Taylor County
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The Buffalo Trail 1922

The Year Book of Rural Schools of Taylor County

The information was transcribed by Olwyn Whitehouse from an original 'The Buffalo Trail 1922' school year book. The source book is in possession of Ada Nell Harrington Traylor Clark, former student of Bradshaw School in the 1910s. This non-indexed book contains 216 pages, class rolls naming approximately 3,949 Taylor County, Texas pupils from rural schools, numerous black and white photographs of faculty, committees, classes, individual pupils, athletic teams, trustees, schoolhouses etc. Sections include county school histories, literacy, social activities, humor and advertisements from business that supported the project.
buffalo_small.jpg (2711 bytes) buffalotrail_small.jpg (2084 bytes)
1. Hamby District
2. Colony Hill
3. Cedar Gap
4. Rogers
6. Moro
7. Valley Creek
8. Elm Grove
9. Buffalo Gap
10. White Church
11. Wylie
12. Salt Branch
14. Bluff Creek
17. Cedar Creek
18. Oak Lawn
19. Ovalo
21. Shep
22. Guion
23. Pleasant Hill
24. Bradshaw
26. Castle Peak
27. I.X.L.
28. Butman

Grade | born circa
First
1914
Second 1912-1913
Seventh 1907
Eighth 1905
Ninth 1906
Tenth 1903

29. Elmdale
30. Lisman
32. Blair
33. Dewey
36. Union Ridge
37. Cross Roads
38. Iberis
39. North Park
40. Mulberry
44. Hillside
48. Rainey
49. Bethel
50. Mt. Pleasant
51. Neill
52. View
53. New Hope
54. Lawn

Caps - Independent
Potosi District - Independent
Trent District - Independent
Tuscola District - Independent
Mt View District - (School No. 2 Tuscola Independent District)
Tye - District Independent

The parents didn't always let a child start at a certain age. The children were the work force when cotton was ready to pick and the rows needed to be hoed so children often missed many school days.

No warranty whatsoever as to the accuracy and completeness. Spelling mistakes are found the in original Buffalo Trail remain uncorrected. e.g in Bradshaw Maybelle Harrington should be Mary Belle.


The school-boy of the toilsome past
Was up before the break of day;
He cared not if the clock was fast,
Nor if they threw the clock away.
And was too tired at night to "lark."

The school-boy of today does not
Sneak up on education in the dark:
He knows that he can do a lot
In daylight, for he is a "shark"
At keeping up with world events
And keeping working with modern implements.

JACK ELLIOT,
Tenth Grade, Ovalo School, TX

1922 The Buffalo Trail
Miss Annie Webb Blanton - State Superintendent of Public Instruction
Mr S.E. Clark - Rural School Inspector
Mr L.D. Borden - Chief Supervisor of Rural Schools
(book dedicated to) Miss Ada D. Pearce - Superintendent of Public Instruction
County Board of Education:
Chairman Judge J.P. Stinson
Precinct 1. Mr B.E. Holly
Precinct 2. Mr L.R. Thompson
Precinct 3. Fred Jones
Precinct 4. J.M. Moody

Board of Examiners
Supt. Abilene School Mr R.D. Green
Supt. Merkel School Mr R.A. Burgress

Taylor County Red Cross, organized in 1916. Public Health Nurse, Miss Nellie B. Kelly, is employed by Taylor County Chapter to conduct School Inspections, Tuberculosis Nursing, general Nursing, Prenatal Nursing, Dispensary, Health Classes, Child Health Conference, Health Centers over County. Headquarters are maintained in the Taylor County Court House, with a first class Dispensary and Child Health Center. General Clinic - Every Friday Dental Clinic - Every Tuesday
(photographs appear of the individuals named above)

History of Office of County Superintendent and County Board of Education.

