Mesquite School
Mesquite School #119
New Mesquite
Mesquite Flats
CR 551 and CR 552
Copeville, Texas
The first school building for the Mesquite Community in Collin County, was built in the late 1870’s. It became District #119. It was a one room building with split log benches, and old “Bull Dog” wood stove. It was located about ½ miles north of the newly constructed school building. In 1890 Mesquite Flats had 44 students and 54 in 1891. By 1900 there were 84 pupils; 90 in 1908; 104 in 1912; 116 in 1925 and 89 in 1940.
The old building was torn down in the early 1900’s and a new 2-room building was erected on land that was given by Mr. T. Ben Wilson of Princeton, Texas on the newly graded road that led west from the “Rowan” corner, then north and west to “String Town” and “Ball Town. “These were rows of small rent houses built along the rim of Sister Grove Creek bottom which had earlier been an Indian campground and had numerous arrowheads. The land owners kept large families in these houses to work the cotton and corn crops on this rich bottom land.
The enrollment was large from the beginning of the school; there were 70-100 plus pupils, and the one teacher taught grades one through high school. In 1900 two teachers were hired and both the “little room” and the “big room” were overflowing. More room was needed for this growing enrollment, so another room was added to the two-room school in the early 1920’s. A Teacherage, which housed teachers, was purchased from Mr. W. L. Rowan; the two-room building was moved, repaired, and another room was added for three teachers to live during the 1920’s through the 1940’s. After the Nevada tornado in 1927, a huge concrete cellar was dug in 1931 on the school ground and two toilets were built.
The school was rated as excellent by many of its former students. The building faced the south. It was painted white. It had high windows which allowed the students to concentrate and not be distracted by the world outside. An outdoor privy was available for a restroom. The school had three rooms for all grades. The Little Room was for the First and Second Graders, the Middle Room was for the Third, Fourth and Fifth Grades and the Big Room was for the Sixth and Seventh Grades and more. Once the students completed studies in the Mesquite School, they continued their education in the Farmersville School.
Students brought their lunch in buckets or brown sacks. A sliding door between the rooms was used to open up the room for an auditorium and stage. The students would perform a play at the close of school each year. They also had Outsiders Plays; adults in the community would perform plays as well. On occasion, some would sing western music.
The students enjoyed sports. The younger children enjoyed the Merry-Go-Round. The older students had basketball and baseball teams. They practiced on a dirt court. The entire community would come and watch them compete on Friday evenings; the school color was Maroon. Floy Bralley Allen was a Mascot when she was little; she wore a white satin uniform until cooler weather and then she wore coveralls. They would travel to Princeton for competition between teams. The Mesquite community always supported the school teams one hundred percent. The teacherage was located next to the school; it had three rooms. The principal and his wife would have two rooms, and the female teachers would share the other room.
Some of the early teachers were: H. Croom, J. E. B. Gambrell, Mr. Walls, Mrs. Frank Davis, Mr. and Mrs. Harvey Wrenn, Mr. Artie Stevens, Mrs. Cora Montgomery Johnson, Miss Ora Montgomery, Mrs. Leola Blair Brawley, Miss Ola Lanier, Miss Dovie Graves, Miss Bessie West, Mr. T. J. McDonald, Mr. Hershell Snider, Mr. Holbert Hinton and Mrs. Willie Drain Ball.
Beginning with the 1930’s, Mr. Tommy Raines, Mrs. Oreta Curtis and Miss Bonnie Vermillion were teaching 90 plus students. Mr. Raines coached boys’ basketball and baseball. His teams were some of the bests in the county. By 1933, the 100-plus enrollment required a fourth teacher. Two of the “cloak rooms” were converted into another classroom and all high school students above the tenth grade were transferred to Farmersville High School.
