Old Mill House School Group
Cypress Inn, Tennessee

Front row, left to right: Alpha Darby, Amy Moore, Minnie Wright, Benjamin Darby, Hubert Darby, unknown, Elmer Johnson, Addie Darby, Mattie Johnson. Second row, left to right: unknown, Lizzie Cypert, unknown, unknown, unknown, unknown, unknown, Clyde Wright, unknown, _____Handley, Myrtle Johnson, Dellie Wright, unknown. Third row, left to right: unknown, unknown, Walter Wright?, Emma Cypert, Flora Spain, Emma Darby, Linnie Lawson, Alma Johnson, unknown, Clura Pigg, Ida Darby, Cora Johnson,. Fourth row, left to right: Belva Darby, Clevie Handley, Andy Scott, unknown, Charlie Arnett, James Wright, Fred Darby, Allen Darby, Ed Cypert, Anderson Cypert, Luther Johnson, Thomas Cypert. The teacher, standing far left holding the cornet is Reuben McClanahan.

     The first mill house school was held about 1905. It was called a subscription school and only ran for about four months. Each student paid a fee and Reuben McClanahan was hired to teach the school.
     The students' ages ran from beginners to adult men and women. My uncle, Jim Wright was 19 years old. My mother, Alpha Darby Wright was six years old.
     Some students boarded with relatives. Alma and Cora Johnson boarded with John Johnson. Some came in buggies; Flora Spain was on of them. Some rode horses. Luther Roberson stayed with his grandfather, Thaddeus Montgomery. The Montgomery's raised my mother who was an orphan. Luther and my mother rode a mule, named "Old Bec". I think Mr. Reuben rode a horse; he lived at Pleasant Valley.
     The building was built for a water mill. It had two stories. The school was held on the lower floor. The water to run the mill was diverted from Big Cypress Creek and brought down a "race". I don't know if traces of the "race" are still visible. I remember seeing them when I was young.
     This mill house was located on land belonging to Jim Johnson at Cypress Inn, Tennessee. He bought the land from the estate of Andrew McCartney Whitworth, who died 7 sep 1902. Andrew McCartney Whitworth was my great-grandfather, and bought the land from a Mr. Austin.

Submitted by Mrs. Grace Wright Carver.