Martin's Box School Westminster
Martins Box School #82
New Prospect
FM 2862
Westminster, Texas
Billy Martin had a farm six miles east of Anna. The Martins built a nice home with a large living room. They organized a Methodist church in 1856, calling it Martins Box, and the church members met in the Martin home. In 1860 a new Methodist church building and school was constructed just east of the Martin’s home. The real name of the school house or church was New Prospect, but it went by the name of Old Martin Box. The community around it had the same name.
The Martin’s Box building was a log cabin 14 x 16 feet. There was a door in the south and also one in the north. There was a large fireplace in the east. The house faced the south and contained no windows. Half the time the north door had no shelter, for it was built of boards and the children kept the boards pulled off, on rainy days especially, in order to keep a fire. In the winter time the cracks were daubed up with mud and sticks. Sometimes boards were nailed over the cracks. When warm weather came the children tore these away and the light shone through the open spaces. The floor was made of puncheon logs.
The only equipment of the school consisted of puncheon split benches, with pegs driven through the ends for supports. Blackboards were unknown. Children used slates and slate pencils. Sometimes children used pencils made of white rock found in the strata of the soil. Children did not use paper as it was almost inaccessible.
The subjects taught in the school were Blue Back Speller, McGuffy’s Readers and Ray’s Third part arithmetic. The children seldom advanced further than the third reader.
One of the early teachers was a man named Partman. He thought it unnecessary for girls to study arithmetic; however, arithmetic was one of the most stressed subjects of the curriculum. But woe be to that boy or girl who missed a word in spelling for he was sure to get whipped.
The children studied with their books in their laps, swaying their bodies to and fro as they repeated together the lesson.
The teacher in 1880 was M. H. Byrne. The school was called Prospect. R. C. Benton was the teacher at Martin's Box in 1885. This school was included on a list of schools in 1890 with 000 in attendance. By 1901 the district number #82 had been reassigned to a different district.
In 1888 the church built a college and called it Seven Points College. About 1895 the name of the college was changed to Westminster College and the local community changed its name to Westminster.
There was a Martin Box Creek located between present-day Westminster and Elm Grove Creek. It crossed present-day FM 2862.
Martin Box was a voting precinct and the school was a polling location.
Martin Box and the Seven Points Districts combined to form the Westminster District.
The Grassy Lake School near the community of Branch was also called Martins Box. School District #82 had become Heardville near Princeton by 1901.
New Prospect
FM 2862
Westminster, Texas
Billy Martin had a farm six miles east of Anna. The Martins built a nice home with a large living room. They organized a Methodist church in 1856, calling it Martins Box, and the church members met in the Martin home. In 1860 a new Methodist church building and school was constructed just east of the Martin’s home. The real name of the school house or church was New Prospect, but it went by the name of Old Martin Box. The community around it had the same name.
The Martin’s Box building was a log cabin 14 x 16 feet. There was a door in the south and also one in the north. There was a large fireplace in the east. The house faced the south and contained no windows. Half the time the north door had no shelter, for it was built of boards and the children kept the boards pulled off, on rainy days especially, in order to keep a fire. In the winter time the cracks were daubed up with mud and sticks. Sometimes boards were nailed over the cracks. When warm weather came the children tore these away and the light shone through the open spaces. The floor was made of puncheon logs.
The only equipment of the school consisted of puncheon split benches, with pegs driven through the ends for supports. Blackboards were unknown. Children used slates and slate pencils. Sometimes children used pencils made of white rock found in the strata of the soil. Children did not use paper as it was almost inaccessible.
The subjects taught in the school were Blue Back Speller, McGuffy’s Readers and Ray’s Third part arithmetic. The children seldom advanced further than the third reader.
One of the early teachers was a man named Partman. He thought it unnecessary for girls to study arithmetic; however, arithmetic was one of the most stressed subjects of the curriculum. But woe be to that boy or girl who missed a word in spelling for he was sure to get whipped.
The children studied with their books in their laps, swaying their bodies to and fro as they repeated together the lesson.
The teacher in 1880 was M. H. Byrne. The school was called Prospect. R. C. Benton was the teacher at Martin's Box in 1885. This school was included on a list of schools in 1890 with 000 in attendance. By 1901 the district number #82 had been reassigned to a different district.
In 1888 the church built a college and called it Seven Points College. About 1895 the name of the college was changed to Westminster College and the local community changed its name to Westminster.
There was a Martin Box Creek located between present-day Westminster and Elm Grove Creek. It crossed present-day FM 2862.
Martin Box was a voting precinct and the school was a polling location.
Martin Box and the Seven Points Districts combined to form the Westminster District.
The Grassy Lake School near the community of Branch was also called Martins Box. School District #82 had become Heardville near Princeton by 1901.
