Near Sardis in Panola County, Mississippi — The American South (East South Central)
Walton Chapel Vocational High School
Photographed By Mark Hilton, October 25, 2023
1. Walton Chapel Vocational High School Marker
Inscription.
Walton Chapel Vocational High School. . In the late 1930s, elementary teachers Olivette Ellis and Minnie Smith. supported by the trustees and county superintendent. worked to open a training school for high school students. With funding from the Smith-Hughes Act and a teacher supplied by the Jeanes Foundation, the school opened in 1940 in Sardis with W. S. Demby as principal. The first school in the county to offer agricultural and vocational training for black students, Walton Chapel closed in 1962 and was the predecessor of the North Panola Vocational High School in Como.
In the late 1930s, elementary teachers
Olivette Ellis and Minnie Smith. supported by
the trustees and county superintendent. worked
to open a training school for high school students.
With funding from the Smith-Hughes Act and a
teacher supplied by the Jeanes Foundation, the
school opened in 1940 in Sardis with W. S. Demby
as principal. The first school in the county to
offer agricultural and vocational training for
black students, Walton Chapel closed in 1962
and was the predecessor of the North Panola
Vocational High School in Como.
Erected 2021 by Mississippi Department of Archives and History.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Education. A significant historical year for this entry is 1940.
Location. 34° 26.263′ N, 89° 59.191′ W. Marker is near Sardis, Mississippi, in Panola County. Marker is on Mississippi Route 315 west of Mt Level Road, on the right when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 15791 MS-315, Sardis MS 38666, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 6 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Dr. Lynda Ruth Campbell (approx. 3.1 miles away); Sardis (approx. 3.9 miles away); Como (approx. 5.7 miles away); Stark Young (approx. 5.7 miles away); a different marker also named
Credits. This page was last revised on October 28, 2023. It was originally submitted on October 28, 2023, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama. This page has been viewed 59 times since then and 18 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on October 28, 2023, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.
