Simpsonville has had good schools from the beginning. A man by the name
of LeRoy taught here in the early days. Professor LeRoy was a peculiar
character. He was highly educated, and was said to have been an
excellent teacher, but he knew nothing outside of books. He could not
distinguish one kind of tree from another, and could not tell the
different directions. He boarded with George Hart, Sr., who lived a
little way off the main road that led to the schoolhouse. If the
mornings were cloudy, or snow was on the ground, Mr. Hart would have to
go with him and show him the way. On one occasion, it was told, the
professor started to his school while it was cloudy and snow was on the
ground. During the day Mr. Hart had occasion to pass the schoolhouse and
saw the children in the house, with no teacher. He began to search for
the teacher and traced him to a little outhouse. He was sitting in there
waiting for the children to come to school. When Mr. Hart approached the
door, the teacher said, “It seems like the children are late getting
here this morning.”
Simpsonville has kept up a good interest in educational affairs. She has
had good teachers all along, and for a while put on graduation exercises
at the close of the term. The school students are now transported by bus
to Union Hill high school near Bettie. Prof. McWaters taught here during
the Civil War, and Prof. Lowler also taught here seventy-five years ago.