Caption: “Corn cultivation at Jackson Training School at Concord” 79-639
Copied from original owned by J. Lee Pharr of Concord.
From the files of the North Carolina Collection Photographic Archives.
To read more about the Jackson Training School, see the following description at the State of North Carolina’s Highway Historical Marker page:
STONEWALL JACKSON TRAINING SCHOOL
A key ally in Concord editor J.P. Cook’s campaign for a reformatory: Anna Morrison Jackson, whose status as widow of Gen. Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson helped win over the many Confederate veterans in the 1907 legislature.
I was there in 1963-1964,Iremember severe cruelty.I was 11 yr. old,my cottage parrent’s name was Eudy or something like that.He would hit me in face whith fist kick me and even make me and the other boys get naked,hold our penis out while he slaped it with a rubber strap that came from a scrub broom.Wewould have to get on our hands and knees with pieces of wool blankets to wax and buff the wood floors,if you slowed down before he told you to he would kick you in the ribs or butt.He was probally the most creul of the people in charge but there were many who you could see were getting enjoyment from beating us.My name is Jerry Moore my email is paintme@att.net and my phone#is 828-669-5695
I also worked briefly on the farm,They would line us boys up,blow a whistle and we would begin picking.the whistle would blow again, that meant stop,if you hadn’t picked enough to please them they would beat the hell out of you with sticks.I Can remember blood trickling down my back and legs.They called it learning agriculture,I remember it as childhood slavery.After picking the crops of course the beans had to be snapped,peas shelled corn shucked.this was mostly done on the inside but the same creul methods were used,this time it was a woman with a paddle who beat us when we could’nt keep up.
I support Jerry Moore and his courage to speak out. I was in Jackson Training School at the same time as he. Everything that he has said id true. I am now the founder of Just Detention International based in both Los Angeles and Washington DC. I am also a writer, and I an currently writing an autobiography, a portion of which concerns Stonewall Jackson Training School and the brutality there.
Incidentally, if one wants to know how absolutely brutal the workers were, read this: I slept beside a bedwetter and my friend was on the other side of him. Mr. Thompkinson ordered us to stay awake every night to awaken him to keep him from peeing in the bed. Unfortunately, that did not work. So Mr. Thompkinson added a punishment. Whenever we failed to get the bedwetter up (and we always failed), Mr. Thompkinson would rub our faces in the wet sheets. Most of the time we were able to keep our faces away from the urinated part of the sheets, and since we were hardened to conditions there, we were somewhat dead to this added assault to our integrity. Then due to his special hatred toward me–I always seem to bring out the animosity in people–on one morning Mr Thompkinson made a point of rubbing my face in the worst part. This time I was totally humiliated. I told my work supervisor, Mr. Burris, and this one was so out in space that he was angered by it and rushed up to the main office. Mr. Thompkinson disappeared for three days, and then showed up again meaner than ever.
I live right down the street from JTS and ive always wondered what happend there. All the buildings are old now and falling apart. The other day a few friends of mine and i went inside the very last cottage and then we went inside the cannon house at the very front. Can someone tell me what happend there? Why did it shut down? It seems like the people just dissapeared because theres still some chairs, piano’s, papers, radio/record players and everything in there. Can someone whos been there before tell me more things that went on there? thank you!
I am interested in buying or having the building and chapel donated. Does anyone know who to get in touch with?
Only the state of North Carolina would make a place like this a historical landmark.
I was there in sept 1966 july 1967 they were bad bad the cottage parents or so called were rough I was in cottage 17 I ran from there 3 times and got caught put me in a jail a small room with just a bed and toilet for a week at a time. I went to school a half a day and work half a day .I worked in plumbing dept I think his name was mr. Burris.I was tranfered to swannoa in Black Mountion and released in feb 1968
Dear Russell, Jerry, and Robert,
I am very interested in hearing more about your experiences at Stonewall Jackson Training School. We represent a criminal defendant (now over 50 years old) who was at Stonewall Jackson in the very early 1970s. We are preparing for his sentencing by trying to find out as much as we can about the experiences of his youth. We’ve been told there were some pretty abusive practices. But I need to talk to some specific people who were there then and get some further documented details. Will you help me? My phone number is 802-676-3967 and my email address is ellewilson@wildblue.net. Please get in touch with me! Thanks! Laura Wilson, Guildhall, Vermont.
