Clinch County, Georgia - Chapter 8, 1916

PRIOR to 1868 the control of school affairs was vested in the justices of the Inferior Court, five in number, together with the ordinary and one citizen of the countyappointed by the judge of the Superior Court for four years. The clerk of the Inferior Court was secretary of the Board of Education, while the ordinary was ex-officio treasurer of the school funds.

In 1870 this system was entirely changed and educational matters were vested in a Board of Education for each county to consist of one member from each militia district in the county, to be elected by popular vote. The Board was to select a secretary who was to be by virtue of his appointment county school commissioner.

In 1872 this law was considerably modified and made better. Under the latter Act the control of education was placed in the hands of the board of five members to be elected by the grand jury. This board was to elect a secretary who was to be ex-officio county school commissioner.

Later, in recent years, the election of the county school commissioner was placed in the hands of the qualified voters of the county instead of by the board. Under this law, Flem C. Dame was the first commissioner to be elected.

Under the Act of 1870, above referred to, the following members of the Board of Education were elected, on the first Saturday in January, 1871, the date of the qualification of each one following their names:

Under the Act of 1872, referred to above the grand jury sitting at the April term, 1872, of Clinch Superior Court, appointed the following citizens of the county to serve on the Board of Education :

Under the law of 1870, the Board of Education, which was elected met and elected H. D. O'Quin as the first county school commisisoner and ex-officio secretary of the board. Mr. O'Quin qualified June 3d, 1871. He continued under the reorganized Board of Education, and was re-elected in 1876, qualifying December nth, 1876, and served until 1882, when he was succeeded by George W. Newbern.

In his report to the grand jury, at the April term, 1873, Commissioner O'Quin stated that about $390 had been received by the county treasurer for educational purposes and paid out according to instructions; that about $800 would be received for this county for carrying on the schools for the fiscal year. He also stated that under the special school law it was the duty of the school board to organize public schools for three months in all parts of the county where practicable, and that the Board of Education desired and earnestly solicited the grand jury's co-operation in organizing one or more schools in each militia district during the year.

In reference to local taxation, the commissioner stated in his report: "The power of local taxation is lodged with your body this year on recommendation of the School Board. The Board in session to-day decided to recommend that as your body has the power, that you exercise your discretion In the matter, it being the opinion, however, of the Board that taxation for educational purposes would ultimately be more beneficial than for any other purposes if properly applied, as our children would thereby be benefited longer after we have passed from the stage of action."

The grand jury at the spring term, 1872, which elected the first board of education under the new school law, had this comment to make on the new school system: "We look with favor on the public school law and desire to see the new system fully tested and believe that with good management on the part of those clothed with the power of its execution it will redound In great and lasting benefit to the young and rising generation."

In his report to the grand jury at the fall term, 1877, Commissioner O'QuIn stated that under the new law passed In 1876, making It the commissioner's duty to appoint school trustees for the different districts of the county, he appointed the following trustees: Sherod Tomllnson, J. B. Pafford and Martin S. Corbitt for Mud Creek; J. R. G. Hamilton, Louis Strickland and David O'Quin for Lawton ; George W. Newbern, William H. Ramsey and Wm. Griffis, for Homerville; and Isham Patterson, Jonathan L. Morgan and Solomon Mobley, for Morgan's district. He stated that he had licensed twenty teachers and contracted with sixteen to teach schools up to that time during 1877.

From the minutes of the school board it is seen that the total value of school property in Clinch County in 1895, was $6,450.50. Only two schools, viz. : Homerville and DuPont, had patent desks. The value of the DuPont Academy was placed at $400 for the building and $369 for the fixtures, and the DuBignon Institute at Homerville was valued at $2,605 foi* the building and $578 for the fixtures.

Among the schools In Clinch County, DuBIgnon Institute, located at Homervllle, might be said to be the best In Its courses of study, faculty and equipment. The magnificent brick building, located In the western part of the town, with a campus of about six acres. Is ample to accommodate a town several times larger than Homervllle. It was built In 1909-10 by the town; and In order to secure funds, with which to built the school, the citizens of the town unanimously voted for a bond Issue of $8,000.

The original building was a two-story frame building, located In the northeastern part of town, and built about 1894-5. It was built mainly by subscription. This building was used until the fall of 1909, when It was destroyed. The origin of the fire has never been ascertained; It caught In the third story which was a "half-story" used by the secret orders. After the loss of the old building, preparations were Immediately made for another one. The bond Issue was made and Mr. H. J. Peagler was selected by the town council to look after the building of same and as treasurer.

The present school building has a touch of the old Spanish architecture In Its appearance, and Is two stories high. The first floor contains two large class rooms and two smaller ones. The second floor contains two small class rooms and a large auditorium with a seating capacity of about five hun-

The first school taught in the old DuBignon Institute was opened on the 7th of January 1895, under Professors W. E. Gullette and J. F. Eggleston. The school received its name in honor of Hon. F. G. DuBignon, one of the State's foremost men. In the commencement exercises of May 23-4, 1895, Colonel DuBignon offered a gold medal for the best oratory. This was the occasion of much effort on the part of the young men of the school. The judges were Rev. W. J. Stallings, R. L. Clark and Hon. R. G. Dickerson. The medal was awarded to H. H. Baxley, a young visitor-student. His subject was "Principle."