Richland School
Richland School #25
SE corner of Coleman Street and Prosper Trail
Prosper, Texas
In the 1880s a common school was started in the community of Richland in far north west Collin County. It was a three-room frame school building with two teachers. In 1890 Richland had 56 students. In 1902-1903, a two-story frame building was constructed on the site of the old school campus. Mrs. C.E. Beanland and Mrs. Glen Sneed were the teachers and J.B. Henderson was the principal. When the community applied for a post office, they found there was already a town named Richland; therefore, they settled for the name Prosper. In 1901 the first railroad was started in present-day Prosper with the first train running in 1902. The original school building was sold in 1910 and moved to Ma Webb’s corner where it became a hotel.
When the railroad by-passed the community of Richland and Rock Hill, most of the citizens and businesses moved nearer to the railroad in Prosper. The Richland students were moved to Prosper, but that school building was destroyed by fire in 1923. By the time Prosper celebrated its centennial in 1946, the school had grown from a two-teacher school to a nine-teacher consolidated school with a modern brick building. Other schools such as White Elephant, Good Hope, Walnut Grove, Rhea’s Mill, Pleasant Valley, Possum Trott and Rock Hill consolidated with the Prosper School District.
SE corner of Coleman Street and Prosper Trail
Prosper, Texas
In the 1880s a common school was started in the community of Richland in far north west Collin County. It was a three-room frame school building with two teachers. In 1890 Richland had 56 students. In 1902-1903, a two-story frame building was constructed on the site of the old school campus. Mrs. C.E. Beanland and Mrs. Glen Sneed were the teachers and J.B. Henderson was the principal. When the community applied for a post office, they found there was already a town named Richland; therefore, they settled for the name Prosper. In 1901 the first railroad was started in present-day Prosper with the first train running in 1902. The original school building was sold in 1910 and moved to Ma Webb’s corner where it became a hotel.
When the railroad by-passed the community of Richland and Rock Hill, most of the citizens and businesses moved nearer to the railroad in Prosper. The Richland students were moved to Prosper, but that school building was destroyed by fire in 1923. By the time Prosper celebrated its centennial in 1946, the school had grown from a two-teacher school to a nine-teacher consolidated school with a modern brick building. Other schools such as White Elephant, Good Hope, Walnut Grove, Rhea’s Mill, Pleasant Valley, Possum Trott and Rock Hill consolidated with the Prosper School District.
