IMG_0085that pictures of eacn of L111011, IJA& .
s became eCono °� AC
and six schools in the county, but as the educatioded from the fate to the schools, a free transport m,
essential. As more financial assistance wash the schools from long distances. Today, with an education stem was Y $e
provided to insure that students could rear syste
Kindergarten through the 12'h grade, and with transportation provided from the rural areas, every child has anm &am
opportunity for education in Crawford County, as well as the state.
Today, there are no schools of higher learning in Crawford County, however, they are within easy reach A
tY
two year college is located across the Arkansas River and the University of Arkansas is within less than an hoars d '
away. Currently plans are in process to establish a University of Arkansas at Fort Smith, just across the Arkansas
nv�
from Van Buren.
In Lite not to distant past, it was heard said that, "we lost our schools, when we lost the one -room schools,"
Certainly, much can be said of the teacher in the small country schools, because teachers in one -room schools were
artists, scientists, musicians, friends, confidantes, and janitors. They profoundly influenced the children in their care,
Early Private Schools
Commensurate with the arrival of settlers, the mothers would often teach her children to read by the light of
the fireplace or in the kitchen as she worked. Therefore, we believe that the first teachers in the area were the mothers,
In August of 1829, there were one hundred and ten residents who paid taxes on their grope in Crawford
County, Arkansas and there were four hundred and seventy-five names on the Tax List. This is s
indicate that there were children scattered throughout the county that needed to be educateduflicient evidence to
taught to read, if only from the Bible. Many of the first schools were known as the "for and some were being
means a school in the forest in the rural area. Such a school was one of the first, a to "forest,,,, school, which literally
man who was to become a legend, Albert Pike, g, one -room school taught by a
Albert Pike School
In 1833, a man from the East, Albert Pike, entered Crawford Coun
taught s° b
chool in a very small log building near Van Buren. This is believed t and
The first school house within the borders that now contain Crawford County., e one of
t3', Arkansas.
��rt �'ike Scb�i at University
of Arkans %�Hmpus
154