The first step toward free public education on the secondary level in Henry County was taken when the Henry County Quarterly Court convened on Wednesday, April 9, 1902. In the Minute Book M, the proceedings were recorded in the following manner:

This day came O. C. Barton into Court and on behalf of Dr. E. W. Grove of St. Louis, formerly a citizen of Paris, Tenn., submitted a proposition that he the said Dr. E. W. Grove would give the County of Henry $20,000.00 in current funds of the U. S. for the purpose of erecting anti furnishing a high school building to be owned and controlled by the County, so long as used for high school purposes, provided this Court would establish and arrange for the Maintenance of said County High School in Henry County.

Which proposition was rejected by the Court, and a committee appointed to draft suitable acknowledgments and resolutions thanking Dr. Grove for his generous offer, said committee consisting of J. T. Turnbow, J. W. Buchanan and C. C. Pryor, Esquires, members of this Court who submitted the following Resolutions of Thanks were unanimously adopted by the Court, to-wit:

Resolutions

To the members of the Henry County Court:

We your committee on resolutions would respectfully submit the following:

Resolved, that while we do not feel at the present that we can accept the very generous proposition of Dr. E. W. Grove as submitted by the Hon. O. C. Barton owing to the fact that the fact that our county has felt the pressure of hard times. The prevalence of small pox for the past three years and the consequent necessity of raising the county cry to its limit, and other causes, yet we recognizing in it a high and philanthropic motive, and wish to express to him our gratitude for his generous offer and our regard to him as a patriotic citizen (Minute Book M, April 9, 1902, pp. 1-2).

On July 3, 1905, Dr. Grove again submitted a proposal to the Quarterly Court of Henry County. This time his proposal favored the county even more and was presented to the Court in written form. The proposal as read before the Court was:

Whereas, E. W. Grove, formerly a citizen of this county, but now a resident of the City of St. Louis in the State of Missouri, has submitted to this Court a proposition in writing, offering under the conditions named therein, substantial aid and encouragement to the building of a County High School; said proposition being in the words and figures following to-wit:

I, E. W. Grove, of the City of St. Louis and state of Missouri, desiring to give substantial aid and encouragement to the came of education, and specially to promote the educational interests of the County of Henry in the State of Tennessee, among whose people I formerly lived, and whom I am greatly attached, do hereby submit to said Henry County, the following proposition to-wit:

lst- If said County, or said County in conjunction with the City of Paris, will, through its lawfully constituted authorities, appropriate a sum of money not less than Forty thousand ($40,000.00) dollars the whole of which sum is to be used and expended in the purchase of grounds and erection thereon of a building, or buildings, suitable for a high school and for equipping the same; said school to be a Free County High School, that is, free of tuition for all time to the children of Bona-fide residents of Henry County, Tennessee, and free to Bona-fide resident teachers of said County. And when said appropriation shall have boon made for the purpose aforesaid, I, the said E. W. Grove, obligate and bind myself, personal representatives, heirs and assigns, to provide a perpetual endowment for said school to an amount not less than Fifty thousand ($50,000.00) dollars, the same to be placed in the hands of a Board of Trustees hereinafter provided for and to be known as the "Henry County Board of Trust," for the perpetual maintenance and operation of said High School; subject, however, to the conditions hereinafter set forth.

2nd- That so soon as the aforesaid Forty thousand dollars is appropriated and made available for the purposes mentioned, I, said E. W. Grove agree and bind myself, heirs, assigns and personal representatives, to execute my bond, note or other ouch obligations as may be hereafter agreed upon between said Board of Trust and myself for the aforesaid amount of Fifty thousand dollars, the same to be deposited with the said Board of Trust, which shall consist of not less than Seven members to be elected by the Quarterly Court of said County, by and with the advice and consent of the said E. W. Grove, which said Board of Trust shall have absolute and entire control and management of said endowment fund and the income or interest arising therefrom.

