In  the  mid-late 1800's,  first was  called Bear Paunch, Bear Point School held 
 classes  in  the  lower  section of  a  2  story log  building owned by James M. 
 Brayfield. The school burned down in the late 1800's and was  located about were 
 Bear  Point  Church  stands  today.
 Then in 1907,  John  and  Ethel  Eubanks  donated  1 acre  of land for a school, 
 located  1/4  mile  south-west.  A  new  frame  building  was  built  there.

 During recess the  children took turns going to the Brayfield Post Office(inside
 Mr. Brayfields home) nearby for the  mail to be taken  back to the teacher to be
 sorted  and sent home to each childs  family. The community were the  school and
 post office was  located was also known as Brayfield.
 
 In 1911,  Roy A. Gulley was paid $50.00 per month to teach and Jennie Farris was
 only paid $30.00 per month. This might show the  difference between the male and
 female pay scale difference, of that time period.
 
 Pie suppers were held yearly by the school to raise  funds to purchase new class
 materials and/or items needed.  One such item  purchased was a world globe which
 sat upon the teachers desk.
 
 Now looking at the photo above, you  will see were the  porch,  bell tower(above 
 the porch) and two cloak  rooms were torn away.  The north and east sides of the 
 one  room  building  had no  windows, but  had  blackboards inside on these same 
 walls.  Behind the school  was a shed  used or boarding the kids horses and coal 
 for the burner. On  both sides of  this were the bathrooms, one for boys and one 
 for  girls.  This  shed  no  longer  exist  today.
 The last  year of school there was in 1956.  In 1959 the  building  was sold for 
 $200.00 to Clyde and Lola Eubanks,  then passed on to Olen Eubanks. To this day, 
 it  still  remains the  property of the  Eubanks family.

 
 Bear Point School Class Roster

    Sharlene (Tate) Alexander  attended  first grade at  Bear Point School in the 
 early 1950's.  
    She recalls:  "Bear Point was a one room school house for grades 1 - 8 in the 
 early  50's and had one teacher. Gives a whole new meaning to  'open classroom'.  
 There were about  25 kids total, and I think I was the only one in first grade."

    "Yes, I walked 2.5 miles one-way to school' every day with my brother on 
 those gravel roads."

   "I recall a  few windows on the west side, the coat closets,  the 2 co-ed out-
 houses  and a  pot-bellied stove I thought  toward the back in the  back corner.  
 I don't  remember  blackboards on the  west walls ...  rather, I remember one at 
 the front of the room  and maybe one on the east wall.  I also thought there was 
 a one-step 'stage' at the  front of the room  where the teacher had her desk and 
 where Carolyn Davis and I sang 'Side-by-Side' as a duet for pie suppers."

[Submitted by: Sharlene (Tate) Alexander]