History of Union Ridge District Number 36

Many years ago, so I have been told, an enterprising gentleman in this community planted an onion patch of several acres. This fact led to the name "Onion Ridge," which was afterwards changed to Union Ridge." The name "Kale," which is sometimes applied, is a nickname of uncertain origin.

At one time District Number 36 was a county-line school, being consolidated with the Sears School (Hebron) of Jones County. This union was necessarily dissolved following certain action Of the Legislature pertaining to county-line districts. The present building was erected in 1912 at a cost of only eight hundred dollars. The trustees at that time were Messrs. J.R. Pee and J.L. McRee.

The first teachers in the new building were Miss Gladys Christopher (now Mrs. Len Sublett) and Miss Gladys Greenway. Since that time Union Ridge has had the following teachers: Mrs. Tolbert Robinson and Miss Verna Hogan; Misses Ella Dexter and Georgia Moore; Misses Daisy and Verna Hogan; Charles Young and Miss Hall; Charles Young and Miss Mamie McNees; Misses Dota Garroute and Hall; Misses Verna Hogan and Minnie Lee Hague; and Miss Grace Beam and Lee Owens. In 1917 the. taxes in the district were increased to fifty cents and the school received State Aid for the first time; the help received from this source from that time has been worth a great deal to the school, enabling it to add some needed equipment from time to time.

Last summer-1921-through the efforts of the retiring trustees, Messrs. Dave Shelton and D.W. Bynum, and the new trustees, Messrs. W. T. McAninch, N. W. Blackwell, and J.H. Clark (retained), the district voted a tax at a rate not to exceed one dollar and levied seventy-five cents for this school year. Some valuable new equipment was added and the work, under the direction of Mrs. Len Sublett and her sister, Miss Mona T. Christopher, has been very satisfactory indeed. As plans are on foot for the consolidation again of this district and the Hebron District of Jones County, the outlook for a three-teacher school in a larger and better building is promising.

Class Roll