OLD BETHEL SCHOOL
DISTRICT NO. 57
DONATED BY : RON WILLIAMS
THANK YOU !
TRANSCRIBED BY : TINA EASLEY
THE OLD BETHEL METHODIST CHURCH AND SCHOOL WAS CONSTRUCTED IN 1880 . A STORM IN 1900 DESTROYED THIS BUILDING AND IN 1901 AN IDENTICAL BUILDING REPLACED THE ORIGINAL.
GEORGE RUSSELL , A LOCAL CARPENTER , BUILT THE BUILDING USING NATIVE MATERIALS OF CYPRESS AND PINE . IT MEASURES 20 FEET BY 40 FEET AND HAS A HIGH PITCHED ROOF COVERED BY TIN. THE CEILING IS COVE-LIKE IN CONFIGURATION AND FINISHED IN BEADED PINE SIDING , THE FLOOR IS PINE PLANK.
HISTORICALLY , OLD BETHEL ILLUSTRATES THE STORY OF THE DECLINE OF RURAL ARKANSAS FARMING COMMUNITIES JUST AFTER THE TURN OF THE CENTURY . LOCATED IN A BEAUTIFUL , NATURAL SETTING OF TWO ACRES WITH OLD PINE TREES FRAMING IT , OLD BETHEL AND CEMETERY PRESENT A SERENE AND GRACEFUL APPEARANCE TO THE WORLD.
I MENTIONED , ABOVE GEORGE RUSSELL AS BEING THE CARPENTER THAT REBUILT OLD BETHEL . I KNOW A LITTLE ABOUT HIM OR AT LEAST HIS DESCENDANTS . HERE IS SOME NAMES I WANT TO SHARE WITH YOU .
MY MOM OCIL (JACKSON) WILLIAMS , HER MOM MAMIE LOU ANN (GRAMLING) JACKSON , MAMIE WAS MARRIED TO IVAN JACKSON WHOM I WAS TOLD TAUGHT SCHOOL AT OLD BETHEL AND AT NEARBY BOBO. NOW MAMIE'S MOM WAS OMA JANE (RUSSELL) GRAMLING AND HER DAD WAS GEORGE RUSSELL.
THIS INFORMATION ABOVE WAS RESEARCHED AND WRITTEN BY :
RONDAL A. WILLIAMS
PARAGOULD , AR.