Newman High School -
Sweetwater, TX
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"THE HISTORY OF EDUCATION IN NOLAN
COUNTY, TEXAS"
Thesis by: OLIN
ZEE "O.Z." PORTER |
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 Olin
Zee “O.Z.” Porter was born in Mansfield
in Tarrant County, Texas, on November
23, 1902. By 1904, the family had moved
to “the Divide” near Dora in Nolan
County. On reaching school age, he
attended Dora School in a building which
also served as a Baptist Church, mostly
served by students from Simmons College
in Abilene (now Hardin Simmons
University).
After his father died in 1921, O. Z.
went to live with his sister, Myrtle
Burrus, and her family so that he could
complete his high school education at
Gillespie School in Knox County, where
he graduated as valedictorian. After
working on farms in the area, he went to
Simmons College for two years, and then
taught at Gillespie School. He attended
college in the summers and finished his
Bachelor’s degree at the University of
Texas.
After teaching and serving as
superintendent at various schools in and
around Nolan County, he took a job as
Superintendent of the Blackwell Schools
in 1946. While working there, he
completed requirements for his M.A.
degree by going to Simmons (now
Hardin-Simmons University) in the
summers and taking extension courses. He
completed his Master’s thesis in August
of 1949.
The thesis is called “The History of
Education in Nolan County, Texas.” It
covers the development of schools from
the first one in 1880 until 1949. Some
of the photos of schools were taken in
1929, but most were taken in 1949,
specifically for the Master’s thesis.
The prints I have are exactly like those
in the bound copy of his thesis.
Submitted by: Nell
Porter Copeland
September, 2011 |
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Ada Common #11 |
Blackwell School Dist. |
Divide (new) |
Divide Rural
#1
#2
#3 |
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Highland |
John B. Lewis |
Phillip Nolan Ward School |
Roscoe ISD |
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Valley Creek #10 |
Weaver Spring #12 |
White Flat #13 |
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BITTER CREEK SCHOOL
If you have any information
about these children, please submit them so the
names can be entered here.
Click on the pictures to see a
larger view.
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Photograph of the Bitter Creek
school children, taken about 1908-1910.
Charley Hall Smith is the only
child that can be identified.
Source:
Sharon Smith Jones |
Picture of more
students in the Bitter Creek School in
about 1909-1910. The boy with the
checkmark above his head is Charley Hall
Smith.
Source: Sharon Smith Jones
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BLACKWELL SCHOOL
It was formed as a consolidation of schools
including Rock Crossing School
1952 Blackwell School
Halloween Carnival King & Queen -
Submitted by:
Glenda Van Zandt Stroud
L/R: ? Carver, Paula McCoy,
Tommy Hipp, Howard Tucker-King, Martha Henson-Queen,
Elaine Hyatt, Glneda Van Zandt, Lee Ald????.
UPDATE 03-24-2007:
The name of the
Carnival Queen was in question.
Glenna Tubb
Johnson advises that the
name of the
Queen was Martha Henson.
She and Glenna were classmates during their high
school years.
UPDATE 09-24-2010: The name for the girl
standing between the Queen and Glenda Van Zandt is
Elaine Hyatt. Information furnished by;
Tommy Hipp
1947 BLACKWELL HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS BASKETBALL TEAM
Back Row Standing L-R:
Charlene Kemp, Marie Gaston, Mrs. Floyd
Craig-Sponsor, Minnie Pearl "Bidjie" Alderman, Jane
Alsup
Middle Row Standing L-R: Zelda Caraway, Helen
Nabors, Wanda Bryant, Doris Henderson, Juandell Vest
Front Row Kneeling L-R: Eula "Doll" Saunders,
Co-Captain; Hulene Raney, Captain; Ouida Faye Polk
Note: This photo is in the 1947 BHS School Yearbook
but my aunt had a separate signed copy. The annual
also helped me confirm the names for those which I
did not know.
Submitted by Glenda Van Zandt Stroud
 Blackwell
High School Class of 1947
(Back Row l/r) Hulene
Raney, Marvalene Hamilton, Wanda Lane Bryant,
Kathryn Michaels, Lillie Cook, Wanda Lee Lackey,
Patsy Hodges.
(Middle Row l/r)
Bobby Dean Spence, Laura Jane Casey, Billye Myrl
Corley, Zelda Fay Caraway, Juandell Vest, Eula
"Doll" Saunders, Jean Waggoner, Betty Sanderson
(Front Row l/r)
Carroll Wilkes, Wilfred Caraway, Joe E. Weddle, John
Cecil Lilly, Elvo McIntyre, Lavelle Tucker.
Submitted by Glenda Van Zandt Stroud |
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DECKER SCHOOL
 J.D.
Clay, Bernice Ray, J.G. George, Cletis Farley,
Walter Estes, Osley George, John N. Reed, J.C.
