Hutcherson School
White Elephant School #132
Hutcherson
Hutchins
West Frontier Parkway and CR 50
Prosper, Texas
The Hutcherson School was located north of Prosper where the present-day city limits of Prosper and Celina meet. The school was commonly called White Elephant. The school consolidated with Prosper School in 1929. The school building was moved to the Prosper School campus and was used as a Home Economics department until it was torn down and the wood was used to build a gymnasium.
White Elephant School was not included on lists of Collin County Schools in 1880 or 1890.
In 1901 the teacher was Mrs. H. Pruett. Miss Rossie Rolater was teacher in 1905.
In 1905 the commissioners ordered an election to be held in Hutcherson school district No. 132 for the purpose of determining whether or not a special tax of 20 cents on the $100 worth of property should be levied for school purposes.
White Elephant School had 16 male and 12 female students in 1909. Miss Emma Abernathie was the teacher.
There were 33 students in 1912. The teacher was Miss Ona Straughan.
Several from Rock Hill attended the exhibition at the White Elephant school house in April of 1913.
The County Superintendent of Schools said this about the Hutcherson School in 1918:
“The Hutchinson school has a new house well equipped. They have a fifty-cent tax. This is a good school. One fine thing for this school is the number of larger pupils in attendance. The outlook for this school is flattering. This is another example of what a good house well equipped with well-paid teachers can and are doing. No money pays a greater percent than money spent on a good school house and good teachers. Austin Ross and Leila Lester are the teachers.”
A very enjoyable play was rendered by the Hutcherson school pupils in April 1922. The attendance was good, many going from Prosper, and all enjoyed the program. Prof. Scott Anderson was teacher.
There were 51 students in 1925.
In 1929 the elections held in the Prosper and Hutcherson school districts resulted in the Hutcherson district being taken into the Prosper district by a large majority. There was an agreement to have a one-teacher school at Hutcherson.
The White Elephant school building moved to the Prosper School and used as a Home Economics building.
In 1936 the work of tearing down the old White Elephant or Hutcherson school building to build the gymnasium for Prosper began under the supervision of J. Bruce Sterling, a local contractor who had the contract for the gymnasium which is a WPA project.
Evidently some of White Elephant’s original school district territory became part of the city of Celina. In 1939, it was said that when the old Hutcherson school district was combined with Celina, it was not done by election and, therefore, it was not legally a part of the Celina district until tax-payers of that territory voted to support Celina bonds.
Hutcherson
Hutchins
West Frontier Parkway and CR 50
Prosper, Texas
The Hutcherson School was located north of Prosper where the present-day city limits of Prosper and Celina meet. The school was commonly called White Elephant. The school consolidated with Prosper School in 1929. The school building was moved to the Prosper School campus and was used as a Home Economics department until it was torn down and the wood was used to build a gymnasium.
White Elephant School was not included on lists of Collin County Schools in 1880 or 1890.
In 1901 the teacher was Mrs. H. Pruett. Miss Rossie Rolater was teacher in 1905.
In 1905 the commissioners ordered an election to be held in Hutcherson school district No. 132 for the purpose of determining whether or not a special tax of 20 cents on the $100 worth of property should be levied for school purposes.
White Elephant School had 16 male and 12 female students in 1909. Miss Emma Abernathie was the teacher.
There were 33 students in 1912. The teacher was Miss Ona Straughan.
Several from Rock Hill attended the exhibition at the White Elephant school house in April of 1913.
The County Superintendent of Schools said this about the Hutcherson School in 1918:
“The Hutchinson school has a new house well equipped. They have a fifty-cent tax. This is a good school. One fine thing for this school is the number of larger pupils in attendance. The outlook for this school is flattering. This is another example of what a good house well equipped with well-paid teachers can and are doing. No money pays a greater percent than money spent on a good school house and good teachers. Austin Ross and Leila Lester are the teachers.”
A very enjoyable play was rendered by the Hutcherson school pupils in April 1922. The attendance was good, many going from Prosper, and all enjoyed the program. Prof. Scott Anderson was teacher.
There were 51 students in 1925.
In 1929 the elections held in the Prosper and Hutcherson school districts resulted in the Hutcherson district being taken into the Prosper district by a large majority. There was an agreement to have a one-teacher school at Hutcherson.
The White Elephant school building moved to the Prosper School and used as a Home Economics building.
In 1936 the work of tearing down the old White Elephant or Hutcherson school building to build the gymnasium for Prosper began under the supervision of J. Bruce Sterling, a local contractor who had the contract for the gymnasium which is a WPA project.
Evidently some of White Elephant’s original school district territory became part of the city of Celina. In 1939, it was said that when the old Hutcherson school district was combined with Celina, it was not done by election and, therefore, it was not legally a part of the Celina district until tax-payers of that territory voted to support Celina bonds.
