Baker School

The Baker School was located on Hwy. 365 or what most of us think of as Baker Church Road.  The school was located on the same site as the Baker Church is today.  Will Hughes gave the ground for the school location and perhaps the church too.  The school was started in the late 1880's.

 The old Baker School House, torn down in the late 1940's after the school had closed and the land went back to the owner.

Children attending Baker School were allowed to attend revival services at the Baker Baptist church, which was located across the road from the school.

The usual pie and box suppers were annual events for raising money to buy items needed for the school and perhaps some new playground equipment for the students.

Games played were leapfrog, ball, hopscotch, marbles or drop the handkerchief. 

Some of the families in the Baker School district were, Chandlers, Collins, Duncans, Jennings, Longs, McDowell, Nelson, Newcom, O'Neas, Phillips, Quertermous, Samuels, Scott, Vinson, Simpson, Truitt and Walker.

In the late 1940's the road was improved enough for school buses to travel, so the students at Baker school  and near-by Bells Mines school were taken to Mattoon.  The last teacher was Irene Truitt.