I was there in the mid eighties.There was a few very good people there that helped influence me to be a better person,but,for the most part…It was a violent nightmare where staff pitted inmates against one another and even sexually abused the young boys.Rape was common and physical abuse by other inmates a daily ritual.All in all,It’s been several years now but I still have nightmares.I’ve spent my life trying to forget the lessons I learned there as a teenager.The stories I could tell…I saw it all in the two plus years I was incarcerated there.I have since been in prison and i can say that while prison is no picnic,It doesn’t hold a candle to Stonewall.It was truelly a “gladiator academy”.
i was there to 1958 to 1960 i was a 2 timer was in cottage 5 (boney bill parrish) second time i was in cottage 9 miller good man still have places on my back where i was betten i hated mr henson #i cottage my nose was busted my mr parrish for cussing i eat soap too whiped with a bull penis by mr mullis ran in 1958 was rated on and was cought by boys in #cottage 1got whiped cherry limes and had to stand up to eat worked in llaundy (mr joe) good man my no#is 704 9225619 home 704 8846593 cell call me i remember ever thing about it it was a bad place mean people there
it has to be some one out that was in cottage 5 1958 and 1959 and cottage 9 in 1960 would love to hear from some body ronnie morrow (704)922.5619
Oh my gosh! I’m a 63 year old woman, and today I felt compelled to google “Jackson Training School, sexual abuse”. I have 2 brothers that spent a year in that school. A few years ago, one of my brothers told me stories about being sexually abused, and beaten while there. I figured it was too late to do anything about it, but it has haunted me ever since. So far, I have only read a couple of the posts made by other, but I plan to go read them all. I hope someone is planning on making this public. It makes me sick that there are people willing to talk, but no news media is picking up on it. I plan to call my brother as soon as I finish this post. People, you have got to make this more public! It was, and still is a crime!
Just spoke with Jerry. I was unable to reach my brother by phone, but I intend to talk to him and then go public with what happened to these children. Jerry has lead a life that closely resembles the way my brothers turned out. These were not hardened criminals when they went into that place! Jerry played hookey from school, and my brothers broke into a cracker machine for food after running away from a a dad that beat them. I would love to hear from others that were sent to this place. What was your life like afterwards? How did you turn out? My email address is
sandyjohn5221948@aol.com
I was there from 1969 to 1970 and Believe me the stories I read today took me back to a very dark time in my life. I was in cottage # 9 and Mr Eudy was our so-called cottage parent…I worked on the farm when I first got to JTS. I was tired of getting my ass beat ( mass Punishment ) Duck walking up and down 3 stories of steps half the night or polishing the floors for hours because if One person messed up everybody paid .So I ran away also..Didn’t take long to catch a 14 year old walking the train track…I was beat AGAIN. First time my nose was broke.The lock up or (jail) for I think about a week was, Say it was a time you will never forget. Then the time came I had to fight the BEAR…If you were there you know..Well,Honestly I pretty much had forgot JTS until about 2 weeks ago as a truck driver I had a delivery in Harrisburg and I drove right by JTS.. I have been screwed up since. This morning for some reason I woke up with it on my mind and here I am..Now, I wonder about some of the guys that had it even worse than me like ,Tank and Dorsy.There was a guy, Larry..something. Mr Eudy made it public he was gay..Told everbody. Mr Eudy would stand by the shower door and watch everbody shower…And you better not get wood..Poor Kid..Got his ass beat daily..I took up for him one time and only one time..Had to fight the bear again..Budlight591@aol.com
i was allso in cottage #9 1960 like i said mr.miller dont know when he left . mr and mrs was getting old when i was there .and i ducked walked up them 3story steps too . and i waxed them floors to when i was incottage#5 parrish hen is the one that busted nose ,and he allso watcted you took a shower and you better not have no water on you if you did that is where you got hit with that yard stick .mr parrish was evry mean too had a bony wife too and she was as mean as he was. about all people was mean down there .went to prison when i left there and i got troyall the boys i was at jts was there too i have been pretty streight since 1967 got married and have a wonderful family . i do still think about how mean them people was
