SAMSON SCHOOLS (Click here for more information)
Samson's first public school was a house located near Travelers' Rest Church. This building was a one-room structure heated by an open fireplace at one end of the house. The seats used, were split logs with wooden pegs as legs. Shelves were built around the wall to hold the books. Mr. E. P. Johnson donated the land for the school to be built. Volunteers and members of the community did most of the work on the schoolhouse. Mr. Johnson furnished the cash for hired help on some parts of the school. In return, the town repaid him in hay, syrup, corn, potatoes, or whatever they could offer him.
At this time schools were not on a grade level, and each township had one school with one teacher. Mark Calloway was the first teacher to instruct in the new school and began his work in October of 1903.
In September 1903, County Superintendent of Education, Mr. E. P. Johnson and the township trustee lead the program of building a school within the school boundaries. Once again, citizens donated the land and the funds raised by the community. In 1904, the school had to be enlarged again at the expense of the town. Since there were very few buildings in the community, the schoolhouse served in many capacities. Several churches held services until they had buildings. It also served as a meetinghouse for civic organizations and for social functions.
In 1907-08, the educational system made strides forward as it was in this term that the "Grade System" had its beginning. One of the greatest setbacks in the Samson School library occurred in the school term of 1909-10 when the school building was completely destroyed by fire. The school term had to be finished out in various buildings in the town. There have been numerous stories told of how the building burned, but the exact cause had never been determined.
The first brick schoolhouse was built in 1911. It consisted of an auditorium and an old-fashioned belfry and bell which was rung every morning to call the children to school. As the need arose, more buildings were added. The 6-3-3 plan was incorporated during the school term of 1921-22. This action made necessary the addition of more teachers and more classrooms. The school enrollment now totaled about 500. The rate of enrollment grew rapidly because so many rural children started to school so the county bought school buses to transport the pupils to school. Several of the one-teacher schools in the rural communities were consolidated with Samson's schools. By 1932, the building was again too small.
In 1936, the county erected a brick building on North Broad Street to be used as the grammar school. This was the first school building the county had built in Samson. Soon after the grammar school had been built, another building was built on North Johnson Street. It was a vocational building, consisting of two classrooms, a huge shop area, private offices for the teachers, a large kitchen unit and a living room. This building stands to this day and is used as the public library.
As the enrollment increased the high school was built on North Broad Street. This was the first time the entire school was located on the same site, with the exception of the vocational building. In 1960-61 the town floated bonds to build a new lunchroom, gymnasium, music, and bandroom. Later a new vocational building and separate bandroom were added.
Samson Elementary School was built in 1984 and a new addtion was added in 1996. Currently Samson Elementary School have 410 students grades K-6th.
Samson High School received a newly constructed building in 1997. Samson Middle School is composed of 7th and 8th grades and has just moved into a new facility on August 10, 2006.
Samson Girls basketball team has won 2A State Championship in 2006 & 2007.
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