The first County Superintendent of Public Instruction of Taylor County, was Mr. W,W, Kirk, who served only one term. By an act of the Commissioners' Court, the office was abolished February 15, 1900, this action to take effect after the general elections of the following fall. Later the State Legislature passed a law requiring counties of the population of Taylor to maintain the office of County Superintendent. On August 12, 1907, Mr. E.V. White was appointed to this important position. Mr. White served until January 1912, when he resigned to accept a position with the Extension Department of the University of Texas. Later he graduated from this institution and is now serving as the very efficient Dean of the College Industrial Arts at Denton. Mr. J. S. Smith (deceased) was appointed to fill Mr. Mr. White's unexpired term; he was elected successively and served efficiently till the year 1918, when he was succeeded by Mr. C.E. Sims, a graduate of the north Texas Normal College and at that time a teacher in the county. In 1920, Mr. C.E. Sims was followed by Miss Ada D. Pearce, an A.B. graduate of the University of Texas, who is now serving as superintendent.

Until 1911, the administration of the schools was subject to the Commissioners' Court. Following an act of the Legislature, the first County Board of Taylor County met October 13, 1911, and the following members took the oath of office. Judge D.G. Hill, Trustee at Large; Mr. B.S. Hancock. Trustee Precinct Number One; Mr. H.C. Williams, Trustee Precinct Number Two; Mr. W.B. Hale, Trustee Precinct Number Three; Mr. J.D. Harrison, Trustee Precinct Number Four; Judge Hill served from 1911 to 1920.at which time he was succeeded by Judge J.P. Stinson.
Later years:
Precinct Number One
Mr. J. H. Davis
Mr. B. E. Holly (1922 board member)

Precinct Number Two
Dr. O.F. McMasters
Mr. Water Jackson (moved away in spring 1921)
Mr. R.L. Thompson (1922 board member)

Precinct Number Three
Mr. J. E. Casey
Mr. T.G. Cummingham
Mr Fred Jones

Precinct Number Four
1919 Mr. J. H. Moody (1922 board member) succeeded Mr. Harrison

School Communities at Play
Almost all schools had plays, special programs, box or pie suppers, picnics, and the like. Parent-Teachers Associations at Hamby, Colony Hill, Cedar Gap, Buffalo Gap, North Park, Bethel, Potosi and Trent.

School Plays. Many schools have had plays in connection with closing exercises of school. Financially, practically all these plays have been very successful and have certainly furnished much wholesome pleasure.
"A Freshman" : Hamby
"An Arizona Cowboy": Pleasant Hill, Mulberry, I.X.L., Union Ridge, Tye, Noodle & Merkel
"Always in Trouble": Hamby
"Home Ties": Guion
"A Prairie Rose" : Trent, Potosi, Tuscola, Rodgers, Lawn
"Patty Saves the Day" : North Park
"Safety First": Oplin, Goldsboro

There were also programs for special days. Most of these were "free for all", but some events were held to raise funds for one or three purposes: to purchase playground equipment, to have space in THE ANNUAL, and to pay quota for Permanent Fund of State Teachers' Association. Lisman won the first prize -fifteen dollars- for the largest capita sale of Red Cross Christmas seals, with Butman coming next. Spelling matches, address by President J.D. Sandefer, Simmons College at Potosi and Tye. Lyceum Course at Bradshaw held.

Box or Pie Suppers - Practically every school has had either a box or pie supper and many had both; the proceeds in general have been used to purchase playground equipment and for space in "The Buffalo Trail".

The End of the Trail


Buffalo Springs near Potosi was where the last buffalo in Taylor County, Texas was killed.


In 1946 Bradshaw school consolidated with Tuscola and the district was named South Taylor County Independent School District. In 1956 the Lawn schools, previously a separate independent district, also joined. The merger formed a new unit called the Jim Ned Consolidated Independent School District.


1990 CENSUS
HOUSE DISTRICT 71 DISTRICTS OF THE 76TH LEGISLATURE SCHOOL DISTRICTS REPORT
----- SCHOOL DISTRICT ------- POPULATION IN DISTRICT 71
TOTAL Abilene ISD (99.1% in district) 100,530
Blackwell Cons. ISD (0% in district) 0
Clyde Cons. ISD (2.5% in district) 171
Eula ISD (13% in district) 217
Jim Ned Cons. ISD (27.9% in district) 994

Merkel ISD (91.7% in district) 5,618
Trent ISD (78.8% in district) 588
Wylie ISD (75.5% in district) 6,634

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