Me again remembering some more times at jts I worked as a meat cutter while there,seems like the man in charge of the meat dept. name was mr.Liskt something like that.He was a good man best I can rememrber .Being in cottage 9 with Eudy in charge kinda went like this. You would get up in the morning and hope you could make it untill breakfast without getting beat.then you were off to work or school.I enjoyed my work it was off to school,for me that was just another place to get beat.The 4th grade was the last grade I completed in public school but at jts they gave you a test and put you where-ever I was put in tenth grade and I was’nt able to do tenth grade work so that just ment I got beat that much more There was a science teacher who was always falling asleep,when he awoke He’d would walk around til he decided who to beat with his rubber strap and he would say heads,hand or tail and you best say tail because he would hit you just as hard on the head as he would the butt.I seen a boy fall off a farm truck and his head busted wide open,I ran to him took my shirt off and wraped around his head,the boy died,when I got back to cottage 9 Eudy beat the crap out of me because I had no shirt. often during the night the light would come on then you would hear Eudy say stand by your bed as he got to you you would pull your blanket and top sheet off.He would be looking for socks or wet sheets sometimes he would see someone had not flushed the toilet then he would grab the one Afro-American boy by the neck and star ducking his head in the toilet,I often thought he was going to kill him because he would keep his head in there so long.I can remember the whole cottage having to duckwalk around the ball field untill you fell out and then you knew you were all gonna get beat when you went in, depending on his mood if it would be with your clothes on or off.I wonder if Eudy is still alive,I would like to see him but I don’t think he would like to see me. PEACE
mr miller must have retired in 61 or62 .the man that took his place must have been mean .mr miller was not that mean the first time i was down there in 1958 when i had it bad mr parrish was a mean old man .hated to eat them peanut butter sandichs on sat .even too.we did get to go see a movie ever thrus.night .but u better not talk in line or sitting down . in 1960 i worked in the laundy .i had a friend named harly hunt he worked in the laundy in the morning and i worked in the even we were in the same cottage #9 in march 1960 he was putting close in the big washer and got his arm hung ;it pulled his arm off .he was from pembrook n c i cant remember some things but i sure remember jts . mr lisk and his wife were the best people down there they both worked there .he had the mess hall and school too . would love to hear from some body that was down therein 5 or 9 58 to 60
I am a Student in the 8th grade at Waddell Language Academy in charlotte NC. I am doing a Project on Human Injustice and i chose Training Schools. I would like to interview someone who was in the Training School or knows someone who was.
Sincerely,
Meg Brown
Incarcerated twice…for not having a home. They were still locking boys up in closets when I got there. Where do I start. Older boys looking for oral sex or ass raping the younger boys, the bullying, having things stuck up your ass, crotch grabbing and posing, I’m your daddy and the confusing sex talk, the constant fear from the savagery of the other boys and the cruelty and brutality of the cottage parents, the hopelessness and feeling of abandonment. It was all true.
I was in cottage six in 1961 with Mr. Hill who was a decent man. I was 10 years old the first time I had a broom stick stuck up my ass. In 1963 I was with Mr. Hooker at cottage fourteen and worked with Mr. Reeling in the print shop. He was a story by himself and liked gay boys. He earned their favors with cigarettes. I got my front teeth knocked out by Mr. Edmonston the typing teacher for not standing straight in line at the school house one afternoon.
When my last year was up I had no place to go and thought I would never leave so I ran. I ran and ran and ran some more. Then I got the shit beat out of me regularly at Cottage 17 by laying across a bench naked. Three grown men took their time to beat you so bad you almost passed out. Anybody remember Mr. Sloop and Mr. Hinson. It was beyond pain and very sadistic. Then they made you take a shower to wash the blood off and put you in a cell for a week on the floor so the welts would go down. There is so much more I could tell.
My last punishment was working in the slaughter house with Mr. Faggart who was a mean man on the surface. Probably one of the meanest men you didn’t want to cross. But I didn’t let him get to me and even though it was hauling guts off and man handling animals to slaughter them I earned his respect and he gave me the only citation I ever received. I still have it and it ranks right up there with my college degree and my honorable discharge.
