Frog Not School
Frognot School
Dixon School District No. 125
The Frognot community is located about three miles east of Blue Ridge along present-day FM 981. The store at Frognot was owned by Otis and Hazel Dixon and was called the Dixon Store. The school was known as the Dixon School.
The first mention in the McKinney Democrat Gazette newspaper of the “Dixon’s School House” is in October 3, 1901, with an article that said “Prof. J. S. Reed will begin a second term Monday week at Dixon’s School house three miles east from Blue Ridge.” This Dixon School was a one-room school house with a student body of about 45. As early as 1909 the name “Frognot” is used in the newspapers to refer the area.
“In 1913 the boundaries of the Dixon school district were expanded east and west to include the areas for the Hopewell (Glen) and Richards school districts. The three schools combined to form the Dixon Consolidated School District No. 125. Each of the one-room schools had an enrollment of about 45 students. The three school buildings were torn down and the wood was used to build a new two-room school house at Dixon/Frognot. The new school had two teachers and nine grades. The combined enrollment was around 95 students.” (Source: The Weekly Democrat-Gazette (McKinney. Tex.), March 26, 1914, “Three Schools Replace One,” The Portal to Texas History, (http://texashistory.unt.edu.) Accessed June 29, 2014.
The School District was officially known as Dixon School No. 125 but it was known locally as the Frognot School.
“The Dixon School, which was spelled Dickson on the deed, was created when Stephen Arnold Douglas Box gave three acres for the school which was deeded in 1913. The school was named Dixon after a local resident who must have been important in the establishment of the school. On the 1913-1914 roster of the Dixon Consolidated School District No. 125, there were ninety-four students with Alan P. Reece, Principal and Cloda McFall, assistant. The school board members were J. W. Williams and J. M. Boren.
The school had a porch entrance on the south side with a mud rack allowing the students to clean their shoes before entering the building with its wooden floors. There were two rooms with the Primary Grades to Fifth Grade in the east room and Grades Six to Nine in the west room. Windows were located on the north, east and south side of the school. The well provided water, and “pot bellied” stoves located in both classrooms provided the heat during the winter months. The classrooms had blackboards with alphabet strips displayed at the top with either manuscript or cursive letters. Teachers used hectographs to make copies. Students were provided books; their subjects were Reading, Writing, Spelling and Arithmetic. A five foot square sand box was provided for student to make exhibits using modeling clay; this was used for science and social studies activities. [At the Frognot historical marker dedication former student Mrs. Fran Slater, said the students had created a whole village in the sand box. At recess the students played Tag, Snap the Whip, and Red Rover. There was no electricity and no lights.] Writing was stressed with practice in push and pulls and ovals. The desks were connected together on runners with each student having his/her desk shelf and a circular opening on the top for an ink well. There were no organized sports.
“The outdoor privy was provided. The students had to bring their lunch from home; many used syrup buckets to carry their lunch. Since no buses were provided, the students either walked or rode their horse to school.
“A large [storm] cellar was located on the [southwest corner of the] school grounds to protect the students if a storm were to arise.
“When the school which was consolidated with the Glenn School disbanded, the land was returned to the Box family heirs. The students then attended the Blue Ridge School District. The concrete storm cellar, which was made of concrete shipped from the eastern part of the United States, remains. (Source: Historical marker application for Frognot, written by Linda Hess, information from Mrs. Fran Slater.)
The teachers in 1914 were Mr. Alan Reece and Miss Clodie McFall. The fact that they were both college graduates was considered a great improvement over previous teachers.
In the spring of 1921, Miss Vera Davis and Miss Bertie Davis were the teachers at Frognot. In October of 1921 the teachers were Mrs. Ester Houser and her sister, Miss Cleo Lucas. In 1935 Ailsa Dixon was the teacher for the primary department and Clay Parker taught the older kids.
The school house was a center of social activity in the community. On Sunday afternoons Singings were held there.
In the 1940s Dixon Consolidated District No. 125 closed and the students were sent to Blue Ridge School.
