History and Times of a Methodist School in the Virginia Coalfields - Book on Virginia Education History & Methodist Schools - Perfect for Historians, Educators & Genealogy Researchers

Product Description

This is the first book to document the “complete” history of Triangular Mountain Institute. The 500 page “History and Times of a Methodist Mission School in the Virginia Coalfields” provides a complete history of Triangular Mountain Institute located in the Garden Creek area of Buchanan County. TMI was founded by Rev. B.N. Waterhouse in 1920 and he named it after 3 majestic mountains near the school. The school operated as an elementary and high school along with being an orphanage in the coalfields of KY, TN, WV and VA from 1920 to 1933. All of the TMI orphans were from families in the coal fields that lost their fathers in mining accidents. Its purpose was for the instruction of the youth of the mountain section in the Garden Creek area, in the various branches of science, literature, philosophy, the liberal arts and useful arts, agriculture, ancient and modern languages, etc. the pupil being required to pay as far as they were able to do so and the balance of the cost of their education, both board and tuition, being by contributions from outside sources.The 3-story TMI brick building burned down in 1933. The Methodist Church had no insurance on the 3-story facility and decided not to replace the 3-story brick facility which left more than 20 orphans homeless. To this day, no one seems to know what happened to the more than 20 orphans. However, the Garden Creek Community built back a wood frame building for elementary and high school students, but with no facilities to board students or orphans. In 1937, at the request of the Methodist Church, the school was taken over by Buchanan County and it became a public school. Primary basis for the book involves interviews conducted in 2006 - 8 of eight individuals that attended TMI during the 1930s. Today, these 8 individuals are deceased. In addition, the book has 2 stories by one individual that attended TMI in 1924 and a second story concerns 2 Mission Workers that where on the TMI staff from 1925 to 1931. The book covers the “times” surrounding Garden Creek from the lumbering days after the turn of the 20th century, the difficult times of living in the Appalachia Mountains in the 1920’s, the Buchanan County coal expansion on Garden Creek in the mid 1930s, the Red Jacket Mine Explosion in 1938, and events during the 50’s, 60s and up thru the 70s. These were “times” during which the TMI students lived and experienced. Most of the TMI graduates became teachers in the county school system (or in a nearby county). Even though the TMI students obtained a high school diploma and could teach school, all of these TMI graduates obtained a college degree while teaching. At least two graduates began very successful businessman in the State of Virginia.