Rosamond School
Rosamond School #74
FM 2862
Anna, Texas
Rosamond was located on FM 2862 between Anna and Westminster. It was named for the Rosamond family that lived in the area. In 1890 Rosamond School had 51 students and 42 in 1891. In 1901 the teacher was M. F. Doyle. Prof. E. C. Forbes was teacher at Rosamond in 1897, 1898, and spring 1905. Professor Eric Stroud was the teacher in 1905 and 1906.
Miss Gifford was employed in 1909 by the trustees of the Rosamond school to assist Prof. W. G. Reynolds. It was necessary, on account of the growth of the school, to add another teacher. By 1912 there were 38 students, 64 in 1925 and 47 in 1940. May Long was the teacher in 1919.
(Written by Alma Litrell – former teacher)
Rosamond School of the Rosamond Community in the late 1920 centered about this school and the Rosamond Baptist church was very much alive. Longtime residents and their faithful renters furnished the school with a wholesome group of children ranging through grades 1-9, fewer in the seventh.
My teaching days there in 1924-25 as a full-fledged member of this community were pleasant ones in the church attendance and school responsibilities. The Rosamond Baptist Church, not regularly active today, but does sponsor an annual Homecoming in September.
Homes, as was the custom in those days, accepted me as a guest in their midst. Once as an overnight guest, a friendship still lasting with that family as I follow its children’s successes in Anna community life as workers, teachers, and in nearby communities as business people; their steadfastness throughout the many years has been a true symbol of the values Rosamondites place on life.
The school was comfortable – one big room facing west with an entrance hall furnishing a cloak room on either side. A huge cistern for rain water (no faucet inside) gave the water supply and outside “jacketed” privies apart furnished restrooms. No cement walks spanned the campus area for bad weather. No lunchrooms, all lunches brought from homes as was the custom of rural schools of the 1920’s.
Sanitation depended on the health consideration for the teacher to teach by example health rules – washing hands in the wash basin provided, and ventilation for comfort. Too, the care for the “restrooms” was checked by assigned groups – only occasionally checked by the teacher to assure orderliness and freedom from carving, often not suitable for society. A road crossing the small campus made trespassing permissible but sometimes a nuisance. The day was not one free of pranksters.
Neither were the days free of special events: a cow from a herd moving west got away from the herdsman. In she stalked, filled the hallway with her bullying head and fulsome hindquarters and with her unwelcome deposit. This was of little concern really, for farm children thought it unfortunate but of little disturbance in the afternoon scheduled work.
The teacher becomes the pivot of life, even as a doctor. A student’s ear almost frozen as he and his sister rode horseback to school during a wintry storm. The cold-water bathing helped but not enough. He tells today, after these many years, of his still wearing his night caps.
Educational leadership is not difficult in a community of educated families who chose dedicated school trustees willing to fulfill their responsibilities well.
ROSAMOND SCHOOL
by Inez Gaither Robertson, Assisted by: Ora (Bell) Russell and Bonnie (Bell) Fields
About 1890 when my mother Mae (Hall) Gaither started to school, the Rosamond School house was on the Rosamond land along the Anna-Westminster Road, north side about two and half miles east of Anna near the now well-known Rosamond brick house. Later the school house, a one room building, was moved east of the Welch Riffe home-place on the south side of this same road. Here one teacher taught seven grades. Two years later a room was added on the west side and another teacher, Ray Riffe was hired.
The first year I went to school in 1913-1914, there were three teachers Helen Slaughter, Lee Barnes, and Edith Coffee. Miss Coffee’s big program at the above school was from a stage fixed up outside on the front.
Some other teachers were Mr. Harold Lloyd, Barto Fultz, Mary Gifford. Some of the teachers later were Lillian Hurley, Vi Buster, T. J. Shaw, Johnnie Taylor, Alma Littrell, Jamey Jernigan, Mae Long-Anderson, Mrs. Grounds, (Lou Odell, 1927) and O. E. Giles. Effie Jane Bell, a local teacher in 1935-1936 was hired to teach at Rosamond, the salary to have been $125.00 a month; the school and teacher were transferred to Anna, her salary $85.00 only.
At one time 68 pupils were enrolled at Rosamond. Some of the trustees were Charlie Bell, Perry Barnes, Edgar Combest, Ed W. Reed, Dudley Hall, Walter E. Barnes, Welch Riffe, T. J. Gambrell and Joe Russell.
In 1918 the County Superintendent of Schools said this about Rosamond School:
“Rosamond School district has a fifty-cent tax but has a very poor school house. There is a sentiment forming for better school advantages and I am expecting to have a new house for another year. They have enrolled 56 but have had measles in the school which has greatly interfered with the attendance, but the teacher believes the worst has passed. Not man of the families moved in this district which is for the better. This is a good community and will soon do the proper thing by their school. Mr. J. T. Shaw is the teacher and is doing as good work as can be expected under the conditions that have confronted him.”
