The Bethlehem School was located in the Union Hill District about nine miles northwest of Gilmer, Texas, on a beautiful two-acre plot. The people in the community regarded the school as the most important factor in elevating the lives of the people. 

The school was not like the school of modern times. It consisted of a one room log cabin chinked with mud for protection from wind and rain.  The school had an open fireplace with a stick and clay chimney, so was primitive but was characteristic of the times.  The fuel consisted mostly of trash children could pack from the woods and wood which the patrons cut and hauled to the school in their wagons.

The only book used was the Blue Back Speller, and learning was confined to the Three R’s.  Later the school was moved from the log cabin into the church, because they needed more room.  Mr. Edd Wright was the teacher. 

There was pride in the church, but the ambitious community preferred a school building rather than teach in the house of the Lord. 

In 1898, The residents of Bethlehem purchased one acre of land from Mr. Eliza Owens and erected their first building of board structure directly in front of the place where the church now stands.  In 1903, Mr. J. W. Sharp was appointed teacher.  Mr. Sharp and his wife, Fannie, taught for over ten years.

In 1968, when Union Hill built its new building, Bethlehem School closed its doors and integrated with the Union Hill School.  

 

 

 

(See page 7 for a picture of the Bethlehem School)

Another school located in the Bettie area was Olive Branch which was located about three and one-half miles west of Bettie.  It was just a few yards northwest of what is now kown as the Claude Bowden home, and got its name from a spring branch just north of the school. 

 

It dates back to 1903. Olive Branch consolidated with Bettie and Forest Hill in April, 1926.

OLIVE BRANCH SCHOOL

on the district. Then, in a few years as the people were settling around the community and enrollment increased, another room was added.

Brumley consolidated with Union Hill in 1940. It was 1943-44 before all  the grades went to Union Hill.

 

In 1887 the school of Brumley was established and a one room school house was built where the residence of Tom Ellis now stands. The school was named for an old man by the name of Brumley who used to own a large league of land, so they had the school built in the middle of his pasture. At that time, the county was  sparsely settled.

In 1902 when the county was divided into districts, the school had to be moved because it wasn’t in the center

THE BRUMLEY SCHOOL