Appleton

by
Virginia Conway
For many years, Appleton was a very up-to-date village. It even had a milliner every fall and every spring, and the girls in the surrounding neighborhoods, wore beautiful hats, as beautiful as could be found anywhere. Among those milliners were Miss Ollie Parker {later Mrs. Hugh Hall}, a Miss Starnes and a Miss Holmes, who later became Mrs. {Doctor John Harris}, and many others. One of the most attractive was a Miss Julia Judkins.

About 1840, a post office was established in the Appleton home and continued there for a number of years. About 1875, it was moved to the Alex Dobbins store and James P. Dobbins was appointed Postmaster. Later, it was moved to the store owned by Hall Kelton and Company and John Kelton was Postmaster until 1907. Among those who served as Postmaster after Mr. Kelton's death were Tabner Byrd Hendrix, Jim Crowder, Mrs. Etta Crowder and H. H. Warren. About 1949, the post office was moved to Five Points. W. O. {Oscar} Crowder was mail carrier on Appleton, Route One for more than thirty years. Fred Norwood was rural mail carrier on Appleton, Route Two for a number of years. Omar Davis also had a rural route. Cecil Newton also carried a route for a while in the late 1920's and early 1930's.

After the death of Mr. John Kelton, the two-story 60 by 100 foot store was owned and operated by Henry Warring Butler and Clarence {Spoon} Butler of Giles County, later joined by James A. Warren. The big store was built about 1904. Mr. Verge Green was connected with the store for many years. He had three daughters, Irene {Mrs. Arris Bass}, Opal {Mrs. Hobert H. Warren}, and Ruby {Mrs. Jesse Morrison.

I, Virginia Conway, taught school there many years and Mr. Green is remembered as one of the finest patrons of a school that I ever knew. The first school building in Appleton was Yellow Point, a log house just on the hill north of Appleton {Pin Hook then}. After the Civil War, about 1868, a larger school house was built near a big spring. Wood Simmons was the teacher and the spring still goes by the name of Wood Spring. In the late 1890's, a frame building was built by the patrons of the school. John Kelton of Hall Kelton and Company was among the leaders. Mr. Kelton married Camilla Dobbins, and they were the parents of two fine boys, Floyd and Bob.

This frame building in a lovely valley, in a beech grove, became the home of one of the most prominent schools in Lawrence County or perhaps any other county in Tennessee. The teacher was Professor J. P. Conway. It soon developed into a teacher's training school. At that time, to get a certificate to teach, one had to pass a very rigid examination. The students who went out from Appleton School never failed, hence, it became very appealing to students from other places. Soon there were many boarding students preparing to take teacher's examination. They were permitted to take any subject they desired. Soon most every boy and girl was thinking of becoming a teacher someday.

Within a few years, another very prominent teacher, {we think he hailed from Kentucky} Professor John Gallian by name, joined the faculty. He later went to Wayne County and became prominent as a teacher and County Superintendent of Education.

There were many differences in schools then and now, but we still know they were good. Why, back then people could actually spell.

We also had our college English, math, history, and other college subjects. Each Friday, different students would give written test making them as difficult as possible, grade the papers, and return them on Monday morning. It was a wonderful experience, and those who did not make from 9S to 100 were very much disappointed.

Then there was our Fallacy Box. During the week each child, was to listen carefully to everyone's English. If an error was made, it was to be written just as the person spoke it, his name signed to it and then placed in the Fallacy Box. Needless to say that by Friday afternoon, it was crammed full! The teacher carefully read each one, called the name signed to it and that person made the correction then and there. The same error was not made a second time.

There was also much singing. The echoes of many voices could be heard often, and those who heard will never forget the marvelous bass voice of Chapel Warren, and it goes without saying that ever Hendrix by the name could sing.

Neither was dramatics neglected. The school had two literary societies and among our by-laws was one to be long remembered. Each member was to read at least one chapter in the Bible every day. First for the spiritual meals, second for the educational value, geography, history biography, English and poetry. In this third district school, even in those days of long ago, it was realized that one must know the Bible to be educated. No education is complete without it.

The location of the school had many advantages. It was an ideal place for instruction in physical geography with its hills, valley, streams, island {small of course}, peninsulas, soil and vegetation. Many years ago, a young man by the name of Frank James came into the third district. This man was born in 1836 and died June 1915. He was highly educated, said to be a university graduate. He married Miss Elizabeth Williams and their children were Belle, Charles, Josie Lee, Frank and Mary. Some of his students were Looney White, Noah White, and J. P. Conway. He taught at New Hope and Appleton. He did much to create an interest in education, and many people became interested who perhaps never would have, had he not come along. He used perfect English and claimed to be a first cousin to Jesse James. Frank James Jr., his son, said there was a man who came to see his daddy named Jesse James who claimed to be his brother, but his daddy, claimed he was his cousin. Frank's {Frank Jr. 's} aunt, Liza Williams, always thought he was the same Jesse James who was in the many robberies.

Church services were held at Yellow Point School house for early settlers. Along in the 1890's, some of the preachers were John and Sherman Kelly.

The Baptist Church at Appleton was built about 1904. The second story of the building was an Odd Fellow Hall. A few years later, there was also a Rebekah Lodge.

For some years, the Church of Christ met in the Appleton School building, held tent meetings and in 1910, W. O. {Oscar} Crowder donated the land and timber to build a Church of Christ meeting house. At present, it is the only church in Appleton and has been the only one for years.

Some of the preachers at Appleton Church of Christ were:

T. C. King,
J. T. Harris,
R. N. Moody {author of Eunice Lloyd},
William H. Bethel,
Joe Clark,
T. C. Hollis,
J. Petty Ezell and others.

Some of the preachers going out from Appleton Church of Christ were:

E. O. Coffman,
Everett Coffman,
M. F. Norwood,
James Alden Hendrix,
Robert F. Hendrix, and
Samuel Faine {raised by Mr. and Mrs. T. C. Crowder}.

For more information on the Appleton Church of Christ, use the link for Appleton Church of Christ.

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