Dixon School District No. 125
The Frognot community is located about three miles east of Blue Ridge along present-day FM 981. The store at Frognot was owned by Otis and Hazel Dixon and was called the Dixon Store. The school was known as the Dixon School.
The first mention in the McKinney Democrat Gazette newspaper of the “Dixon’s School House” is in October 3, 1901, with an article that said “Prof. J. S. Reed will begin a second term Monday week at Dixon’s School house three miles east from Blue Ridge.” This Dixon School was a one-room school house with a student body of about 45. As early as 1909 the name “Frognot” is used in the newspapers to refer the area.
“In 1913 the boundaries of the Dixon school district were expanded east and west to include the areas for the Hopewell (Glen) and Richards school districts. The three schools combined to form the Dixon Consolidated School District No. 125. Each of the one-room schools had an enrollment of about 45 students. The three school buildings were torn down and the wood was used to build a new two-room school house at Dixon/Frognot. The new school had two teachers and nine grades. The combined enrollment was around 95 students.” (Source: The Weekly Democrat-Gazette (McKinney. Tex.), March 26, 1914, “Three Schools Replace One,” The Portal to Texas History, (http://texashistory.unt.edu.) Accessed June 29, 2014.
The School District was officially known as Dixon School No. 125 but it was known locally as the Frognot School.
“The Dixon School, which was spelled Dickson on the deed, was created when Stephen Arnold Douglas Box gave three acres for the school which was deeded in 1913. The school was named Dixon after a local resident who must have been important in the establishment of the school. On the 1913-1914 roster of the Dixon Consolidated School District No. 125, there were ninety-four students with Alan P. Reece, Principal and Cloda McFall, assistant. The school board members were J. W. Williams and J. M. Boren.
The school had a porch entrance on the south side with a mud rack allowing the students to clean their shoes before entering the building with its wooden floors. There were two rooms with the Primary Grades to Fifth Grade in the east room and Grades Six to Nine in the west room. Windows were located on the north, east and south side of the school. The well provided water, and “pot bellied” stoves located in both classrooms provided the heat during the winter months. The classrooms had blackboards with alphabet strips displayed at the top with either manuscript or cursive letters. Teachers used hectographs to make copies. Students were provided books; their subjects were Reading, Writing, Spelling and Arithmetic. A five foot square sand box was provided for student to make exhibits using modeling clay; this was used for science and social studies activities. [At the Frognot historical marker dedication former student Mrs. Fran Slater, said the students had created a whole village in the sand box. At recess the students played Tag, Snap the Whip, and Red Rover. There was no electricity and no lights.] Writing was stressed with practice in push and pulls and ovals. The desks were connected together on runners with each student having his/her desk shelf and a circular opening on the top for an ink well. There were no organized sports.
“The outdoor privy was provided. The students had to bring their lunch from home; many used syrup buckets to carry their lunch. Since no buses were provided, the students either walked or rode their horse to school.
“A large [storm] cellar was located on the [southwest corner of the] school grounds to protect the students if a storm were to arise.
“When the school which was consolidated with the Glenn School disbanded, the land was returned to the Box family heirs. The students then attended the Blue Ridge School District. The concrete storm cellar, which was made of concrete shipped from the eastern part of the United States, remains. (Source: Historical marker application for Frognot, written by Linda Hess, information from Mrs. Fran Slater.)
The teachers in 1914 were Mr. Alan Reece and Miss Clodie McFall. The fact that they were both college graduates was considered a great improvement over previous teachers.
In the spring of 1921, Miss Vera Davis and Miss Bertie Davis were the teachers at Frognot. In October of 1921 the teachers were Mrs. Ester Houser and her sister, Miss Cleo Lucas. In 1935 Ailsa Dixon was the teacher for the primary department and Clay Parker taught the older kids.
The school house was a center of social activity in the community. On Sunday afternoons Singings were held there.
In the 1940s Dixon Consolidated District No. 125 closed and the students were sent to Blue Ridge School.