And I, the said E. W. Grove, further bind myself, heirs and personal representatives and assigns to pay on said endowment fund an annual income or annuity of Four thousand ($4,000.00) dollars per annum, payable quarterly to said Board of Trust, or 80 much thereof per annum, as shall be necessary for the sole purpose of maintaining and operating said school, repairing and keeping in repair the said property, paying insurance thereon, etc. so long as buildings such as are originally erected on said school grounds are maintained, but in no event to exceed the sum of Four thousand dollars per annum.

And I, the said E. W. Grove, further bind and obligate myself, heirs, assigns, personal representatives, to make such endowment fund absolutely secure, together with the aforesaid income or annuity thereon, so as to be available for the purposes aforesaid, by depositing with the said Board of Trust "Gilt Edge" collaterals, the same to be approved by said Board; but it is understood and agreed that the said Grove, his heirs, assigns, and personal representatives, shall be allowed to exchange said collaterals from time to time, and at any time they may desires for others placed by him in their stead, of equal value, or of value sufficient to amply income or annuity hereinbefore provided for, the amount and character of said collateral security to be determined by said Board of Trust.

3rd- The said school shall be designated and known as and is said to be managed and controlled by the Quarterly County Court of said County, through a Board of Seven Trustees, to be elected by said Quarterly Court; and the title to all of the said school property, except the endowment fund, shall be vested in said Trustees and their successors. Any vacancies occurring on said Board, or Board of Trust hereinbefore provided for, by death, resignation, or otherwise, shall be filled by the remaining members of said Boards, respectively, until such time as the Quarterly Court shall elect members to fill such vacancies, and the aforesaid Board of Trustees, and Board of Trust shall organize and elect its respective officers, such as President, Secretary, etc. and shall make all necessary rules and regulations for the government of their respective Boards; and said Trustees, and Board of Trust shall serve without compensation.

4th- The Board of Trustees in the management and operation of said school, shall be required to keep accurate minutes and records of its proceedings; and shall make quarterly reports to the Quarterly sessions of said Court, giving full and correct information in detail if required by said Court, as to the control, management and progress of said school, and the cost of maintaining and operating the same, which said reports shall be filed for reference in the office of the County Court Clerk.

No contracts shall be made, and no bills paid for any purpose, until the same are approved and audited by the Board of Trust.

All details, other than herein enumerated pertaining to the purchase of suitable grounds and the erection of buildings thereon, the control, management and operation of said school is to be left to the said Quarterly Court to work out, through said Boards.

5th- Said Boards, acting in conjunction, may elect a President and Secretary of the School, and prescribe their duties and fix their terms of office, but in no event shall the endowment fund be chargeable with any salaries or compensation to any officer, or officers, created by said Board, or either of them.

Signed in duplicate, This, the 3rd day of July, 1905.

E. W. Grove

and, whereas, the City of Paris has, by ordinance of its Legislative Council, appropriated and made available for the purposes mentioned the sum of Ten thousand ($10,000.00) dollars of the Forty thousand ($40,000,00) dollars required to be raised under and by the terms of said proposition:

Therefore, Be it resolved by this Court, that the aforesaid proposition of the said E. W. Grove be and the same is hereby accepted; and that the sum of Thirty thousand (30,000) dollars be and the same is hereby appropriated in accordance with the terms of said proposition and to further one of the objects therein contemplated; but with the express proviso that no member of the County Court of this county shall ever be eligible as a member of either of the said Boards of Trustees charged with the management of the endowment fund and the running and operating said school.

Be it further resolved, that when the undertaking of the said E. W. Grove, as set out in said proposition, are completed with on his part, the County Judge issue to the proper authority Time Warrants of the County to the amount of Thirty thousand (30,000) dollars not to exceed six percent interest, in such sums, and to run for such time, not in any event to exceed five years, as he may deem necessary and proper carrying out the objects herein contemplated; provided also that the City of Paris issue its warrants at the same time for its part of said undertaking (Minute Book N, July 3, 1905, pp. 119-122).

Resolutions

Resolved that the name of the High School shall be "E. W. Grove High School of Henry County" in honor of Mr. Grove, who has so generously prepared to endow it.

