yesterday's tennessee
E. M. Evans was born April 9,1874 on a farm near old Moores Hill, in the northeastern part of the county. He was one of the five children of the late J. M. and Eliza Davis Evans. He spent his early life at the place of his birth and he got his early education at the Moores Hill school. When he was five years of age, his mother died, but his father remarried in a few years to the sister of his first wife and the young boy was reared by this good woman, scarcely knowing the difference from his real mother. When he was 11 years old, his father moved to Lone Elm and here he finished his education. Alter the railroad was built, his father again moved to the town of Chesterfield, where he has made his home since then, with the exception of six years. Soon after coming to Chesterfield, the young Mr. Evans started out for himself. He was first employed as a clerk in a general store. He then moved to Beacon where he worked for his uncle as a clerk for six years. He then accepted the position as agent for the N.C.&St.L. railroad at Chesterfield and served in this capacity for 35 years until the agency was removed in 1931, and he is still caretaker for said company. He was postmaster at Chesterfield from 1900 to 1934. In 1900 he was married to Miss Olivia Essary. He was a partner in the mercantile business with O. L. Wallace for two years, who later sold to John T. Moore. This partnership continued until 1930 when other duties made it Impossible for him to continue, and he sold his business to said Mr. Moore, who still runs the store. By an Act of Legislature, he was made district road commissioner in 1922, and continued in this capacity until the death of H. E. Graper in 1924. He was then made chairman of the Highway Commission and served In this office throughout the dark days of the Henderson County roads when the county was wrapped up in debt and remained to see the county road warrants worth 100 cents in the dollar. He served as Chairman of this Commission until the legislative act of 1931, which abolished same. He has been a member of the County Board of Education for 13 years and served as chairman of this august body for several years. This has always been Mr. Evan's pet hobby, as he has always been a strong advocate of better teachers and better schools. In his own section of the county he was instrumental in getting nine new school buildings, all of which were two and three teacher schools except two. He has likewise been as progressive for other sections of the county. He is now back at his favorite occupation as merchant. He, together with his sons, is still in the mercantile business at Chesterfield. He was a member of the State Executive Committee of the Republican party for eight years. E. M. Evans has made a success of his own business which qualifies him to look after the business of the public.
Alvin Holmes was born in the Poplar Springs community in 1880, and is the son of the late John and Carolina Jackson Holmes. He went to the common schools of his community; four months at a time being the longest term he ever attended. He completed what was then known as an 8th grade education. In 1898 he was married to Vannie Taylor. She died in 1909. He was then married to Ethel Fowler in 1910. Mr. Holmes is the father of 12 children, six by each wife, 11 of them still living. He has been a farmer practically all his life, but has been considered a good carpenter and has had some business experience. He was elected to the Henderson County Board of Education in 1925 and re-elected in 1932. In September 1932, he was elected chairman of the County Board of Education, and is without question, one of the most active chairmans in the entire state. His sole interest is in the education and general upbuilding of the teachers profession In the entire county. Nobod questions Alvin Holmes' fairness honesty and integrity of purpose.
G. W. Stewart is the father of the County Superintendent, G. TilIman Stewart. He was born near old Palestine in this county December 23,1885. He is the son of the late J. R. Stewart and wife. His father served as a Union Soldier in the Civil War. He went to the common schools of his day and later came to Lexington and attended what was known as Baptist College. For a number of years he served as a clerk in what was known as the Stegall store, 7 miles south of Lexington, and has driven many a wagon to Jackson and Saltillo to haul goods for this store. This was before railroads were built In this county. He taught school for a number of years and in 1903 was appointed United States Deputy Marshal under President Roosevelt, in which capacity he served for nine years. He was then elected a member of the County Court and in a few months was made Superintendent of the County Farm for the Poor, this position he held for 12 years. He also served a term as member of the County Board of Education which was from 1915 to 1922. In 1930 he was again elected for a seven-year term as a member of the County Board of Education. His varied experience makes him a well qualified man for his position. He is at present, United States Commissioner for this section of the state, having received his appointment from Federal Judge Anderson.
