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Farming For A Better Future, page 302
361 Pine Ridge School* Pine Ridge School was once located on Lindsay Road near the intersection of Settle Road, northwest of Beulahland. The school was created in 1940 from parts of the Little Ezekiel and Beulahland schools and placed approximately in between the two to serve grades one through nine. It was established by the National Youth Administration (N.Y.A.), a program established by the WPA, that trained over four million teachers and students over its eight years of existence. (Below) 1950 USGS Topographic Map Showing the Pine Ridge School The county bought the land for the school and moved an old schoolhouse here that was once used by the white community. The first teachers were Mrs. B.D. Mayberry, Mrs. Eunice Lucas, Ms. Hellen Simmons, (Above) Students and Teachers of the Pine Ridge School and Ms. Marie Bridgforth. In 1947, the teachers were Mrs. L.M. Hatton and Mrs. Mary E. Caldwell. In 1960, the school and its two surrounding acres were sold for $824. 37 ■ Pleasant Grove Church,* Cemetery, and School* Located southeast of Athens on Hastings Road is Pleasant Grove Cemetery. It is just north of Culps Road and was associated with a church building until about 2012. The church predated the school that held classes there starting in the late 19th century. Only the school was shown on the 1935 USGS topographic map, while the 1967 edition labeled only the church in this location. The cemetery was not labeled on either map, despite having at least 300 burials. The Pleasant Grove School was organized by a member of the community, Mr. Moses Brooke, who was also the first teacher. In the early 20th century, Mrs. Hazel Caldwell taught here and, in 1926, was joined by Ms. Fannie Marshall of Birmingham. The county gave the school a new building in 1936. The two-room schoolhouse accommodated six grades and often made due with very little. Although lessons were available for nine months of the year, most children could only attend for three to five months. Mrs. Etta Coble and Mrs. Matthews (Above) 1935 USGS/TVA Topographic Map of Pleasant Grove School, Athens, Alabama Quadrangle (Below) 1967 USGS/TVA Topographic Map of Pleasant Grove Church and Wiggins Cemetery, Athens, Alabama Quadrangle - (4830)