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EHS HISTORY

 

 

 

 

 

 

Elkin High School received its charter from the State of North Carolina to be a separate City School System in 1947.  Before 1947, Elkin schools were a part of the Surry County School system.

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Composer of our School Song (Alma Mater)

 

While in high school, I often wondered who wrote our school song.  I was always puzzled by the opening line – “Far below the Blue Ridge Mountains…”.  The idea of our school being “far” from the Blue Ridge Mountains seemed ironic since you can leave Elkin and be in Roaring Gap on the Blue Ridge in 15 minutes or so.  The Blue Ridge seemed close to me since my family loved to “take a ride across the mountain” frequently.  I reasoned that the song must have been composed when Old 21, with all its meanderings, was the only way to get over the majestic Blue Ridge, and with slower cars, it must have seemed a “far” journey.

 

Gordon Walters (Class of '88) told me that his aunt Peggy Walters was the composer of the lyrics of our song, and he has the evidence to back it up.  He said that Peggy grew up in State Road where she could see the Blue Ridge off in the distance every day, and it must have seemed far away to her as a child.  To prove his aunt was the author of the lyrics, he sent me these pages which apparently came from the EHS annual of 1946. Now I have my answer to a mystery that puzzled me for many years.