A Brief History of Cerro Gordo, Chadbourn, Grist, And the Mt. Moriah Community Compiled by the Eighth Grade Chapter of the Tarheel Junior Historian Association of Westside High School Chadbourn, NC 1961-62

Prior to 1920, Gould’s Academy, an educational institution operated by the Board of Christian Education of
the Presbyterian Church, USA was the only educational institution for Negroes in the town of Chadbourn. It
was organized shortly after 1886, the year that Fuller Memorial Presbyterian Church was founded.

As the population of Chadbourn grew, Johnson High School was organized in 1920-21 to ease the burden
of crowded Gould’s Academy. Johnson High School was later named Chadbourn Negro High School. In
1948, when the first brick structure appeared on campus, a committee was appointed by the P.T.A. to
rename the school. Serving on that committee were: James B. Brown of Chadbourn, NC, C.M. King of
Cerro Gordo, NC, and O. L. Anderson of Fair Bluff NC. This committee renamed the school Westside High
School, the name it bears today.

Westside High School has a very interesting past. According to records, it began as a six-teacher school
with an enrollment of approximately 230 students. It was chiefly an elementary school. After finishing the
seventh grade, most students were sent to finish high school at the academies in Lumberton and
Franklinton, NC.

As Chadbourn began to grow and become the world’s largest Klondike strawberry market and a growing
tobacco center, the school’s population began to increase. By 1937, the school had become a standard
high school with its first graduating class during that spring. Since 1937-38 we have witnessed a
tremendous growth here at Westside. At present we have a modern school plant, bus transportation, well
trained faculty of 33 teachers, over 900 students and many other things of which we are very proud.

Westside High School has always had as one of its aims to train its students to be good citizens, to be of
service their community, state and nation, and to be morally straight with good sound character.

The Westside High School has elevated the educational status of our community. In 1935 the number of
high school graduates among Negros in the town of Chadbourn was less than 15. Since 1936-37, the
number has increased to more than 300. Many have made their homes here and many have moved away to
seek employment opportunities in the larger industrial states of the nation.

Westside has been very fortunate to have wise and sane leadership from its principals. Serving Westside
as principals have been: Messrs. Fouse, A. B. Daniels, J. B. Powell, D. George, William Robinson, G. C.
Grandy, Douglas Lewis, J. P. Murfree, F. I. McDougald and at present, Prof. A. I. Williams.

The school has seen its greatest growth under the administration of its present principal, Mr. A. I. Williams.
Westside’s faculty, its students and P.T.A. must continue to work as a team for greater improvement as the
years come and go.