Labor Day marks homecoming for alumni of historic school
MCKENZIE, Tenn. — One former high school had their annual homecoming celebration on Labor Day.
Webb High School served African American students from Carroll County, McKenzie, and other surrounding counties before the final Class of 1966 graduated.
“The late 20s is when the high school actually got started up, until then it went from one to eighth, first grade to the eighth grade,” said Ike Gilbert with the Webb Alumni Association.
Now the school serves as museum, after school program, and head start program in a portion of the school. But before all of those moments, Webb students attended classes in churches and other community centers.
“It came with a dormitory. It came with a cafeteria,” Gilbert said.
Webb’s school building was once a college that alumni then built to accommodate students. The rest of the history is now located in the museum and through the students that return.
“Classmates I went to school with bring their grandkids back, their great grandkids back, and each year is not the same one, but each year you will find somebody new,” said Gilbert.
Some of the alumni grandkids receive scholarships to further their education at the reunion.
Another alum from Webb shares why she continued her legacy there after the announcement of integration.
“Attended Webb school for 11 years. Not quite 11 years but through the eleventh grade. I just didn’t want to split it up although I had to come a little further to get here, but I wanted to stay here,” said Peggy Hillsman, alumna from the final graduating class.
She also shares what it means to see her former classmates and their families.
“It’s a good feeling to know we’re still living,” Hillsman said. “That there’s probably about four of us that’s here–one of them maybe, he’s still living– we’re still around. That’s a good feeling.”
Alumni and family members share that it was great to see each other again for another year.
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