 Mrs. D. H. Johnston, the subject of this
sketch, was born near Bloomfield, Chickasaw Nation, September, 1865. She was
the daughter of J. R. Harper, a white man, who came to the territory from
Louisburg, North Carolina, and a full-blood Chickasaw lady whose maiden name
was Miss Serena Factor, and who assisted in the primary department for a while
at Bloomfield when Parson Carr was contractor. Mrs. Johnston was educated principally at Bloomfield Seminary, but attended Savoy College, in Texas, one term. She began teaching in 1884, near Pennington, ten miles northwest of Tishomingo, while Col. G. W. Harkins was Superintendent of Public Instruction of the Chickasaw Nation. The following year (1885) Mr. Johnston employed her as one of the teachers at Bloomfield, where she continued to teach four years in succession. Her intellectuality, her kind disposition and beautiful countenance won for her a host of friends. In 1889 the subject of this sketch was married to Mr. Johnston. Since her marriage she has retained her position as teacher in his school, which she occupies at present. One daughter -- Wahneta E., a lovely child -- blesses this marriage. Mrs. Johnston belongs to the house of Incona (In-co-na).  Bloomfield Academy
 In
the mornings the girls were taught the English alphabet and the English
language, spelling, reading, writing, and arithmetic. In later
years history, botany and grammar were added to the courses of study.
In the afternoon they were taught sewing, house cleaning and
cooking. At the end of each school year, a public "zamination"
was held where as many as 300 guests, including parents of the
students, would attend. On closing day of the school term, the girls would march onto a stage where they were given oral exams. With the room full of family, friends, and local dignitaries, the girls would recite from memory what they had learned. A free barbeque lunch was served on plank tables in the school yard. In the evening the main building was changed into an impromptu stage, decorated and brilliantly lit while guests were seated in the yard facing the stage. (Mrs. Julia Beeler Smith, Colbert, 1845-1982; c1982) Bygimie Parker and her sisters attended Bloomfield Academy, which was in session for 9 months except for a 2-week vacation at Christmas. (Colbert, 1845-1982; c1982) From: Donna Hunt: Bloomfield Was Early Chickasaw School, for The Herald Democrat, posted March 27, 2018. Viewed January 11, 2019, https://www.heralddemocrat.com/news/20180327/bloomfield-academy-was-early-chickasaw-school. Bloomfield Academy History Chickasaw Research Native American Research Biography Index Susan Hawkins © 2024 If you find any of Grayson County TXGenWeb links inoperable, please send me a message.  |