Windham, Ferris Stokes, Marvin Lewallen, Jack
Chapman, Elton Estes, Alvin Bates, Ina Fay Ray,
Goldie Mae Windham, Ileta Sanders, Alma George,
Louise Craig, Mary Louise Everett, Bonnie Bell
Windham, Nora Ruth Russell, Rena Ramzel, Gladys
Lewallen, Nancy Cochran, Christine Estes, Clarabell
Reed, Carrie Rudd Cochran, Leoh Pruit, Monroe Hollowell, Opal Craig, Edna George, Edith Craig,
Ethel Chapman, Martha Gaines, Maggie Gaines, Jewell
George, Annis Chapman, Jennie V. Lanier and Mabree
Craig. Submitted by:
Glenda Van Zandt Stroud
Curtain
Separated Classes at Decker School
by: Ethel Chapman Duncan
A personal account of
Ms. Chapman attendance at the Decker School circa
1914. |
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DIVIDE SCHOOL
Divide School Faculty 1937-38
Man seated in front was Doug
Jones, bus driver and janitor.
Picture Submitted by:
Nell (Porter)
Copeland |
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DORA SCHOOL
Dora was located in the southeast part of
Nolan County. The first school was started in
1877; Tom Roebard taught in a 12x14 building.
Seats were made of split logs with the flat side up
and mounted on saw horses. Records were
started in 1895 or 1896. Some families served
by this school: Tom Bloxom, Dunlap, Virgil Jones,
Ensminger, Egger, Brownfield, Cook, Brandon, McCoy
and others for which records could not be found.
In 1928 Dora was consolidated with Nolan and Brooks
to become Divide Consolidate Rural School.
Submitted by:
Glenda
Van Zandt Stroud
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HIGHLAND HIGH SCHOOL
Highland High School -
Submitted by:
Glenda
Van Zandt Stroud |
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HYLTON SCHOOL - 1912
Submitted by: J. Michael Jones
Click
on the photo above to view a larger
picture |
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Flora Odessa Best,
front row, 2nd from left
Hannah Estelle
Best, front row, arms crossed
Jesse Simon Best,
standing in back row, 4th from left
Source: Linda
Noble Murphy |
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Correspondences
below are from J. Michael Jones & Glenda
Van Zandt Stroud about the school, town,
and people of Hylton.
J. Michael Jones
wrote:
Glenda,
The attached photo
was labeled on the back as "taken in
Hylton 1912"Does anyone in a Nolan
County Historical Society concentrate on
Hylton?
My family surnames
in Nolan Co. are primarily Magness,
Holt, Pillion, McLaughlin.
Since the photo
was with some family photos I'm sure
there must be family in photo. Has
anyone found this picture before and
identified the people? Was there a
school in Hylton in 1912?
Thanks,
Mike Jones -
Phoenix, AZ
[email protected]
Mike,
What a gem you have!
Yes, Hylton had a
school in 1912.In fact, the first
school, according to The History of
Nolan County Texas, by Yeats and
Shelton, states that Hylton's first
school was built on Fish Creek in 1880--
a building made of split log covered by
dirt.
The second school,
by 1910, had 3 teachers and 200
students. This building surely looks
very much like the Masonic Hall which is
still standing and in use: however, it
was not built until 1923 according to Y
& S's book, but that info might be
incorrect, too.. (Y &S also state the
Masons first met in the school until the
new Masonic Hall was built.) But I
think the school/Masonic Hall may be one
in the same. See what you think at the
link below. Since this is 1912, this is
definitely the second school which was
built to replace the log cabin: the
school which I remember and is still
standing (I think) is not a two story
building. The photos of these two places
are on the Nolan County Website:
https://sites.rootsweb.com/%7Etxnolan/populated_places/Hylton.htm
Also, I knew the Magness family (some of
whom still live in Blackwell), the Holts
(a Mrs. Holt was my teacher at
Blackwell), Troy Pillion was on the
Blackwell School Board, and the Mc
Laughlin is a well-known name. Blackwell
and Hylton are within spitting distance
on HWY 1170. Our family had lots of
friends at Hylton.
I do not recall seeing this photo:
perhaps someone out there can identify
some of these people.
Thanks for sharing.
Glenda |
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MARYNEAL SCHOOL
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The two story
Maryneal School was built in 1914 at a
cost of $6,000, serving the community
until fire destroyed it in 1936.
Submitted by:
Glenda
Van Zandt Stroud |
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ROCK
CROSSING SCHOOL
Rufus Benjamin
Noble told his
daughter about this one-room schoolhouse located
near Blackwell, TX, called the
Rock Crossing School.
If anyone has any
information about this school, please send it in so
that a more detailed description can be given.
Submitted by:
Linda
Noble Murphy
UPDATE: Rock Crossing School was later
consolidated into Blackwell School |
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ROSCOE SCHOOL
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Roscoe High School
Football Team - Plowboys 1952
Finished the
season with 8 wins and 2 losses.
The losses were Merkle and Albany.
