ffice, and attended a school which was kept in the "Centre Street
Colored Methodist Church," until it closed.

Rev. Henry Henderson, a Colored Methodist preacher, now opened a
school in Centre Street, and Marshall was duly enrolled among his
pupils. On his retirement, Mrs. Elizabeth Cumings, a highly cultured
and pious lady, taught a private school on Grayson, between Sixth and
Seventh streets. He now went to her. She died soon after, when he was
sent to a Mr. William H. Gibson, who had already opened a school on
Seventh, between Jefferson and Green streets, in an old carpenter
shop. Here he continued until 1861.

In 1866 Mr. Taylor opened a Freedmen's School at Hardinsburg
Breckenridge Co., Ky. This was in an old church, the property of the
M. E. Church South. It had been donated for church purposes by George
Blanford. If used otherwise it was to revert to the donor. A Negro
school was obnoxious to the community. His was the first there had
ever been in the village, and notwithstanding the white people had
long since abandoned the property to the Colored people this question
was now raised in order to break up the school. It did not succeed, as
they easily proved that the original intent of the donor was not
violated, since Colored people still used the property as a church.
Failing in this the school was tormented by ruffians. Pepper was
rolled up in cotton, set on fire, and hurled into the room to set
every one coughing. Finally threats of personal violence were made if
he did not leave, but Mr. Taylor armed himself, defied the enemies of
freedom, and stayed. At last, on Christmas evening, Dec. 25, 1867, the
house was blown up with powder. The arrangement was to set off the
blast with a slow match so as to catch the house full of people, there
being a school exhibition that night. The explosion took place at
11:30 P.M., but owing to the excitement occasioned by the novelty of
such a thing as a "Negro School Exhibition," the crowd had gathered
much earlier than announced. The programme was completed before 11
P.M., and by this accident the school and teacher were saved. The old
wreck still remains a monument to color prejudice.

By the aid of the Freedmen's Bureau another school-house was soon
built, and the school proceeded. This was followed by a meeting-house.
The white people, whose sentiments were now rapidly turning,
subscribed liberally toward it.

In 1868 an educational convention was held at Owensboro, in