Cedar Bluff High School History

Cedar Bluff High School - 1921

Front row left to right: Pat Rose Webb, Florence Wood Mobley, Eunice James Ray, Inez Rose Cartlidge, Vera Bannister Green, Effie Wood Wilson, Haley Dyer, Dixie Wilder, and Dit Long Taylor.

Back row left to right: G. G. Lawrence, Malcolm Long, Dwight Wood, Professor Thompson, Lawrence Young, Frank Wilder, Roy James, J. T. Webb, and Paul Ellis.

Source: Sue Young (formerly Velma Sue Ingram), 3599 Old Highway 9, Cedar Bluff, AL 35959

Another caption for the same picture is from an undated newspaper clipping also supplied by Sue Young:

"At school in 1921"

"The eighth and ninth grades at Cedar Bluff School met in a two-story building with a partition between one long room. A little room was to the left. The masonic lodge rooms were on the second floor. Often, the old building caught on fire. The teacher at that time was Professor Thompson.

"Students pictured in the front row are Lillian Rose (Mrs. Wyatt Webb), Florence Wood (Mrs. Homer Mobley), Eunice James (Mrs. Henry Ray), Inez Rose (Mrs. Fred H. Cartlidge), Vera Bannister (Mrs. Curtis Green), Effie Wood (Mrs. Guy Wilson), Haley Dyer, Dixie Wilder, Dit Long (Mrs. J. B. Taylor).

"(back row) G. G. Lawrence, Malcolm Long, Dwight Wood, Prof. Thompson, Lawrence Young, Frank Wilder, Roy James, J. T. Webb and Paul Ellis.

"The Cedar Bluff basketball team had six players. These were: Lawrence Young, Willard (Preaacher) Millican, forwards; Jerry Colbert, Rob VanPelt, guards; Foster Lockridge, center. Elbert Parker was substitute. Later, Will and Renfrom Skene were on the team."

Detail of sign held by front row student Effie Wood. Miss Wood married Guy Wilson and taught school at Cedar Bluff. She was the writer's typing teacher in 1956.

New!
Click on the picture to enlarge.
Cedar Bluff School Football Team 1933, photo supplied by Kary Keasler in September 2013, who says his grandfather Garvis C. Keasler is pictured 4th from left. He doesn't know the names of the others. He can be reached at Kary.Keasler at bbvacompass dot com)

Kary goes on to say, "I know my grandfather says he is the one that suggested the school colors for Cedar Bluff and was very proud of playing on his high school team. He had a chance to play collegiately at Clemson University, but told me scholarships back then did not provide for books and other expenses and since he was from a large family on a limited budget, he didn't have the opportunity to attend. I remember him telling me their first year was tough, but their second year team was very good. I also attended a 50 year celebration with my grandfather of this team in 1983 at Cedar Bluff before they tore down part of the old school. I remember my grandfather getting a desk from the old school house which I believe we still have in his barn. My grandfather passed away in July of 1988."

The History of Cedar Bluff High School

(Written after 1998. No attribution or date. Supplied by Sue Young of Cedar Bluff in 2002. If you can give me an attribution or date, I would like to include it here.)

In 1886, the first school house was built in Cedar Bluff. Prior to this time, children in the community were educated in various local Baptist and Methodist Churches. David Neville Williamson generously donated the land for the first school which was built by Colonel Charles Rattray. This school had one large room with a stage built in one end. Eventually, another room was added at the back, giving the school an L-shape.

Cedar Bluff High School was opened on October 1, 1900. A Mr. and Mrs. Thompson, along with Evelyn Smith taught the last term in 1921 and 1922 for this school. A new building was completed in 1922. The school opened on September 11, 1923 with an enrollment of 137. In 1939, a school auditorium/gymnasium was built for the school. Today, this building serves as the library. In 1966, the present gymnasium was built. In 1977, high school classrooms were added behind the original school building. The original school building was torn down and another was erected on this same site in 1984. In 1992 and 1997, classroom additions were installed.

The first Cedar Bluff Basketball Team was organized in the school year of 1918-1919. Members of this team were as follows: Lawrence Young, Arthur Parker, Robert N. Mann, Robert Hawkins, Claude Mize, and Foster Lockridge. The first Cedar Bluff Football Team was organized in 1931. The thirteen players on this team were as follows: Lamar Bouchillon, Jack Adams, H.L. Bedwell, Emmett James, Willie Blackburn, James Daniel, Gordon Pruitt, Earnest Tucker, Garvis Keasler, J.W. Land, J.R. Hall, Abbey Blackburn, and G.T. Adams. The team played nine games with only a single victory. Later, in 1934, Cedar Bluff played nine games and were undefeated, becoming sectional champions. The first girls basketball team was organized during the 1924-25 school term. Members of this team were as follows: Montine Wilson, Grace Banister, Inez Rose, Hazel Abernathy (Coach), Eulala "Dit" Long, Gladys Laney, Mary Kate Cannon, Vera Banister, and Daisy Atkins. The first Cedar Bluff Volleyball Team was organized in 1997.

A PTA was re-organized on Thursday afternoon, August 29, 1940 at Cedar Bluff. The following officers were elected: President Mrs. C. J. Vaughan, Vice President Mrs. T. E. Wilson, Secretary Mrs. W.T. Armstrong, Treasurer Mrs. Walker Harton, and Pianist Lindsey Johnston. Mrs. Vaughan was unable to serve as president. Therefore, Mrs. Linsey Johnston was elected to serve in her place.

The first school paper came out during the 1945-46 school term. Margaret Stewart gave the name Bluffer to this paper. Elizabeth Arnold was the first editor. In 1997, the first tabloid newspaper was established. Members of the first Cedar Bluff Messenger staff were as follows: Co-Editors Mandy Davis and Amanda Clayton, Assistant Editor Jamie Ray, Layout Coordinator Kristy Terry, Sales Manager Rebecca Farley, Elementary Editor Lee Ann Mize, High School Editor Deanna Swilley, Features Editor Kristin Yates, Sports Editors Georgene McElroy and Chris Burleson, and Advisor Steve Bishop.

In 1998, the largest number of honor students in the history of Cedar Bluff High School was in the senior class. Today, there are approximately 560 students and 33 faculty members at Cedar Bluff High School. School colors are red and white and the school mascot is the tiger.

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