Shiloh School
1899-1902
Carrie Sigmon wasn’t the only young woman from Marion County of the time to enter the teaching profession, in 1899, Annie Mixson was teaching in Dunnellon and Lulu Mixson (Mary Telula Mixson), my grandfather’s sister, was attending the normal school at Fort McCoy. The spring term for the Normal School started on March 27th in 1899 and was ten weeks long. The school’s tuition was $2 a month and staying at the boarding house cost $8 which most of the girls did for the schools were commute by horse and buggy. I was told that Lulu Mixson’s father, my great grandfather, James Darlington Mixson, didn’t want Lulu to go to the Normal school, he wanted her to stay home and take care of the younger seven of the twelve children, but she preserved, and he provided the money for her to go. Lulu would begin teaching come fall in Micanopy.
In June of 1899 Miss Maggie Gillis was appointed the teacher for Shiloh. While Lulu Mixson went off to Normal School, several of her younger step-siblings were attended school at Shiloh, Alice age twelve, Wilbur (my grandfather) age eleven, and Charles age nine. The youngest of the twelve, Lois and Maxey, would attend a few years later.
In December of 1899, South Lake Weir asked to have a school for three months as they would have nine pupils and said they could average six pupils. For teacher, they asked that their own, newly certified Miss Carrie Sigmon be appointed. It didn’t say who did the asking but it was likely Carrie’s father, Julius Francis Sigmon, who was the supervisor of the South Lake Weir school in 1898 but the school was discontinued for not having enough students. In May of 1901 Mr. Sigmon “applied to the board to re-establish their school, saying that they had nine scholars and that five lived too far to attend any other school.” The matter was deferred to a later meeting.
At the start of classes in January 1900, Miss Maggie Gills resigned as teacher at Shiloh and the Shiloh superintendent was instructed to fill the vacancy for the following month of the school year. It didn’t say why Miss Gills resigned, some young women just didn’t have what it took to handle twenty or thirty students, others got married, had children which they would not have time for teaching.
In July of 1900, The Ocala Evening Star posted the list of teachers, or “Pedagogues” as they were called, for the upcoming school year. It listed Miss Ellen Blodgett at Shiloh, C. C. Hall at Flemington, Miss Lula Mixon at Martin and Miss Viola Mixson at Fantsville. Viola is another of my grandfather's sisters.
In June of 1901 The Ocala Evening Star reported that miss Carrie J. Sigmon had passed the examination and received her certificate for teaching third grade. In July the Star posted the list of teachers for the 1901-1902 school year listing Miss Carrie Sigmon at Shiloh, (Miss Sigmon was one of “six young ladies of the Lake Weir vicinity who are teachers”), Miss Viola Mixson was at Mayville, and Miss Annie Mixson at Key Pond.
In February of 1902, Miss Sigmon returned to Lake Weir after completing the school term at Shiloh. The Marion County school system only provided funds for five months of elementary schooling. The Star said Miss Sigmon expected to soon open a private school at Ellis Mills. The private school must not have worked out for in July the Star reported “Miss Carrie Sigmon returned to Shiloh to teach the 1902-1903 school year. She was unanimously requested by patrons of the school. Miss Sigmon was well liked, and in February of 1903 the Star reported “Miss Carrie Sigmon finished her second term at Shiloh. She finished the term with 34 students after starting with 11 two years before.” The school had a graduation ceremony described as follows:
The school closed Tuesday, February 10, 1903, under the able management of Miss Carrie Sigmon, who has been our faithful teacher for two years and gave perfect satisfaction in every way.
There was a large crowd present. The program began as follows:
The boys of the school had a tournament, Ernest Whittington being the successful one to get queen’s crown, with Miss Vivian Bauknight as queen. Carlton Bauknight crowned Ethel Neil first maid; Willie Dryer crowned Flancy Cameron second and George Whittington crowned Lula Sutherland third maid.
Then came the peanut contest, which caused a great deal of excitement as well as amusement. The one that carried the most peanuts on a silver knife was entitled to a fine cake. Mr. George Whittington was the lucky one, having carried thirty-nine. He presented the cake to Miss Carrie Sigmon. Next came dinner and a more bountiful feast was never beheld. Everything to tempt the appetite was there, and plenty of it.
In the afternoon came the exercises, which were simply grand. The school sang “America,” then marched to the church singing the Yankee Doodle marching song. The exercises were all that could be desired, the children being well trained. Some of the most interesting ones were:
The composite recitation (this brought down the house); song, “The Neat Little Clock,” by the school; dialogue, “Which is Which?” And “The Young Critic,” with many others which were all excellent.
Miss Carrie Sigmund has made many friends while at Shiloh, and she has the honor of having built up the school from small average to a very large one. She closed with thirty-four pupils.
Shiloh Methodist Church (built in 1955) with schoolhouse in the
back as it looks today.
The original chapel was a wood building built from local pine trees
cut into boards at Jacob Feaster’s sawmill.