Schools For Black Children

 These two interesting articles came from The Crittenden Press

Jan. 4, 1894 - A colored school district has been organized south west of Marion and a house will be built on A. H. Cardin's farm.  Cardin donates the land and gave half the expense of building the house.  The trustees appointed by Superintendent Perry are Sam Parmer, Jno Hatcher and Wm. Braddock.

August 12, 1897 - New School House.  The new school house for colored pupils in the west end of town, near the Herod Travis brick yard, has been weather boarded and covered in, and will soon be completed.  It is about twenty four by thirty-six feet in size, will be well lighted and ventilated, and will present quite a handsome appearance, having already received its first coat of paint.

In 1846, nine schools for black children were in operation.

• Tolu  District - 78 students
• Hughes District - 20 students
• Weston District - 22 students
• Marion District - 131 students
  
• Dycusburg District - 20 students
  
• Piney Fork District - 30 students
• Lead Mines District - 24 students
• Mount Zion District - 21 students
• Cardin District - 23 students

In 1879-82 these locations had a school for the black students. The school and teachers were listed in old school records:

• Hurricane  - Teacher -Bell Lindsey - 33 students
• Siloam  -  Teacher -W. L. Clark - 28 students
  
• Mount Pleasant  - Teacher -E. J. Simpson - 58 students
• Marion  - Teacher - G. W. Tinsley - 58 students
• Green - Teacher - Louise Jackson - 43 students
• Piney Fork  - Teacher - Marion Thurman - 32 students
• Sulphur Springs  - Teacher - D. M. Boyd - 24 students
• Mt. Zion  - Teacher J. F. Jackson - 42 students
• Ford's Ferry  - Teacher A. D. Garnett - 31 students

In 1926, the Marion School Board built a one-room school building for black children on North Weldon Street at the edge of town.  The school, named Rosenwald, included grades one through eight.

Miss Lafie Coffied was the first teacher, and Mrs. Verna Coffield followed.

Rosenwald was closed in 1965 and the students entered Marion City Schools.