Coosa County school site preserves legacy, gets historical marker

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“This is a story that needs to be told.” – Chlora K. May

 

 

 

 

By Christa Jennings

 

A crowd gathered in the small community of Cottage Grove last Friday morning to commemorate a special moment in its history.

Located near Kellyton, Cottage Grove is home to the former Coosa County Training School, also known as the J. D. Thompson High School. Last Friday members of the school’s alumni association unveiled a historical marker at the site, a reflection of the school’s rich past.

In 1915, the Coosa County Training School became one of the first African American training schools in the state. However, the school’s history predates even that significant milestone.

In 1899 John R. Savage founded the Cottage Grove Academy under a “brush arbor” near the site of the J. D. Thompson High School. He had come to Coosa County because he became aware of the need for a school in the community.

With help from school trustees and local citizens, 300 acres were purchased for the school site. Later Savage changed the name to Cottage Grove Industrial Academy to better fit the curriculum.

In 1915 the school was again renamed to Coosa County Training School, and that same year Booker T. Washington and his wife, Margaret, visited and spoke at the school they had helped fund.

In 1960 the school was renamed J. D. Thompson High School in honor of its twelfth principal. The school closed in 1969 because of desegregation.

Over the years the Coosa County Training School/J.D. Thompson Alumni Association members have made renovations at the site and to the facilities, helping to preserve the school’s history. The association credits grant funds from the Coosa Valley Research Conservation & Development Council and the Alabama Historical Commission for many of the repairs and projects being completed.

Following the Coosa County Training School being listed in the Alabama Register of Landmarks and History in 2003, a historical marker was finally erected and commemorated on Sept. 26. The sign was funded by a Coosa Valley RC&D grant.

Alumni Association member Unzell Kelley welcomed everyone to the special event, reviewing his nearly 30-year history with the association and acknowledging trailblazers within the community.

“They were instrumental in what is culminating today in terms of this national historic marker,” he said.

Kelley recognized Coosa County dignitaries in attendance, including elected officials along with Coosa Valley RC&D county board members Spencer Hardy Sr., Nieshia Whetstone and Bertha McElrath.

Other dignitaries recognized included County commissioners Brandon Davis, John Forbus, Bertha McElrath, and Lamar Daugherty; Board of Education member Joe Belyeu; Revenue Commissioner Debra Lamberth; Pam Weathers with the Probate Office; Sheriff Michael Howell; and Rockford Councilmember Nieshia Whetstone.

Alumni Association member Sheryl Borden, who served as the mistress of order, introduced Chlora K. May, whom she described as “a dignitary.”

“She’s a pillar in our community, an educator – she’s a humanitarian, that’s what she is,” Borden said. “She is still serving, still teaching, still mentoring, and she’s our confidant.”

May, who has been part of the community for more than 70 years, spoke of the Cottage Grove community, the school’s rich history and its importance to not only the community, but the state at large.

“We are standing on the shoulders of people who had so little to give and gave so much,” she said. “When you have good leadership, you inspire people to follow you.”

May said Coosa County Training School has been represented all over the county and beyond with ministers, teachers, athletes, engineers, nurses, and more.

“I want you to remember that if the story is told of our history here, you are going to have to tell it,” she said. “We are rich. We are rich in history. We are rich in commitment, and we are rich with the inspiration of our leaders.”

She spoke of Savage’s vision when founding the school and the support received in making the training school a reality. She mentioned aspects of it being new, stating she had never heard of having a principal’s home nearby or living quarters for teachers who lived out of town.

“We are special; this is a special place,” May said. “This is a story that needs to be told.”

JoAnn Shealey with the Alumni Association expressed her appreciation to everyone. She said that while the historic marker was just erected that day, she celebrates every time she passes the school.

“I celebrate the rich heritage of Dr. Savage,” she said. “I celebrate the legacy that’s in this community, that when we’re long gone, our children will still be able to come down this road and appreciate history.”

She thanked everyone for coming to the event, adding, “As Ms. May said, tell somebody. Tell our story because it is a worthy story. It is one worthy of being heard and worthy of being repeated.”

Alumni Association president Joetta Maxwell said that they are “preserving our legacy while restoring our community.”

She recalled that Savage’s favorite song was “Pass me Not, O Gentle Savior,” stating that, “Even as long as he’s been dead, the savior is still carrying him on.”

“Some things we pray for, we might not live to see,” she said. “But pass it on, and don’t forget it.”

Maxwell spoke of the numerous renovations done around the school, thanking contributors and grants for assistance, especially to the Coosa Valley RC&D Council and the Alabama Historic Commission.

“If the building is destroyed and gone, the history is still here,” she said. “Not on the sign, but in our heads and in our hearts.”