Schools of my day were vastly different from those of today, But we learned to add and subtract, and to multiply and divide. We wrote curviest and had history and civics lessons.
These insignificant math talents come in handy when the cashier’s computer is down and she doesn’t know how to make change. But of little use when involved with bytes and megabytes.
The two-room schools were actually one long room divided by a folding partition. Each had a huge iron wood-burning stove.
All the school of those days were similar in appearance, with large windows that could be opened for fresh air along each side, a front and back door and a steep roof. We still see them occasionally.
We nick-named the room for the first five grades the “little room.” It was taught by a young woman named Jewel Frazer, and affectionally caller Miss Jewel. By the next year she had married a young dairyman from a nearby community and requested we call her Mrs. Ellis. It just wasn’t the same.
James Harper taught the remaining four grades and was responsible for the school’s activities and problems. The high point of the year was the annual Interscholastic League held in Weatherford. Mr. Harper helped his students chose the events they wished to enter and helped them prepare for the contests.
He drove a two-seated car that was only a few years old so when the big day arrived he crammed in eight or nine contestants and headed for Weatherford.
The athletic events were held at the ballpark on South Main, now the site of the Ninth Grade Center. We parked nearby and wiggled our way out of the car. It became our home base and held things such as lunches and jackets.
We girls entered only the races. Our school was small, so we barely had enough runners (four) for the relays. Our boys participated in more athletic events but shied away from the literary competitions which were held at the high school on Palo Pinto Street more than a mile away. Somehow we managed the distance and schedules and went home with a handful of ribbons.
Another big day, especially for the “little rom” was Inspection Day. That was the day set for the County School Superintendent's visit. It caused a flurry of activity. Erasers were taken outside and pounded until they were dust-free. Blackboards were cleaned, wastebaskets emptied and the floor swept.
One of the responsibilites of the Superintendent was to visit each school to check their progress and help with the any problems. His name was Ivan Stone. I believe his secretary’s name was Mozelle His office was on the third floor of the courthouse. It was a huge room, maybe using the entire floor. At one end were shelves holding thousands of books that were loaned to the county’s schools. They were also available to others, a real boon to book lovers, since at that time, Weatherford had no library.
In1939, the little country schools were merged with larger schools in their district that taught all eleven grades. In my day thats all it took to graduate. That was also the year schools started the twelve year system.
