ron of the Boys Hall in 1894, was a native
of Pennsylvania and was educated in the public schools and Wilson Female
College at Chambersburg. She was a teacher at Wheelock Academy at the
time of her marriage in 1894.

During the period of service on the part of these and all previous
helpers the necessaries of life had to be hauled long distances. The
daily supply of water had to be hauled one and a half miles. The nearest
post office most of the time was at Wheelock, ten miles east. Previous
to 1902, when Valliant was founded the nearest trading stations were
Paris and Clarksville, Texas, and from 1889 to 1903 Goodland,
twenty-eight miles west. All the surfaced lumber in the Girls' and Boys'
Halls, built in 1889 and 1894 had to be hauled from Paris.

Travel over the rough crooked trails and unbridged streams in the
timber, whilst not unhealthful in good weather, was always a slow,
tedious experience, rather than a source of pleasure. To live at Oak
Hill meant to enjoy a quiet secluded home, so far removed from the
currents of the world's activity, as to be almost unaffected by them.

Mrs. McBride continued to serve as matron until 1899, a period of ten
years. The school had then a history of 13 years. On reviewing the signs
of improvement and progress among the colored people that might be
attributed to the good influence of the Oak Hill school, she wrote as
follows:

"The community has greatly changed since this school was
established. When Mr. McBride and I went to the field murders were
common in the neighborhood of Oak Hill, but they are rare now. The
people are now improving their places, cultivating more land,
planting orchards and building board houses, having several rooms.
They have more stock than formerly and their outlook seems hopeful;
but alas! their religious life is sadly neglected. One half the
pupils are from Presbyterian families, and those who come from other
denominations learn to love our church, its doctrines and form of
worship."

Parson Stewart of Doaksville, who had been the faithful pastor of the
Oak Hill church from the time it was founded in 1869, continued to serve
it once a month until the spring of 1893, a period of 24 years. He was
then at the age of 70 honorably retired from the active ministry, and
the superintendent of the academy, became his successor in the pastorate
of the Oak Hill church.

OTHER HELPERS.

The other assis