Strawberry Plains College
At this session (1848) the Conference resolved to establish a high school at Strawberry
Plains. Creed Fulton, who at the time was President of Holston College, not satisfied
with the outlook of that institution, had consulted with Thomas Stringfield, and the
two had agreed that a high school ought to be established at the Plains. A lot was accordingly procured from Mr. Stringfield for the building,
money was raised, and a two-story brick college building and a brick boarding house were erected; and Mr. Fulton, resigning the presidency of Holston
College, was appointed. In the supplement to the Minutes of 1852 I find copied a record of a deed of land made
by Thomas Stringfield to the trustees of Strawberry Plains High School. The deed
embraced a plot of five acres of land, and the consideration was fifty dollars.
The men named in the deed as trustees are: Creed Fulton, William Moulden, David Adams,
Martin B Carter, Robert H Hynds, James A Thornton Sr, and Wesley Huffaker. The date of
the deed is May 10 1848. (Source:From the year 1844 to the year 1870, Richard Nye
Price,Publishing House of the M.E. Church, South, 1913,p.116, Link) This starts with section 7 in a bill that includes the establishment of a Law School in
the city of Nashville Sec 7 Be it enacted That Creed Fulton, Francis A Butler, and John G Winiferd, of
Strawberry Plains, Robert H Hynds and James A Thornton of Jefferson county, Wesley
Huffaker of Sevier county, and William Moulden, Daniel Adams, and Martin B Carter, of
Knox county, be and they are hereby constituted a body politic and corporate by the name
and style of the Trustees of Strawberry Plains College and by such name shall have all
the powers, rights, privileges, and immunities usually bestowed on such incorporated
bodies; may sue and be sued, plead and be impleaded, answer and be answered unto in any
court of law or equity in this State and may have a corporate seal Sec 8 The Trustees shall have power to adopt a constitution and by laws for the
government of the College elect a President Professors and Tutors prescribe the number
of the same and to elect such other officers as they may deem necessary and shall fix
the compensation of such President Professors Tutors and other officers as they may
elect and such President Profes sors and Tutors so elected shall constitute the Faculty
of said College Sec 9 The Faculty so elected shall have full power to prescribe the studies of the
students in said College to suspend reprimand dismiss or expel any student for any
violation of the constitution or by laws of said College But any student suspended
dismissed or expelled shall have the right of an appeal to the Board of Trustees
Sec 10 The Trustees shall hold two regular meetings in each year at such times and
places as they may specify in their by laws Sec 11 That if any vacancy or vacancies occur in the Board of Trustees by death
resignation or otherwise such vacancy or vacancies may be filled by the Board of
Trustees at any regular meeting after the President shall first have given notice of
such vacancy by addressing a written communication to each of the Trustees at his
nearest post office and such notice shall be given at least twenty days prior to the
next regular meeting of the Board of Trustees Sec 12 That the President of the College shall be cx fiffich a member of the Board of
Trustees President thereof and shall have power to call a meeting of the board at any
time by giving such notice as may be prescribed in the by laws hereafter to be adopted
by the Trustees of said College at which meeting a majority of the Board being present
they may transact any business which is authorized by this act to the Board of Trustees
at their regular meeting except in filling a vacancy in the Board which shall only be
done as heretofore prescribed in this act Sec 13 The Trustees may at any regular meeting increase their number to fifteen, and
shall have the power to declare vacant the seat of any member of the Board for
sufficient reason, and may also dismiss any member of the faculty or other officer for
good and sufficient reason. But such Trustee, President, Professor, Tutor, or other
officer, shall have the right of a fair trial before such Board of Trustees before such
dismissal shall be had. The said Board of Trustees shall also have power to buy,
receive, hold, possess, alien, dispose of, and convey any property, real personal or
mixed, for the use and benefit of said Institution. Sec 14 The Faculty of said College, by and with the consent of the Board of Trustees,
shall have power to confer any degrees known and conferred by any College or University
in this State, upon any students of said College, or upon any other person. Sec 15 The Board of Trustees, in addition to the powers heretofore granted to them, are
hereby invested with all the powers necessary to accomplish the objects of this charter,
and not contrary to the constitution and laws of this State, may at any regular meeting,
alter or amend the constitution they may have adopted, provided two thirds of the Board
present shall agree thereto. May alter or amend the by laws a majority present agreeing thereto. Sec 16 The property whether real personal or mixed, now and heretofore, belonging to the
corporation of the Strawberry Plains Academy shall belong to and be subject to the
disposal of the corporation of the Strawberry Plains College. LANDON C HAYNES Speaker of the House of Representative JOHN F HENRY Speaker of the Senate Passed February 6,1850 In 1852 Thomas Stringfield was agent for Strawberry Plains College, for which he had
given the land, and in the establishment of which he had been a leading spirit. 1854 STRAWBERRY PLAINS COLLEGE. TIilE Summer Session of this institution will begin on Monday the 3d day of April,
under the supcrintondance of Prof. R. L. Kirkpatriok, A. M.f and the Rev. David Sullins
of Holston Conference. This Institution is pleasantly located 15 miles east of Knoxville, at the point where
the E. T. A Va, Rail Road crosses the Holston River. - A Tri-weekly line of Stages runs
from Knoxville to this point. The location is exceedingly healthful and beautiful, the community moral and intelligent, and the expenses of Boarding, Clothing,
etc, unusually moderate. This Institution is regularly chartered by the State, is under
the patronage of tho Holston Conference of the M. E. Church, South, and will,under the
management of the gentlemen now engagod in its service, afford the very best facilities
for young men who wish to acquire a thorough education. Students will be admitted at any
period of the session. The Female department still undercharge of Miss Mary Stringfield
is now in session. F. A. BUTLER, Secretary. (Source: Loudon free press. (Loudon, Tenn.) 1852-1855, May 16, 1854, Image 3,Image and
text provided by University of Tennessee, available on Chronicling America, Library of
Congress, Link Mr. Tipton entered his motion to reconsider the vote of Saturday, rejecting the bill to charter the Strawberry Plains College. Link 64 HOLSTON METHODISM. Superintendent of Strawberry Plains High School. Mr. (Creed)Fulton managed the finances
of the institution and superintended its interests generally, but depended upon his
assistants, Profs. John Winniford, Joseph H. Price, and James S. Kennedy, for the
literary conduct of the school. All these were graduates of Emory and Henry College.
