William M. Bailey, born in 1859 in Cherokee County and died in 1909 in Blount County, settled 40 acres between what became County Road 36 on the west and New Home Church Road on the east in 1893. After the death of his first wife, Julie Law Bailey, he brought their three small sons from Cherokee County. Having remarried in 1887, Bailey had ten more children with Ollie McMillan Bailey. He deeded one acre on the southwest corner for a school and an adjoining acre on the east for a church. The first school on the site Bailey built himself of logs; the second, with two rooms, high ceilings, and a belfry-capped roof, was built by the state. The third, built in 1934, had three rooms in the shape of a T and served a bustling community. The school aimed to guide children and youth toward literacy and character building to enrich their lives and those of others.