails.

The third Cleveland school was built on W. L. Baugh land about 1921, when the Antioch School burned and consolidated with Cleveland.  Affie Matthew of Trickham was the carpenter, and it had a front porch, two big rooms, two large coat rooms, and a large stage between the coat rooms.  The building was remodeled later, adding a lunch room.  When the school consolidated with Santa Anna in 1940, Virgil Newman tore this building down and used it to build his home.

Some of the teachers of the Cleveland schools were Henry Campbell, John Campbell, Mrs. Putman, Mamie Baxter, Mabel Lowe, Edgar Lockhart, Connie Erwin, W. C. Rickard, Ida Perry, Dovie Polk, Marie Brannon, Mabel Woodard, Juanita Freeman, Bon Taylor, Alice
Griffith, Lila Burk, Fannie Ingram, Lura E. Vinson, Jessie Griffith, Mrs. Gilliam, Jewel (Daniel) Sewell, Ruby Roundtree, Doris Gilmore, Hazel Vernor, Jewel Russell, Mrs. Burl Sparkman, Mrs. J. B. Byrd, Georgia King, Elsa Bible, Katie Whiteside, Clifford Rainey, Audry Rainey,
Letha (Ragsdale) Parker, Mrs Myrtle Taylor, Mabelle (Gilbert) Seate, Mildred (Wagner) Ford, Henry Williams, and Hallie Bivins.

Pupils at the Cleveland school were from the families of Allison, Whitely, Holland, Fletcher, Crow, Huggins, Phillips, Baugh, Jennings, Williams, Moore, Cupps, Perry, Radle, Brooks, Jackson, Durpee, Green, King, Visor, Wilson, Bevills, Mills, Welch, Simmons, Vick, Bobo, Bland, Small, Blanton, Horseman, Biggs, Jolly, Broadway, Morgan, Polk, Mitchell, Mahaffey, Scott, Lucas, Hudson, Haynes, Hartman, Pope, King, Beal, Turner, Lofton, Ellis, McLeod, Bullion, Glasscock, Kilmer, Wilkerson, Gihnore, Hinter, Battles, Hodges, Bland, Wilson, Fanin, Parsons, Campbell, Thompson, Allen,, Fleming, Elliotts, Triggs, Griffin, and Rainey.

(Editor’s Note from Ralph Terry:  When W. A. Trowbridge came to Coleman County in 1893, he found the Cleveland community a prosperous farming area, but no post office or store, so he built a two-story store and residence and secured a post office named Niwot.  Later, there was a blacksmith shop.  He sold the store to his daughter and husband, C. T. Allison in 1904.  She closed the post office in 1910, as it was unprofitable.  There was never a school called Niwot.)