One night a couple of years ago I had not thought of Jackson in 30 years and woke up in a sweat and wrote a blurb about a couple of incidents that happened to me while I was there. If you were there you might remember the night Ronnie Granada took a dive out the bedroom window on the third floor. I would be glad to share if your interested. Skinose2@hotmail.com
johnny d i remember mr hill mr paggert #7 henderson #8 receiving cottage i also remember coggins a 6grade teacher all said i was gonna look him up he was mean too mr faggert in the one that whiped me so bad in the old cotton mill #16 behind the big rock wher ethe bell was mr henson # 1was evry mean too if johnny d see this lets talk
johnny d call me 704 884 6593
I was there in 1964 as a 14 year old boy. I witnessed some of the cruelest brutality that would be unbelievable to the public. I was beaten several times with fists, switches around my neck, and sometimes when I hadn’t done anything the man on the yard that I worked for, (I think Mr. Suther) would pop a switch around your neck just for the fun of it. A favorite punishment of the cottage parents was to hold a child’s foot up and hit their bare foot with a ruler or strap until you could hardly stand it. This was called a “hot foot.” One of the boys there was run over by a dump truck and killed. The trucks came barreling in and never slowed down for anyone. If you were in the way, they ran you down. I’ve seen other boys beaten unmercifully, blood flying out of their faces. I ran away after 3 months determined to never go back. Feel free to contact me, as I have other accounts of abuse. I am now a pastor of a Baptist Church in Lenoir, NC for over 30 years.
I just set up a Facebook group named “Stonewall Jackson Training School.” Please come by and join and feel free to share your stories.
I was in Jackson back in 1967 in Cottage 17 — the same time as Robert Duckworth, who posted above about when he ran off and was put in the jail… I remember that!
I’m really glad to see guys who were there sharing their stories. The stories need to be told and people who haven’t suffered that kind of brutality need to hear how things were just a few short years ago.
Here’s a link to the Facebook group…
https://www.facebook.com/groups/118080228322359/
It’s open to everyone, whether you were there or not.
I am going to Rowan-Cabarrus Community College and I found this site because I’m doing a photography project on old abandoned places. I had never even heard of Stonewall Jackson School until today. I also love to write and would absolutely love to interview some of you. the first thing that came to my mind when I read these posts is to either write a book or at least put an article in the news paper. If anyone is interested in letting me interview them and getting your story out there please contact me.
E-mail: chelsealeece@gmail.com
Thank You,
Chelsea Davis
I was there in 1956-1957 yes we were beaten made to work like dogs and many of us were sterilized involuntarily I recieved a dishonorable discharge because I kept running awa. I’m told I was the only person to get one of these. Horror doesn’t begin to describe hat went on there. Many were raped not just by older inmates but by staff als. We were sent out to work in fields all day for the “wardens friends Too may bad memories.
you were there with the somersets and wayne jenkins
I used to deliver milk there. That was a VERY creepy place. I delivered in the 90s so the buildings were already crumbling, but they still had boys there. Now I am researching kannapolis and concord for my Master’s thesis, and I happened upon this site. Interesting. My research is more about textiles than training schools, but there seems to be a cultural connection. I just wanted to say that I am proud of anyone who has the courage to speak out against those who abused them. It is terrible that these things happened, but it demonstrates just how long it took for the “slave mentality” to dissipate in the south (sharecroppers, tenant farmers, and now “delinquent” boys. Very interesting.
Can someone tell me where this place is located? While on Old Charlotte Rd, my husband and I came across what looked like an old prison, with a center stand where officers would stay….am I talking about the same place? if not….what is this place called. I am interested in both. The horror stories are unbelievable. So sorry for all those who have came across this horrible place!
I live near there, and just got permission a few years ago to go in and photograph the old buildings. I had heard all the stories (as my neighbor, 90+ years old) was named after Stonewall Jackson and his family were friends with the Jacksons…he knew all the true stories of abuse.
