In 1888, the residents of Cullowhee desired a better school for the community than was offered in public schools of that day,[12] organized a board of trustees and established a community school that came to be known as Cullowhee Academy.[13] Founded in August 1889 as a semi-public secondary school and chartered as Cullowhee High School in 1891 (also called Cullowhee Academy), it served the Cullowhee community and boarding students from neighboring counties and other states.[14] The founder, Robert Lee Madison, wanted to provide an education for the young people in the region and train teachers to spread education throughout the western part of the state.[15][16] In 1893, through the efforts of Walter E. Moore, representative from Jackson County, the North Carolina Legislature authorized an appropriation for the establishment of a normal department at the school "for the purpose of training teachers".[13] This designation became the first publicly funded normal school in North Carolina.[17]