The four teachers hired that year were Mr. L. T. Gossett, Principal, Mr. Albert. J. Press, Mrs. Naomi Press and Miss Bonnie Vermillion. This was the first year that Mesquite had a strong organized girls’ basketball team. Mr. and Mrs. Press coached this Class C (Rural Schools of Collin County) team to a County Championship for three consecutive years, 1933-1935 The community supported, encouraged and loved these hard-working girls. Mr. Jess Johnson, who was a fan, helped more than the coach at times; he yelled and beat his hat every minute they were on the court.
Mr. and Mrs. Press enjoyed the wonderful experience of coaching these beautiful little girls. Some of the teachers in the late 1930’s and 1940’s were Mr. and Mrs. Frank Allen, Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Horton, Miss Parks, Miss Jimmy Evans, Mrs. Simmons and Mr. Roy Williams. Some of the students who attended were Ben Lokey, Allene Rickman, Lynnette Hunt May, Freddie Bea Pullen, Oleta Leach Jackson, Marie Bralley, Opal Alene Fletcher Nordgaard, Opal Wygal Hinton, Hazel Woods Horton, James Leach, Jimmie Masey, Rayford Jackson, Floy Bralley Allen, Fannie Bralley, Sarah Ann Jones, Lillie Pullen, Kenneth Welborn, Mary Frances Jackson, Phoebe Nell Johnson, Sisco Fletcher, Wayne Johnson, Dorothy Caldwell Tate, Blake Harless, J. B. Lovelace, Junior Rickman, J. T. Caldwell, Harold Montgomery, Ruth Ball, Winnie Rickman, W. L. Pullen, Wilma T. Rickman, Eugene Montgomery, David Bell, Mary Wygal Hughes, Florine Bralley Gracy, Tommy Gladden Huggins, Helen Lokey Bagby, Billie Tillett James, Betty Jones Hill, Carmen Rickman Stockton and Gene Johnson.
The enrollment of Mesquite School was 89 in 1940. It began to decrease after that. The U. S. Government bought most of the district land for Lake Lavon. All the houses in the “bottom” were closed which was soon to be under water. Much of the land west and south of the school building was in the lake. The school closed in the late 1940’s and the few children left in District 119 were transferred to Farmersville School District.
New Mesquite
Mesquite Flats
CR 551 and CR 552
Copeville, Texas
The first school building for the Mesquite Community in Collin County, was built in the late 1870’s. It became District #119. It was a one room building with split log benches, and old “Bull Dog” wood stove. It was located about ½ miles north of the newly constructed school building. In 1890 Mesquite Flats had 44 students and 54 in 1891. By 1900 there were 84 pupils; 90 in 1908; 104 in 1912; 116 in 1925 and 89 in 1940.
The old building was torn down in the early 1900’s and a new 2-room building was erected on land that was given by Mr. T. Ben Wilson of Princeton, Texas on the newly graded road that led west from the “Rowan” corner, then north and west to “String Town” and “Ball Town. “These were rows of small rent houses built along the rim of Sister Grove Creek bottom which had earlier been an Indian campground and had numerous arrowheads. The land owners kept large families in these houses to work the cotton and corn crops on this rich bottom land.
The enrollment was large from the beginning of the school; there were 70-100 plus pupils, and the one teacher taught grades one through high school. In 1900 two teachers were hired and both the “little room” and the “big room” were overflowing. More room was needed for this growing enrollment, so another room was added to the two-room school in the early 1920’s. A Teacherage, which housed teachers, was purchased from Mr. W. L. Rowan; the two-room building was moved, repaired, and another room was added for three teachers to live during the 1920’s through the 1940’s. After the Nevada tornado in 1927, a huge concrete cellar was dug in 1931 on the school ground and two toilets were built.
The school was rated as excellent by many of its former students. The building faced the south. It was painted white. It had high windows which allowed the students to concentrate and not be distracted by the world outside. An outdoor privy was available for a restroom. The school had three rooms for all grades. The Little Room was for the First and Second Graders, the Middle Room was for the Third, Fourth and Fifth Grades and the Big Room was for the Sixth and Seventh Grades and more. Once the students completed studies in the Mesquite School, they continued their education in the Farmersville School.
