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Caroline Ferguson Harper was born a slave on the plantation of Rod Harper, December 25, 1835 in McDonough, Georgia.
She married at an early age and became the mother of eleven children -- four boys and seven girls.
During the dark days she was inspired with the zeal of independence to have something of her own. Becoming tired of the yoke
of bondage she was constantly under, she would run away for her freedom and would slip back at night to care for her children.
Finally, her master's wife told her she was free. Caroline left McDonough, Georgia and came to South River on the present
Highway 54. Here she sought shelter for the night with a stranger. Filled with the spirit of ambition, she started life
anew.
The next morning while walking around, she saw a large colonial home; she sought employment there and worked for her lodging.
She remained there until she secured a yoke of oxen; the she went back to McDonough and got her family, eleven children.
Traveling by ox cart, it took several days to come from McDonough to South River. She established residence there and saved
of the meager salary she got from working long hours and bought a tract of land. Part of the present school is on that tract
of land.
Caroline Ferguson Harper believed in education. Even in those dark days when children had to walk miles and miles to get
to a one-room school house, where they would share lunches from a tin bucket and sit on home made crude benches made by recruited
carpenters in the community, she was hungry for knowledge that would someday make them independent, that she sacrificed, plowed,
tilled the soil, gathered the crop, raised chickens, pigs, etc., sold milk eggs and butter, to see that her children were
educated above the slave status.
Her offsprings have proven that they appreciated her sacrifices. Among them may be found: ten teachers, an elementary school
principal, three social workers, three musicians, clerks in metropolitan city governments in the North and Far West, beauticians,
barbers, doctors, lawyers, architects, artists, brick masons and skilled laborers of every description. Surviving her today
are 2 children, 82 grandchildren, 115 great grandchildren and 35 great-great grandchildren.
Caroline Ferguson Harper was born a slave on the plantation of Rod Harper, December 25, 1835 in McDonough, Georgia. She married
at an early age and became the mother of eleven children -- four boys and seven girls.
During the dark days she was inspired with the zeal of independence to have something of her own. Becoming tired of the yoke
of bondage she was constantly under, she would run away for her freedom and would slip back at night to care for her children.
Finally, her master's wife told her she was free. Caroline left McDonough, Georgia and came to South River on the present
Highway 54. Here she sought shelter for the night with a stranger. Filled with the spirit of ambition, she started life
anew.
The next morning while walking around, she saw a large colonial home; she sought employment there and worked for her lodging.
She remained there until she secured a yoke of oxen; the she went back to McDonough and got her family, eleven children.
Traveling by ox cart, it took several days to come from McDonough to South River. She established residence there and saved
of the meager salary she got from working long hours and bought a tract of land. Part of the present school is on that tract
of land.
Caroline Ferguson Harper believed in education. Even in those dark days when children had to walk miles and miles to get
to a one-room school house, where they would share lunches from a tin bucket and sit on home made crude benches made by recruited
carpenters in the community, she was hungry for knowledge that would someday make them independent, that she sacrificed, plowed,
tilled the soil, gathered the crop, raised chickens, pigs, etc., sold milk eggs and butter, to see that her children were
educated above the slave status.
Her offsprings have proven that they appreciated her sacrifices. Among them may be found: ten teachers, an elementary school
principal, three social workers, three musicians, clerks in metropolitan city governments in the North and Far West, beauticians,
barbers, doctors, lawyers, architects, artists, brick masons and skilled laborers of every description. Surviving her today
are 2 children, 82 grandchildren, 115 great grandchildren and 35 great-great grandchildren.
Caroline Ferguson Harper
Elementary School History
Caroline Ferguson Harper School has its beginning in 1910 in Travelers Rest Baptist Church on Old Forrest Park Road in Fulton
County, Georgia. The school was under trustee management of Will Andrew, John Foster and Ike Ballard.
Mr. John Foster conducted a campaign to raise money to build a new school. Two years later, 1912, the school was built on
Rockwell Street, "Plunket Town". This was a one-room, one-teacher school, "a big house." The principal-teacher was Mrs.
Sarah Evans.
In 1917 the trustees applied to the Rosenwald Fund for aid in building a new school. The Macedonia School was consolidated
with this new school and it was called the Hapeville School with Mrs. Evans serving as principal-teacher. Children were brought
to school on private buses. Textbooks were bought by the children's parents and they also paid tuition. During the next
thirty-nine years the school increased in size to a four teacher school. This school had six rooms; one was used as a kitchen.
Parents, teachers, and students cooked the donated food.
Mss Rubye L. Goss became principal-teacher in 1943. The school came into the Atlanta Public Schools System under the Plan
of Improvement in 1952. A modern school plant was erected in 1955 at 180 Poole Creek Road and was ready for occupancy in
September of 1956. The new school was given the name of Caroline Ferguson Harper School in honor of a former Negro slave.
She owned a part of the present site on which the new school was build. The new school, a red brick building consisted of
eight classrooms, a cafetorium, a teachers lounge and an office suite and clinic. The staff consisted of a principal, eight
teachers, one clerk, two cafeteria workers and a manager, one maid and a custodian.
In 1958 the physical plant was enlarged to include seven additional classrooms and a library.
In 1969 construction for renovations and additions to Harper began. This addition was ready for occupancy in the fall of
1971. This addition consisted of 16 classrooms, a media center, music room, lounge, science room, conference room, teacher
preparation room, art room, multi-purpose room; enlarge cafetorium, kitchen, office, clinic and lounge.
First Principal
Miss Rubye L. Goss received her early schooling at the Gray Street School, later known as (Craddock Elementary School),
and Booker T. Washington High School. Mss Goss received her college training at Clark College. She did further studies at
New York University.
Her employment began in Fitzgerald, Georgia, then Palmetto, in Fulton County.
In 1943, she was employed at teacher-principal of the Hapeville Elementary School. This school later became the Caroline
F. Harper School and she became full time principal in 1956 where she served until she expired August, 1968.
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