Glenn Emswiler, 16

Before there were any public schools around here, a private school was conducted in the house where Mr. Noah Hoover now lives.

Dr. John Cootes who lived there at the time hired the teachers for this school. Other people could send their children if they would pay.

This school continued until year 1864 when a one room public school was built a mile and a half south of this private school. This was the Glass school. It got the name from the people that lived near there. They gave the land for the schoolhouse.

Soon after other public schools were established in the community. These schools were conducted until the year 1913.

In the year of 1912, the School Board of Plaines District met and decided to erect a new school building at Cootes Store.

The present schoolhouse was built in the year of 1913. There were only two rooms built at that time. The teachers for the first term were Mr. W. A. Flick, principal, and Miss Annie Bowman, primary. They soon found that the two rooms were too crowded. Two years later they built another room on the south side of the other rooms.

It is located on a high hill one fourth mile north of Cootes Store overlooking the small village of the same name. It is about one half mile east of the much noted Gap Rock, and Cannon Springs which are visited by hundreds of tourists every year.

This school was formed by consolidating four other schools, the Glass school on the south, Mountain Dale on the north, Valley on the east, Chimney Rock on the west.

We have in our school a splendid library, organ, set of maps, a globe, and some pictures.

Our teachers at present are Miss Mary E. Gochenour, principal, Mrs. Dora E. Gladwell, assistant, and Miss Grace V. Dove, primary.