Students brought their lunch in buckets or brown sacks. A sliding door between the rooms was used to open up the room for an auditorium and stage. The students would perform a play at the close of school each year. They also had Outsiders Plays; adults in the community would perform plays as well. On occasion, some would sing western music.
The students enjoyed sports. The younger children enjoyed the Merry-Go-Round. The older students had basketball and baseball teams. They practiced on a dirt court. The entire community would come and watch them compete on Friday evenings; the school color was Maroon. Floy Bralley Allen was a Mascot when she was little; she wore a white satin uniform until cooler weather and then she wore coveralls. They would travel to Princeton for competition between teams. The Mesquite community always supported the school teams one hundred percent. The teacherage was located next to the school; it had three rooms. The principal and his wife would have two rooms, and the female teachers would share the other room.
Some of the early teachers were: H. Croom, J. E. B. Gambrell, Mr. Walls, Mrs. Frank Davis, Mr. and Mrs. Harvey Wrenn, Mr. Artie Stevens, Mrs. Cora Montgomery Johnson, Miss Ora Montgomery, Mrs. Leola Blair Brawley, Miss Ola Lanier, Miss Dovie Graves, Miss Bessie West, Mr. T. J. McDonald, Mr. Hershell Snider, Mr. Holbert Hinton and Mrs. Willie Drain Ball.
Beginning with the 1930’s, Mr. Tommy Raines, Mrs. Oreta Curtis and Miss Bonnie Vermillion were teaching 90 plus students. Mr. Raines coached boys’ basketball and baseball. His teams were some of the bests in the county. By 1933, the 100-plus enrollment required a fourth teacher. Two of the “cloak rooms” were converted into another classroom and all high school students above the tenth grade were transferred to Farmersville High School.
The four teachers hired that year were Mr. L. T. Gossett, Principal, Mr. Albert. J. Press, Mrs. Naomi Press and Miss Bonnie Vermillion. This was the first year that Mesquite had a strong organized girls’ basketball team. Mr. and Mrs. Press coached this Class C (Rural Schools of Collin County) team to a County Championship for three consecutive years, 1933-1935 The community supported, encouraged and loved these hard-working girls. Mr. Jess Johnson, who was a fan, helped more than the coach at times; he yelled and beat his hat every minute they were on the court.
Mr. and Mrs. Press enjoyed the wonderful experience of coaching these beautiful little girls. Some of the teachers in the late 1930’s and 1940’s were Mr. and Mrs. Frank Allen, Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Horton, Miss Parks, Miss Jimmy Evans, Mrs. Simmons and Mr. Roy Williams. Some of the students who attended were Ben Lokey, Allene Rickman, Lynnette Hunt May, Freddie Bea Pullen, Oleta Leach Jackson, Marie Bralley, Opal Alene Fletcher Nordgaard, Opal Wygal Hinton, Hazel Woods Horton, James Leach, Jimmie Masey, Rayford Jackson, Floy Bralley Allen, Fannie Bralley, Sarah Ann Jones, Lillie Pullen, Kenneth Welborn, Mary Frances Jackson, Phoebe Nell Johnson, Sisco Fletcher, Wayne Johnson, Dorothy Caldwell Tate, Blake Harless, J. B. Lovelace, Junior Rickman, J. T. Caldwell, Harold Montgomery, Ruth Ball, Winnie Rickman, W. L. Pullen, Wilma T. Rickman, Eugene Montgomery, David Bell, Mary Wygal Hughes, Florine Bralley Gracy, Tommy Gladden Huggins, Helen Lokey Bagby, Billie Tillett James, Betty Jones Hill, Carmen Rickman Stockton and Gene Johnson.
The enrollment of Mesquite School was 89 in 1940. It began to decrease after that. The U. S. Government bought most of the district land for Lake Lavon. All the houses in the “bottom” were closed which was soon to be under water. Much of the land west and south of the school building was in the lake. The school closed in the late 1940’s and the few children left in District 119 were transferred to Farmersville School District.