I do know firsthand, that years ago when I lived in Misenheimer and commuted daily down Hwy. 49 to south Charlotte to my job, I saw a runaway boy out in a field one morning. An apparent security officer or guard was beating him on his back with a billy stick. I called police and went on to work, but never heard anything else about it. Apparently he was attempting to run away. This was a horrible piece of NC history; these children were just what we call today victims of ADHD, or mischevious youngsters and they were bean and treated so inhumanely. Nothing glorious about Stonewall Jackson Training School.
I had forgotten about this web site, but it sure has generated some interest. I tried to get on the Facebook page concerning Jackson Training School a while back but it goes no where. I really think somebody ought to write a book about the cruelty and brutality that went on there. I tried to write something and would be glad to share it with you or collaborate with anyone who is interested on doing something further. Its a miracle that we made it. I don’t owe any thing of who I am or who I have become to Jackson Training School. It was a bitter sad experiment by the state of North Carolina to handle wayward children. Today those cottage parents, supervisors and staff would be in jail. Many folks are interested in the sterilizations and completely miss the real story. If they sterilized boys it was done off campus and that is where you should look. I only knew one kid they did that too because he told me and he tried to show me the scar. I tell you what…if you have a story and can be specific about who beat you and where I will write your story. Tell me any and everything that you saw about what happened to us. I always wanted to go back as a grown man and met my tormenters and tell them that what they tried to do was wrong. I wanted to point out that some people are capable of anything. skinose2@hotmail.com
Jerry moore here,I just went to the facebook mentioned above and could’nt beleive the comments I was reading by Kaye Cook and Sherry Simpson For them to state this was such a nice place and no boys were abused is absolutely insane.While most of the abuse I’m sure did’nt happen in front of these Sadistict mens daughters I don’t think they could have seen nothing.While they talk of the beautiful wood floors,maybe they were never present while the boys were on their hands & knees buffing with a folded up piece of wool blanket with their Daddy’s foot kicking them in the ribs or butt when they slowed down from exaustion.when then talk about the truck loads of watermelons,this is true but she does’nt talk about all the beatings the boys got while they were growing and picking them,nor do they mention how some boy’s were forced to eat whole watermelons then were beat and made to duck walk around the field untill they fell over and then beat again because they could’nt continue to duck walk,nor do they mention that would certainly be one of the many nights the lights would come on to see how many boys wet the bed so they could rub your face in it.they would beat you for going to the bathroom they would beat for not going to the bathroom.They mention the nice gamerooms in the cottage’s In cottage 9 there was a ping pong table in the basement but I mostly seen it used as something for us lined-up naked boys to lein over and take our turn getting beat.They mention boys were there for violent crimes,maybe thats what daddy told them,I was there for truancy ( laying out of school ) too bad these women can’t go back in time,become one of the boys and experience the horro of what was going on,on the other side of their little pink bedrooms.I take that back,I would not wish that on anyone other than their daddy’s.
many kids were beaten to the point of black eyes,busted lips knocked out teeth broken limbs and you might ask why did you not tell some one.To tell some one only got you a repeat beating.If your family came to visit you once a month they would never see the abuse,if you had signs of phisical abuse your family would be informed you could have no visitors for disciplanary reasons.I remember Eudy the man in charge of # 9 making us all line up around the ping-pong table as we came out of the community shower still naked,making us line up so close that our penis would be pressing the butt of the boy in front of you.as you aproched Eudy He would take your penis in his hand and then slap it with a rubber strap that came off a scrub/squeggie brush If your penis had enlarged from rubbing against the boy in front of you ,that would bring a smile to Eudy’s face and you would get some extra licks