Resolved further, that the grateful and heart-felt thanks of this Court be extended to Mr. Grove for his unselfish and patriotic contribution, for the cause of education for Henry County, which shall bless us, and our children to the remotest generations.

Resolved further, may happiness attend him all the days of his life, and that that prosperity which has enabled him to bestow rich blessings upon Henry County, and upon her boys and girls may ever attend him, and that long and useful years may be his, and finally, that he be admitted to the highest reward, which awaits all those who have not lived in vain (Minute Book N, July 5, 1905, p. 125).

During the October Term of the Henry County Quarterly Court, Dr. Grove's answer to Henry County's acceptance of his proposition was received by the Court and recorded as follows:

. . . I, the said E. W. Grove, do hereby acknowledge myself to owe and be indebted to pay on demand to the said O. C. Barton, Z. T. Gatlin, J. C. Rainey, J. M. Bushart, A. H. Lankford, C. P. Hudson, and W. W. Farabough, and their successors in trust, for the purposes aforesaid, the sum of $50,000.00 for the uses trust and purposes aforesaid, and I further promise and agree to pay to the said O. C. Barton, Z. T. Gatlin, J. C. Rainey, J. M. Bushart, A. H. Lankford, C. P. Hudson and W. W. Farabough and their successors in trust, the sum of $4,000.00 per annum, as an income on the said $50,000.00 Endowment Fund, payable quarterly, the payment of said small income to begin, when the buildings are erected and ready for occupancy, and for the purposes and uses, and as per the terms of said written offer aforesaid, so long as I shall live, and to secure and make certain the payment of said $50,000.00 Endowment Fund, and said annual income of $4,000 per year, so long as I shall live, and secure said income to be perpetuated, after my death, I have this day deposited as collateral security, with O. C. Barton, Z. T. Gatlin, J. C. Rainey, J. M. Bushart, A. H. Lankford, C. P. Hudson, and W. W. Farabough,

90 shares of the Cep. Stock of the Paris Med. Co.,
100 shares of the Cep. Stock of the Commercial Bank, of Paris,
50 shares of the Cep. Stock of the Bank of Henry, Paris, Tenn.,
which shall be held in trust by said Board, and its successors, for the purposes aforesaid.

And I further agree at any time said collateral security is deemed insufficient by the said Board, to secure this undertaking by depositing with said Board gilt edge collaterals to an amount satisfactory to said Board, the value of said collateral security shall be based on the Market value of such security, at the time it is offered for the purposes aforesaid.

And at my death, unless other arrangements have been made and perfected, I direct that the said O. C. Barton, Z. T. Gatlin, J. C. Rainey, J. M. Bushart, A. H. Lankford, C. P. Hudson, and W. W. Farabough, shall, unless my heirs, or legal representatives redeem or take up said collaterals by paying the amount herein provided for, sell said collateral security or any other collateral security that may have been placed Board, in lieu of that herein deposited to the best possible advantage for cash. And out of the proceeds such sale of such collateral stock, discharge and pay $50,000 endowment fund, herein provided for; and said Board will also retain of the proceeds of said collaterals, a sufficient sum of money, which with the $50,000 endowment fund, will be of value sufficient to yield $4,000 per annum, at 5% per annum, the whole of which fund shall then constitute the endowment fund, no part of which, except the income therefrom, shall be used for the maintenance of said High School; but the income shall be used only in keeping with, and as per the terms of written offer heretofore referred to; and any balance arising from said sale of said collaterals, said Board of Trust shall pay to my legal representatives (Minute Book N, October 2, 1905, p. 109).