Professor Winniford was a son of Mr. George Winniford, who superintended the erection of
the buildings of Emory and Henry College, and he was a brilliant young man. Professor
Price was a brother of the writer. He eventually moved to Texas, where he taught and
engaged in farming. In middle life he became a local preacher. His widow and some of his
children still live in Texas. Some years after the opening of the school it was dubbed "college." The school had
several Presidents after this, but I cannot give the order. They were: Rufus K. Scruggs,
John H. Brunner, Thaddeus P. Thomas, James S. Kennedy, David Sullins, and Richard L.
Kirkpatrick. There was no lack of students; there were usually as many as could be
accommodated. The school was suspended near the beginning of the Civil War. Subsequently the land fell
into the hands of a joint stock company, picked men. The members of the company having
died, the Stringfield heirs gave a quitclaim to the lot for $250, which money they
turned over to the missionary cause. (Source: HOLSTON METHODISM FROM ITS ORIGIN TO THE
PRESENT TIME. By R. N. PRICE. VOLUME IV. From the Year 1844 to the Year 1870.) 1866 NUMBER LXIII JOINT RESOLUTION Requesting Congress to appropriate $30,000 to rebuild Strawberry Plains High School. WHEREAS: A building erected at Strawberry Plains,Jefferson County, Tennessee was from
time to time occupied by the National troops, and was finally destroyed, and the
material removed by military order, and we military necessity and WHEREAS: Said building was erected and dedicated to the purposes of education under the
name and style of the Strawberry Plains High School and never had been used for any
other urpose and WHEREAS: The resident and Trustees of said Strawberry Plains High Schools have no means
to rebuild buildings and WHEREAS: The building and material of which it composed was worth the sum of thirty
thousand dollars, that it will require that sum to rebuild suitable buildings.
Resolved by the General Assembly of the State of Tennessee: That the Congress of the
United States be, and is hereby most respectfully requested to make an appropriation for
the re-erection of said buildings, and that Senators and Representatives of the Congress
of the United States from the State of Tennessee be and are hereby requested to lay the
subject matter of this Resolution before the Congress of the United States, and use all
proper measures to procure the passage of an act such appropriation. Resolved further: That the Secretary of the State of Tennessee make a fair copy of this
Resolution and transmit the same to the Senators and Representatives of this State in
the Congress of the United States. Be it further resolved: That the provisions of this
Resolution shall apply to all schools in the State destroyed under similar
circumstances. WILLIAM HEISKELL Speaker of the House of Representatives JOSHUA B FRIERSON Speaker of the Senate Adopted January 12 1866 photo photo 2 Capture of four 20 lb Parrotts at Deep Bottom by Gen Miles General 1871 A resolution was passed requesting the County Court to direct the Trustee to sell the State warrants in his possession, for the use of schools, for Bank of Tennessee money, dollar for dollar. From the reports made to the Board the gratifying intelligence was elicited that primary free schools are now in operation in nearly all the districts in the county,
and in those not commenced, preparation is being made to start them soon. In addition to
these, other free schools of a higher grade are also in operation in the county. The Holston College, at New Market,continues for ten months. A school of high grade is established by the corporation of the town upon a permanent free basis and is under , the management of Prof. Pierce, a thorough; scholar and an ex cellent educator. The Mossy Creek Baptist College has a free department for local patronage, un der the direction of Prof. Thos. Russell,a young gentleman of promise. This term continues for ten months. The Masonic Female Institute at Dandridge is also free and under charge of the very competent and accomplished Miss Jennie Grey. Thus it will be seen that Jefferson county is not behind, but is awake and makes a noble
commencement in'the great work offree education. There are about three thou sand, between the ages of six and eighteen,entitled to these benefits, and this Board of
Education, in which are many men of good practical sense and general information, is
alive to their interest, as well as to the great importance of this work, and will
doubtless receive the hearty co-operation of every good citizen in the county in the
discharge of the duty imposed upon them in carrying out the county system adopted by our
last General Assembly. (Source: Knoxville daily chronicle. (Knoxville, Tenn.), 01 Oct.
1871. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. Link
