James McKinney
James McKinney
James Jefferson (Pony) McKinney was born in the Ridge settlement, now Blue Ridge, on October 25, 1862, at the home of his mother's father, John Griffith--as his father, Sam J. McKinney, was away in the Confederate Army.
As a small child, he recalls many incidents of the bitter Reconstruction Days, like the times armed military men from Pilot Grove rode up and demanded Simpson Dixon, then searched the house--came back a number of times.
Mrs. Clarissa Griffith Dixon, who lived at blue Ridge, was stepmother of General Dixon, cousin of Simp, and was a sister of Mrs. Sam McKinney.
The entire Blue Ridge area was terrorized by the Peacock-Boren gang during the years after the war. The Sam McKinney home place was one mile west of "The Ridge," on a hill widely known as "McKinney Hill." "A hard pull for a load of cotton," they said.
Right after the war, three young men put up a log store in the settlement. They were Myers, Burghouser, and Pace. One of the three gave the name Blue Ridge to the settlement, since the location was on a Blue Ridge--easily seen from a distance--long called "The Ridge."
He attended his first school in about 1867. His father, Sam J. McKinney, was teacher and the school house was a log cabin, split log benches and dirt floor, supposed to have been built before the war just north of the "Ridge" on the George W. Smith land.
Mr. Smith, a veteran of the Texas War of Independence and a progressive pioneer settler, had a great number of grandchildren; so was, no doubt, instrumental in getting the school built. These grandchildren and great grandchildren attended his first Blue Ridge School, the Pruetts, Harts, Cantrells, Wardens, Dotsons, Langhams, Hansons, ad from then on down to the present, every term of Blue Ridge School has had its quota of George W. Smith's descendants on its rolls.
One of the great granddaughters, Missouri Jane Cantrell, married her teacher at the Red Oak School. The teacher was Jame J. McKinney.
In 1872 the log school house was moved to Blue Ridge town, dressed up with a new puncheon floor and used for about nine years more. Then it was town down and the "Old" Blue Ridge School was built on the ground.
List of Schools
Mr. McKinney taught first at Rock Rest School, a "free" School situated some three or four miles East of McKinney, when he was about 20 years of age and received $40.00 per month pay. Because he had typhoid fever, the school was put off until after Christmas, and was finally started early in January 1883. He boarded at Wilson's for $9.00 per month.
In the fall of 1883, he taught at Johnson School in Sister Grove, 12 or 13 miles east of McKinney for $50.00 per month and boarded at Allen Mantooth's.
His third school started in 1884, Moreland School at Blue Ridge and boarded at Hans Johnson's , his brother-in-law.
He started the fall of 1885 at Red Oak and taught eight years there. He was married on Dec. 26, 1886. About 1892-94, he taught one year at Valdasta for $50.00 per month. He went back to Red Oak School in 1894-95 at $50.00 per month and stayed four years there.
From 1898-1901, he taught at the Flowers School, three miles north of Red Oak, for $50.00 per month and returned to Red Oak in 1901 for one year.
He moved to Jones County in October, 1902, and taught four years at Liberty Hill at a salary of $65.00 per month.
Later he moved to Coke County in January 1907, where he taught for seven years at the Powell School, for $50.00 per month.
He quit in 1914 to run his ranch, consisting of two sections of land in Coke county, and his store and post office at Divide, Texas.
James Jefferson (Pony) McKinney was born in the Ridge settlement, now Blue Ridge, on October 25, 1862, at the home of his mother's father, John Griffith--as his father, Sam J. McKinney, was away in the Confederate Army.
As a small child, he recalls many incidents of the bitter Reconstruction Days, like the times armed military men from Pilot Grove rode up and demanded Simpson Dixon, then searched the house--came back a number of times.
Mrs. Clarissa Griffith Dixon, who lived at blue Ridge, was stepmother of General Dixon, cousin of Simp, and was a sister of Mrs. Sam McKinney.
The entire Blue Ridge area was terrorized by the Peacock-Boren gang during the years after the war. The Sam McKinney home place was one mile west of "The Ridge," on a hill widely known as "McKinney Hill." "A hard pull for a load of cotton," they said.
Right after the war, three young men put up a log store in the settlement. They were Myers, Burghouser, and Pace. One of the three gave the name Blue Ridge to the settlement, since the location was on a Blue Ridge--easily seen from a distance--long called "The Ridge."
He attended his first school in about 1867. His father, Sam J. McKinney, was teacher and the school house was a log cabin, split log benches and dirt floor, supposed to have been built before the war just north of the "Ridge" on the George W. Smith land.
Mr. Smith, a veteran of the Texas War of Independence and a progressive pioneer settler, had a great number of grandchildren; so was, no doubt, instrumental in getting the school built. These grandchildren and great grandchildren attended his first Blue Ridge School, the Pruetts, Harts, Cantrells, Wardens, Dotsons, Langhams, Hansons, ad from then on down to the present, every term of Blue Ridge School has had its quota of George W. Smith's descendants on its rolls.
One of the great granddaughters, Missouri Jane Cantrell, married her teacher at the Red Oak School. The teacher was Jame J. McKinney.
In 1872 the log school house was moved to Blue Ridge town, dressed up with a new puncheon floor and used for about nine years more. Then it was town down and the "Old" Blue Ridge School was built on the ground.
List of Schools
Mr. McKinney taught first at Rock Rest School, a "free" School situated some three or four miles East of McKinney, when he was about 20 years of age and received $40.00 per month pay. Because he had typhoid fever, the school was put off until after Christmas, and was finally started early in January 1883. He boarded at Wilson's for $9.00 per month.
In the fall of 1883, he taught at Johnson School in Sister Grove, 12 or 13 miles east of McKinney for $50.00 per month and boarded at Allen Mantooth's.
His third school started in 1884, Moreland School at Blue Ridge and boarded at Hans Johnson's , his brother-in-law.
He started the fall of 1885 at Red Oak and taught eight years there. He was married on Dec. 26, 1886. About 1892-94, he taught one year at Valdasta for $50.00 per month. He went back to Red Oak School in 1894-95 at $50.00 per month and stayed four years there.
From 1898-1901, he taught at the Flowers School, three miles north of Red Oak, for $50.00 per month and returned to Red Oak in 1901 for one year.
He moved to Jones County in October, 1902, and taught four years at Liberty Hill at a salary of $65.00 per month.
Later he moved to Coke County in January 1907, where he taught for seven years at the Powell School, for $50.00 per month.
He quit in 1914 to run his ranch, consisting of two sections of land in Coke county, and his store and post office at Divide, Texas.