We have received from the County of Henry, cash, $3500 and from the City of Paris, $1200 and most of this we have paid for lands for the school site, $4400, and have acquired the following lands situated on, and adjoining McCampbell's Hill, just South of Paris about 3/4 of a mile, for the site of the school,

From T. P. Jernigan, a donation of about 17-1/2 acres
From W. G. Kirk a purchase of about 5 acres
From McAdoo heirs a purchase of about 4 acres
From Aden et als a purchase of about 20 acres with
the exception of a small lot in the Aden tract, which belonged to James Alexander, colored, and which has belonged to James Alexander, colored, and which has since sold to W. C. Johnson, at the price of $250.00 and which Mr. Johnson is willing to sell to the Trustees of the School at the price paid for it, which will make about 46 or 47 acres at a cost of $4650.00.

The late J. N. Thompson made a donation to the Trustees of one acre of land for street purposes, leading from Dunlap to the school property, to have expended for grading of said street, and for the cleaning of school grounds, the sum of $395.05 (p. 109).

We further report that there is within the school boundaries about 60 acres, at a cost to the county of $4,000.00 but the price at which the property is $4,381.00, but your committee did not feel warranted in expending of the county's and city's money more than $4,000.00 for the site, so Mr. E. W. Grove very generously became personally responsible for the $381.00 (Board of Trust Minutes, August 4, 1905).

The Board of Trust met September 4, 1905, and the following took place:

Mr. O. C. Barton read a communication from Mr. E. W. Grove to the effect he would send his check for $381.00 to pay balance of purchase on the school site, but that the county might pay that amount, and he would make the same payment in donation for improvement and beautification of the school grounds (Board of Trust Minutes, September 4, 1905).

Upon motion and as said $381.00 had already been paid and it was decided not to require Mr. Grove to pay the same upon the purchase, but that he might make the same payment by contributing to the improvement of the school grounds.

In the Tennessee School Report the following account was given of the laying of the cornerstone:

On the 26th of June the cornerstone of the E. W. Grove High School building was laid, at which time there was a grand educational rally, attended by citizens of every part of the county and many from the surrounding counties. Several splended addresses on the subject of education were delivered, but one by State Superintendent Mynders deserves special mention, as it was not only favorably received by all, but went far toward creating an interest and establishing confidence in our public schools among the people of the rural districts (Tennessee School Report, 1906, p. 337).

E. W. Grove High School opened with its first classes in September of 1906 and used the City Hall until Christmas for a meeting place. At this time the school was moved into the new building erected upon McCampbell's Hill (Webb, Interview, 1960). The new structure was a "two story and basement building of gray pressed brick" (p. 10).

At the end of the school year of 1906, the Tennessee School Report included a special, one page, section on E. W. Grove High School and also printed a picture of the building. The remarks as they appeared in the report were:

This institution of learning is something rather unique in school building in Tennessee. Mr. E. W. Grove, of St. Louis, Mo., an enterprising, philanthropic, Christian gentleman, desiring to do something for the higher education of the boys and girls of Henry County, Tenn., where he had formerly lived and made his start in business life, submitted a proposition to Henry County that if the county and city of Paris would buy the grounds and erect the building, he would endow the school to the amount of $80,000, and guarantee an income thereon to the amount of $4,000 a year, the school to be free to the children of every bona fide citizen of the county and to the teachers of the county.

The city and county accepted the proposition, and completed a handsome, modern, up-to-date building, of which the accompanying cut (not shown in this study) is a true picture, at a cost of $46,000 for the building, and fifty acres of ground which lies in three-fourths of a mile of Court Square, of Paris, Tenn., an historic old town that has given to the State and nation more than its share of eminent statesmen, scholars, and divines; a town of about 5,000 population, of a high order of citizenship, of splendid churches, and no saloons. The school building is situated on an eminence, the highest point in West Tennessee, and beautifully and healthfully located.

The school is intended to be a first-class training school, not a college or university, but one that will prepare students for entrance into the best colleges in the country, or to go out into the struggles of life, well equipped, morally, and mentally, for it's battles.

The school is under the supervision of Mssrs. Chappell Brothers as principals, and has opened with a fine student body of more than one hundred in attendance.

This school, together with the graded public school of the city, affords splendid education advantages to Paris and Henry County, Tenn (Tennessee School Report, 1906, p. 219).

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