L. W. Adams was born March 19, 1888. He is the son of N. A. and N. F. Adams, who are still living on the place settled by his great-grandfather. He received his early education in the common schools of his community, going two months h the summer time and approximately the same for the winter session. He went six months to W. C. Crook who is still a teacher in this county, and nine months at Juno to Bebe Boswell, who is now an insurance agent at Jackson. He entered high school at Lexington in 1911 under J. O. Brown and in all of his school work he was a leader of his class and made a splendid record. He first started teaching in 1908 and with the exception of two or three years has taught continuously. He was married in 1913 and is the father of four girls, two of which are students in the Lexington high school. He was elected to the County Board of Education in August 1934, to succeed Fred S. Sellers, who had served on the board for seven years, and who was not a candidate to succeed himself. Mr. Adams is a man of reputable character, whose honesty and sense of duty is admired by all who know him. He is fair toward everybody and will surely do his duty toward the schools of the county.
Houston, as he is commonly known, was born in Decatur County in 1884. He is the son of the late George W. and Bettie Weaver Creasey. He lived there until he was nine years of age. He attended his first school at what is known as Corinth Church and the teacher was Billie Holland; father of Miss Kate Holland, assistant cashier of the Sardis Bank. He moved to this county with his parents at the age of nine and settled near Ebenezer Church, called Stone House at that time. Practically all his early education was in a one teacher school. He later attended school at Sardis, when the Hon. Perry Patterson was principal and who is now Professor of Economics in the University of Texas. He then attended school at Decaturville under Professor J. W. Wheatt and James Duck. He then began teaching in Decatur County and taught for eight years. His salary was from $35 to $50 per month, five months in the year. He later went into business and has sold merchandise at Cedar Grove and Sardis. He is now managing a farm at Sardis for the Equitable Insurance Company of New York. He was elected to the county school board in 1928 and was reelected in 1934. He is married and is blessed with a good family. One of his daughters, Miss Avis, is a Senior in the Sardis High School and is a star on the basket ball team. Houston Creasey has spent and is spending a lot of time in the service of education in this county and is a man who is well liked by his friends.
I was born on Beech River, May 4, 1884, of honorable parentage, neither of which could more than read and write, and who were then struggling hard to pay for a small 60 acre farm. When I grew to school age, we usually had a. two-month term, but I recall a time for three years that the little box school house (it was used for church also) was not open for school due to the fact that the board for that house let a slicker talk them into buying desks, the money for which had to come out of the allotment due that house. However, I can point with great pride to some. of my teachers, one of which was no other than Mr. Y. A. Jackson, at whose feet I sat three terms (four months each) and to whom I attribute most of my rudimentary education. I also went one term to no less a person than the eminent scholarly gentleman, C. Perry Patterson. After I let the little district school at Rock Hill, I attended one-half term at Lexington, one-half term at Juno, one-half term at Scotts Hill and three months at Sardis, working every inch of my way myself. Of this fact I have always been very proud. No taxpayer ever paid one penny of my tuition and strange to say, no one ever advised me to attend school during those days. I made a county certificate by examination at the age of 16, and taught 18 years, and with the exception of the first two or three years, I am very proud of my record as a teacher. Space here would not permit me to give examples of my reasons why. I now have six children, four of which have had more days in school than I have which partly explains why I consider my education inadequate and faulty. However, I am sure I have learned many times more in the storms of life since my school years are over, than before. But one can not but note the wonderful change in education that has taken place in the last two decades. I became a board member by appointment five years ago, to fill out the unexpired term of a fine, capable. and worthy friend, O. H. Dennison, who chewed great judgment in resigning especially before the depression came. The best qualifications I have is my long experience In teaching and school management. However, I find it not so pleasant as I at first anticipated. I hope to be friends with all, and to light ignorance which is the greatest blight that ever cursed the world.
E. P. Segerson is the son of the late Richard and Lassiphine Segerson. Richard Segerson was born in Ireland and came to this country "when 14 years of age, and settled in what is now Chester County. E. P., known as Em, was born in 1880 in Chester County and moved with his parents to Henderson County at the age of four. He attended the common schools of his day. Later he attended the Scotts Hill Normal, when Prof. B. A. Tucker was at the head of that institution. He taught school then for four years. Later he worked for the Southern Engine and Boiler Works in Jackson for three years. In 1905 he was married to Miss Jessie Taylor. He is the father of 11 children, 10 of whom are still living. For the past two decades, Mr. Segerson has been a farmer and still owns and operates a farm one mile east of Reagan. He was elected to the County Board of Education in 1918, again in 1925, and again in 1932. Ernest Segerson has done a great deal in helping promote the educational interest in his section of the county and has worked diligently to uphold the profession.
Note from Brenda Fiddler: This came from an ambitious project of Tilman Stewart who announced the establishment of a regular publication called "Henderson County Schools." The two issues I've seen actually carried ads. I doubt if there were more than two issues. The cover page states: "Official Publication: Henderson County Teachers Association."
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