who were these girls daddies i remember cottage parants had kids i was in #5 cheeks had kids better not look at them eather cheek was in #4big mean man . boney bill #5 busted my nose with the palm of his hand for cussing and them made me eat soap.he watched you take a shower ever nignt and youbetter not have no water on you any where ,he had a yard stick he hit you with . jerry talk about #9 eury .i left in nov.25th1960 and miller was there then ,he was good but he had mean sides too.did eury have a wife there too? and i ducked walked up them steps more than one night .and i used them ary blankets many night too eury must have been like mr.henson in #1 i hated him too mrand mrs honeycutt#10 was pretty good iwas there when they took over #10 .i stayed there 22month and 10 days and i never say athing beautiful about it . how long had mr miller been gone when you was in#9 herd he fell out of a boat and drowned
jane and kay cheek livedin #4 i remember them playing out front of #4iwas in #5 and we had to stay out front of #5 no room out back .they were both little girls then .both were real pretty too.i wonder what year they tore the school house down .i remember mr.caldwell as being my teacher .saw in the paper a few years ago where he died also saw where wade honeycutt died too #10
Eudy of # 9′s wife the best I can remember was not bad looking,kinda plain and skinny.They had a son,probally 2 or 3 yr.old. I was pretty good at playing checkers,It was rare when I would loose.Eudy made me play him and when I won He slapped me acrossed the face so hard it knocked me out of the chair,made me play again,I won and got slaped numerous times,played again and let him win I got beat for not trying.This went on for about a month,I never let him win again,I knew I was going to get beat either way so I might as well beat him in checkers.Always wanted to go back as adult and give him a taste of his own medicine. Don’t mean to sound redneck I very much enjoy living a peacefull life these days
did you hear any talk about mr miller when did he leave i had the cloth house when i was in #9 locker was #8
I knew a man who worked here. His name was Hoyt Sloop. He seemed like a really nice old man but reading the stories made me feel otherwise. Was he mean too?
mr.sloop came there aruond late 58 i think .i do know when you got whiped for running him and mr hinson and mr faggart was the ones that done the whiping .it was no cottage 16 but they called it 16 where you got whiped at (old cotton mill) front of #5 about all those old people passed by now when i ran in 58 parrish was my cottage parant but he didnt whip me mr,faggart did he showed no mercy on a 12 year old
Mr. Morrow,
When you say “whipped” how do you mean that? Like a bull whip? Was this all that he did? Was he any different than the other staff? I appreciate your stories. I rode by this place for years when I was at the armory across the street. (National Guard Armory) I think it was put in around 1983.
man there was no bull whips when i said whiped i mean with a hickory limb or a paddle or what ever they wonted to whip you with .mr mullis had adried out bulls penis that he whiped you with all cottage parants had something they whiped you with most of them just opened handed smacked the h.. out of you hope that answered your quest
Was this all that Mr. Sloop did to ya’ll?
i never spoke to that man what he did i dont know he was no cottage parant the less you said the better off you was
went to jackson dec 1947 #2 cottage ;went back dec 1951
I was in JTS in from 1968-1969. Anyone that would like to talk to me, feel free to call me at (910) 934-2196. Sandy feel free to call me. I was in cottage #5 and will tell you all about my experience there. When I went to JTS I weighed 94 lbs. and was 15 years old. When I got out I weighed 135 lbs. I would like to talk to some of the boys that were in there when I was in there. The truck driver that posted on this site, I laughed my ass off. The guy who left a comment about JTS and said there was no abuse, he does not know a damn thing about JTS. It was a horrifying experience there and always abuse.
who was the cottage parants in#5 in 69 if it was boney bill parrish it would have been bad you never knew if he was gonna hit you with that stick he carried if you wasnt there then all you know is what you hear .it was bad in 58 59 and 60 i was 12 in #5 in 58. 13 in 60 in #9 14 when i left in 60 i know how bad it was
A friend of mine was sent to Jackson Reform School in Spring of 1970. His name is Don Cisson. We were finishing up our Freshman year at Valdese High so he was 13 or 14. He lived here with his grandmother. I always wondered why I never heard of him again. Does anyone remember him? I don’t even know if it was true he was sent to the school. You know how the rumor mill in schools go. Whether I learn anything or not I am glad I read some of these post. I was told it was bad but nobody knew just how bad it was. I am sorry for those who were treated this way.
I was there In 1965 I was in cottage 3 mr lowders i think.And right off the bat when I got there there was abuse from cottage 7 as a neewbie we caught hell for 2 weeks. omg all the storys we could tell I wish there was some way we could all meet there one day.I am a f/b member of Jackson Training School omg all the people who are asking questions about it and was never there .They want to know everything the good and the bad I do
Could anyone tell me more about Mr. Mullis? I think he was a family member. Sorry.
Mark
millie john pate on face book ca.