During February’s Black History Month we honor Black Americans who have contributed to both local and national communities, and especially those persons who accomplished their purposes despite obstacles.
editor s pick featured
By Rich Flowers
rflowers@athensreview.com Feb 5, 2021
St. Paul School was educational trailblazer
The history of Henderson County is seeded with stories of Black educators who endured hardships to equip students with the skills and understanding they would need as adults.
James Williams Smothers founded The St. Paul Training School in Caney City almost a century ago. Stories in the
Huntsville Item and
Athens Review survive to help piece together the history of the school founded to pursue the industrial arts, develop social skills and increase knowledge.
A 1947 story in the
Review is the account of a severe storm that hit the school causing major damage to the facility and crops that were grown on the site.