Bethany School
The Bethany post office was established in 1876 and named after the early church. Bethany had a cemetery and a church. The Cothes family settled in the Bethany community in 1878 after coming from Kentucky. In 1921 land was deeded by the Bethany Christian Church for a school on the south end of the 4-acre plot that was set aside for a church and cemetery. The land had been used for a school for at least 25 years.
There are 2 brick pillars at the entrance to the Bethany Cemetery. One says, "Bethany Christian Church and Public School, 1877." The other says, "Bethany Cemetery 1877, endowed by the estates of Roy and Russell Carpenter." G. F. Mathews was the first teacher. The school was located at the northwest corner of Custer and Cothes (Legacy) Roads in the thriving community known as Bethany.
Owen Mathews was the teacher in 1880. He taught at Bethany after leaving Cottonwood School. His son, G. Frank Mathews recalled: “I want to say this, that father taught me and all the pupils’ things that we use in life today…. We learned everything thoroughly no skimming no sliding; but we dug things up by the roots so to speak.”
There were 2 Bethany schools in 1890. Bethany No. 1 had 99 students and No. 2 had 38. The combined total in 1892 was 111. The teacher in 1901 was Miss Alice Barnum and Miss Mamie Lewis in 1905. By 1908 the school had 24 male students and 22 females. The school had 42 students in 1912; 100 students in 1925 and 63 in 1940.
A Home Demonstration club canning kitchen was built. According to Plano, Texas: The Early Years, in about 1933, the church, school and demonstration club houses were torn down and the land reverted to the cemetery. Some remnants of a building foundation can be seen when touring the Bethany Cemetery. The residents of this community became part of Plano and Allen.
In 1918 the County Superintendent of Schools said this about Bethany:
“Bethany is another school that is afflicted with a poor house and is poorly arranged. They have no local tax. There is no section of our county more abundantly blessed than this one. In this school there are 49 very fine boys and girls. They good people of this community are too progressive along other lines to long remain behind in their school equipment. I believe they are soon going to be leading along educational lines. Miss Iva Foster is their teacher and is a strong believer in better advantages for pupils.”
There was a Bethany Colored School.
There are 2 brick pillars at the entrance to the Bethany Cemetery. One says, "Bethany Christian Church and Public School, 1877." The other says, "Bethany Cemetery 1877, endowed by the estates of Roy and Russell Carpenter." G. F. Mathews was the first teacher. The school was located at the northwest corner of Custer and Cothes (Legacy) Roads in the thriving community known as Bethany.
Owen Mathews was the teacher in 1880. He taught at Bethany after leaving Cottonwood School. His son, G. Frank Mathews recalled: “I want to say this, that father taught me and all the pupils’ things that we use in life today…. We learned everything thoroughly no skimming no sliding; but we dug things up by the roots so to speak.”
There were 2 Bethany schools in 1890. Bethany No. 1 had 99 students and No. 2 had 38. The combined total in 1892 was 111. The teacher in 1901 was Miss Alice Barnum and Miss Mamie Lewis in 1905. By 1908 the school had 24 male students and 22 females. The school had 42 students in 1912; 100 students in 1925 and 63 in 1940.
A Home Demonstration club canning kitchen was built. According to Plano, Texas: The Early Years, in about 1933, the church, school and demonstration club houses were torn down and the land reverted to the cemetery. Some remnants of a building foundation can be seen when touring the Bethany Cemetery. The residents of this community became part of Plano and Allen.
In 1918 the County Superintendent of Schools said this about Bethany:
“Bethany is another school that is afflicted with a poor house and is poorly arranged. They have no local tax. There is no section of our county more abundantly blessed than this one. In this school there are 49 very fine boys and girls. They good people of this community are too progressive along other lines to long remain behind in their school equipment. I believe they are soon going to be leading along educational lines. Miss Iva Foster is their teacher and is a strong believer in better advantages for pupils.”
There was a Bethany Colored School.