FM 2862
Anna, Texas
Rosamond was located on FM 2862 between Anna and Westminster. It was named for the Rosamond family that lived in the area. In 1890 Rosamond School had 51 students and 42 in 1891. In 1901 the teacher was M. F. Doyle. Prof. E. C. Forbes was teacher at Rosamond in 1897, 1898, and spring 1905. Professor Eric Stroud was the teacher in 1905 and 1906.
Miss Gifford was employed in 1909 by the trustees of the Rosamond school to assist Prof. W. G. Reynolds. It was necessary, on account of the growth of the school, to add another teacher. By 1912 there were 38 students, 64 in 1925 and 47 in 1940. May Long was the teacher in 1919.
(Written by Alma Litrell – former teacher)
Rosamond School of the Rosamond Community in the late 1920 centered about this school and the Rosamond Baptist church was very much alive. Longtime residents and their faithful renters furnished the school with a wholesome group of children ranging through grades 1-9, fewer in the seventh.
My teaching days there in 1924-25 as a full-fledged member of this community were pleasant ones in the church attendance and school responsibilities. The Rosamond Baptist Church, not regularly active today, but does sponsor an annual Homecoming in September.
Homes, as was the custom in those days, accepted me as a guest in their midst. Once as an overnight guest, a friendship still lasting with that family as I follow its children’s successes in Anna community life as workers, teachers, and in nearby communities as business people; their steadfastness throughout the many years has been a true symbol of the values Rosamondites place on life.
The school was comfortable – one big room facing west with an entrance hall furnishing a cloak room on either side. A huge cistern for rain water (no faucet inside) gave the water supply and outside “jacketed” privies apart furnished restrooms. No cement walks spanned the campus area for bad weather. No lunchrooms, all lunches brought from homes as was the custom of rural schools of the 1920’s.
Sanitation depended on the health consideration for the teacher to teach by example health rules – washing hands in the wash basin provided, and ventilation for comfort. Too, the care for the “restrooms” was checked by assigned groups – only occasionally checked by the teacher to assure orderliness and freedom from carving, often not suitable for society. A road crossing the small campus made trespassing permissible but sometimes a nuisance. The day was not one free of pranksters.
Neither were the days free of special events: a cow from a herd moving west got away from the herdsman. In she stalked, filled the hallway with her bullying head and fulsome hindquarters and with her unwelcome deposit. This was of little concern really, for farm children thought it unfortunate but of little disturbance in the afternoon scheduled work.
The teacher becomes the pivot of life, even as a doctor. A student’s ear almost frozen as he and his sister rode horseback to school during a wintry storm. The cold-water bathing helped but not enough. He tells today, after these many years, of his still wearing his night caps.
Educational leadership is not difficult in a community of educated families who chose dedicated school trustees willing to fulfill their responsibilities well.
ROSAMOND SCHOOL
by Inez Gaither Robertson, Assisted by: Ora (Bell) Russell and Bonnie (Bell) Fields
About 1890 when my mother Mae (Hall) Gaither started to school, the Rosamond School house was on the Rosamond land along the Anna-Westminster Road, north side about two and half miles east of Anna near the now well-known Rosamond brick house. Later the school house, a one room building, was moved east of the Welch Riffe home-place on the south side of this same road. Here one teacher taught seven grades. Two years later a room was added on the west side and another teacher, Ray Riffe was hired.
The first year I went to school in 1913-1914, there were three teachers Helen Slaughter, Lee Barnes, and Edith Coffee. Miss Coffee’s big program at the above school was from a stage fixed up outside on the front.
Some other teachers were Mr. Harold Lloyd, Barto Fultz, Mary Gifford. Some of the teachers later were Lillian Hurley, Vi Buster, T. J. Shaw, Johnnie Taylor, Alma Littrell, Jamey Jernigan, Mae Long-Anderson, Mrs. Grounds, (Lou Odell, 1927) and O. E. Giles. Effie Jane Bell, a local teacher in 1935-1936 was hired to teach at Rosamond, the salary to have been $125.00 a month; the school and teacher were transferred to Anna, her salary $85.00 only.
At one time 68 pupils were enrolled at Rosamond. Some of the trustees were Charlie Bell, Perry Barnes, Edgar Combest, Ed W. Reed, Dudley Hall, Walter E. Barnes, Welch Riffe, T. J. Gambrell and Joe Russell.
In 1918 the County Superintendent of Schools said this about Rosamond School:
“Rosamond School district has a fifty-cent tax but has a very poor school house. There is a sentiment forming for better school advantages and I am expecting to have a new house for another year. They have enrolled 56 but have had measles in the school which has greatly interfered with the attendance, but the teacher believes the worst has passed. Not man of the families moved in this district which is for the better. This is a good community and will soon do the proper thing by their school. Mr. J. T. Shaw is the teacher and is doing as good work as can be expected under the conditions that have confronted him.”