Click on the picture for a much larger
picture. |
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Texas State Technical College - Sweetwater
Texas
State Technical College - Sweetwater
opened for classes
in September 1970 as a division of the Texas
State Technical Institute in Waco. In 1971
the legislature authorized a Texas State
Technical Institute in Nolan County with an
enrollment of 419 by 1974. In 1991 the
school became the Texas State Technical
College-Sweetwater. The school was located
on a sixty-one acre campus between Sweetwater
and Roscoe, next to the Sweetwater Municipal
Airport. an Abilene Extension Campus
opened in 1985 and a Breckenridge Extension
Campus opened in 1990. The College offered
technical and skill development studies and
general education pretechnical studies with a
faculty of seventy-two and student population of
748. Clay G. Johnson was president.
Source:
Handbook of Texas Online |
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LIST
of the Schools in "FIRST 100 YEARS NOLAN COUNTY
TEXAS"
Cottonwood Creek; consolidated
with Ada in 1916, vote was rescinded; consolidated
with Sweetwater
School District in
1937.
Blackland
(1920’’s-1943, consolidating with
Roscoe School District; located 4 miles NE of
Roscoe)
County Line
Divide
(Begun in 1928, by consolidation of Brooks, Dora,
Nolan and Fairy; located in the town of Nolan. In 1985,
consolidated with Blackwell School
District)
Highland
(Opened in 1936, created by consolidation of
Barnett, Champion, Goode, Maryneal and
Mesquite Schools. Presently in operation and located
7 miles south of Roscoe)
Sweetwater schools:
Philip Nolan
(1887 to 1990’’s. Formerly called
““East Ward””, building was demolished and replaced
with new facility
named ““Sweetwater Intermediate
School””)
John R. Lewis (1882 to 1966,
formerly called ““South Ward””; closed)
J. P. Cowen (1882 to present,
formerly called ““West Ward””)
Southeast (1956 to present)
Eastridge (1951 to present)
Emilio Carranza (1917 to 1964;
built for Mexican-American students; closed when
integration
into white schools was
completed)
Booker T. Washington (1945 to
1967; built for Black students; high school classes discontinued in 1965, continuing as
an elementary
school until 1967 when it was closed upon
integration into the white schools)
John H. Reagan Jr. High (1929
to present; became Sweetwater Middle School in 1967;
new facility built on same
location in 1979)
Newman High School (1912-1967;
location of the current Sweetwater High School;
razed upon completion of new
building in 1967)
Sweetwater High School
(1967-present; new facility built in 1967 to replace
the old Newman
High School.)
CURRENT SCHOOL LISTINGS
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Name & Local Area |
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East Ridge School
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Sweetwater |
Nolan School
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Sweetwater |
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Gowen School
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Sweetwater |
Reagan Junior High
School -
Sweetwater |
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Highland School
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Bench Mountain |
Southeast School
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Sweetwater |
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Lewis School
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Sweetwater |
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NOLAN
COUNTY’S FIRST TEACHERS
The first teachers to register
certificates in Nolan County were
John A. Ansley
from South Carolina, who was fifty-one years old. He had taught twelve
years and he had a first grade certificate.
Miss Mattie Arnold
was nineteen years old. She had taught two years and had a first grade
certificate. She was from Arkansas.
W. C. Murchant
was from Kentucky. He was twenty-five years old and had taught two
years. He had a second grade certificate.
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FIRST STATE
SUPPORTED NOLAN COUNTY SCHOOLS
In 1891, the following schools were
listed with information as follows:
No. 1 – Bitter Creek, 49 –
School Funds, $235.44 – Trustees,
B. J. Eidson,
B. Bardwell
and J. C.
Montgomery
No. 2 – Sweetwater 179 –
School Funds, $862.09 – Trustees,
I.D. Farris,
B. F. Archer
and D. I.
Arnold
No. 3 – McBurnett School –
24 children – School Funds, $115.32 – Trustees,
E. B. McBurnett,
S. C.
Spires and
Wm. Lugow
No. 3 – Roscoe – 24
children – School Funds, $115.00 – Trustees same as
McBurnett
No. 4 – Silver Creek – 12
children – School Funds $57.66 – Trustees,
S. T. Fruit,
Wm. Robertson
and
Geo. Willingham
No. 5 – Aiken School – 37
pupils – School Funds $177.78 – Trustees,
J. H. McPherson,
J. A.
Shepard and
W. T. Stout
No. 6 – Dora School – 38 pupils –
School Funds, $182.59 – Trustees,
B. Jenkins,
Geo. Hines
and
G. W. Hawkins
No. 7 – Fish Creek – 64 pupils –
School Funds, $307.52 – Trustees,
J. M. Porter,
Lem Daugherty
and
Morgan
Bagley
No. 7 – North Branch Canyon – 39
pupils – School Funds, $187.39 – Trustees same as Fish Creek
No. 8 – Oak Creek – 22 pupils –
School Funds $105.71.
The above-listed schools were the
first established schools in Nolan County that were supported by
public school funds by public school funds. |
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