This was the day of slates and tin buckets.  There was plenty of country ham, biscuits and bottles of syrup to pack in the lunch pails.  Baked sweet potatoes and tea cakes were common, and for rare treats, fried fruit pies were added, and milk was carried in bottles. When lunch time arrived, groups were formed and lunches were spread together, picnic style.

Most of the children came from rural areas, and had to walk, some for miles. They were happy when the weather turned bad, then they could stay in town with some of their friends.  The bad weather might last a week and the "made-down" beds remained until the weather cleared up.

The girl's wore calico dresses and sunbonnets. Because the dresses were difficult to iron, and they had very few dresses, they learned to take extra good care of them. They were carefully removed and hung up as soon as they arrived home. They could wear that dress for a week, if they were careful.

The Gladewater school building in 1901, was located at the present elementary school campus, and was a two story frame building.  The downstairs was divided by two long halls that separated the four large drafty classrooms.  The upper story was an assembly room that was used as an indoor play room on rainy days.

The school superintendent was J Henry Smith.  In 1907 when Gregg County became an independent school district, superintendent Smith was elected to serve as the first county superintendent.

Some of the students in 1901 were:

Katie Lee Everett
Edna Richey
Robe Victory
Wallace Norton
Mary Hamilton
Lee Wascom
Alice Sheppard Dickson
Annie Murphy
Albert Murphy
Virgil Allison
Belle Armstrong
Oma Allison
Ida Allison
Exa Allison Bell
Vesta Shepperd Hawkins
Alton Brazzil
Euna Allison
Minnie Clements
Sam Wright
Lucy Wright
Virginia Tapp
Craig Victory
Ashford Hendrix
Mary Tapp
Augusta Johnston
Chater Sandefer
A F (Doc) Shepperd
Ethel York
Ralph Watkins
Lena Walker
Florence Shepperd
Ruby Bruce Key
Dell Everett
Reuben Victory
Bert Norton Bray

From loose papers at the Gladewater Library.