Oil Springs High School
In 1875 Oil Springs' first educational effort was launched by John R. Long. This school was known as The Advance Seminary or, occasionally, as the John R. Long School. In a two-story building with eight rooms, this school like the Enterprise Academy at Flat Gap was designed to teach future teachers.
A stiff curriculum including Latin, French, astronomy, psychology, physiology and high math was taught by such instructors as Virginia Long, Jim Bailey, George Johnson, Mack Stapleton, Will Jayne, Mollie Rice, Fred Meade and Beecher Stapleton. Tuition for the high school level was $3.00 per term. Interest and attendance at this school began to wane soon after the turn of the century. It closed before 1920.
In 1928, at the insistence of former Johnson County Judge W. E. Litteral, Beecher Stapleton and county superintendent W. O. Cain, a four room frame building was completed and Oil Springs High School became a reality. Its first principal was Carroll Caudill. Its first four graduates were Emma Stapleton, McKinley Dixon, Carma Dixon and Ed Lemaster.
With the advent of school buses under the administration of Superintendent Alfred Johnson, the enrollment at Oil Springs increased rapidly. New courses were added and the physical facilities expanded.
Like other schools throughout the county and Eastern Kentucky, Oil Springs High School got a new WPA-built stone building in 1938. In 1946 its enrollment increased once again when the Jenny's Creek High School was closed.
Oil Springs High School continued its expansion, adding both students and new courses, until the county's Board of Education decided on a countywide consolidated high school. Like most of the county high schools basketball was the principle sport. Under coach Rusty Yates, Oil Springs had the distinction of playing in two basketball tournaments on the same night...and winning both games in both tournaments on two consecutive nights. (See Sports Highlights)
With the opening of Johnson Central High School in 1968, Oil Springs High School ceased to exist.
