We hiked back to the car and decided to go out and explore a little more. On the way out, we stopped at the Beech Grove School that we'd bypassed to catch the elk earlier that day. By 1900, the population of Cataloochee had grown and the school was too small to handle the growing population In 1906 the township sent a delegation consisting of Hiram and George Caldwell and Steve Woody to Waynesville to demand a newer, larger school. Officials in Waynesville rejected them, however, claiming they didn't pay enough taxes. On the way home, the three drank a bottle of whiskey, and decided to burn down the schoolhouse. After removing the furniture, they set the building ablaze, and moved classes to the old Caldwell cabin. They then re-petitioned the government in Waynesville, claiming their school had burned down, and asked for a new one. Due to North Carolina's mandatory attendance laws, the government had no choice but to comply. Known as the Beech Grove School, the structure still stands today along Palmer Creek.