Russellville School
Russellville School #87
East Ward McKinney School
Louisiana Street and Murray Street
McKinney, Texas
The Russellville School district included all of the territory south of the Farmersville Road on the east side of the railroad tracks in McKinney. Around 1900 the Russellville district consolidated with the Petersburg District, which was located at South Tennessee and Elm Street. At that time, neither school district was inside the McKinney city limits nor a part of the McKinney school district. In 1903 the combined districts asked the city of McKinney to expand its city limits to include them.
In 1902 the citizens and trustees of the Russellville district asked Commissioners Court to separate their district from the Petersburg district because of the inconvenience of the distance involved between the schools. The petition was granted. In 1905 Russellville was listed as School District #87. In 1890 a different school has that number.
When the Petersburg and the Russellville districts became part of the McKinney school district, Russellville became the McKinney East Ward school.
Dr. E. E. King, pastor of the 1st Baptist Church of McKinney lectured at the Russellville Christian church on prohibition in February of 1902.
Teachers at East McKinney (Russellville) school include Prof. J.B. Warren in 1902; Prof. J. A. Webb in 1903; Prof. M. C. Cunningham in 1904; Mrs. Eua Cross and daughter in 1904, 1905, and 1906; Miss Atta and/or Alva Brown in 1909; Prof. T. M. Wilson and assistant Miss Zerola Bradley in 1912; and J. W. Webb in 1918. There were about 50 students in 1905; 31 males and 25 females – 56 in 1909; and 57 students in 1912.
In 1902 a petition signed by about one hundred of the citizens of Russellville and Petersburg including the trustees, asking that Petersburg school district be divided and establish a new district to be known as Russellville district, was presented and granted by the court. The M. K. & T. railroad will be the dividing line, and the Russellville Christian church will be used as a school building. This matter has been of great interest to the citizens of that part of town, and will make their school facilities much more convenient.
In June of 1903 Petersburg and Russellville residents presented questions to city council to expand the McKinney city limits. (The district) started 200 feet west of Tennessee street on the city's southern boundary line, ran south parallel to Tennessee Street (or Dallas Road) to the McKinney and Rough Road, thence east, including both the Petersburg and Russellville school houses. The Farmersville Road is the northern boundary line.
The Russellville and Petersburg school districts requested and were admitted into the McKinney school district. The Russellville district became known as East Ward.
The East Ward Building was constructed by L. M. Miller in 1916 and named the James Warren Webb Elementary School. Webb donated three acres of land where the school was built and another six acres was donated by the Confederate Union. The school was a two-story red brick building. It was built at the site of the burned Russellville school with J. W. Webb at principal.
The East Ward school district’s territory was east of the railroad, provided, that the territory between the MKT and HTC railroad would be neutral.
The part time principal in 1945 was E. T. Eddins who was also the part time principal at the South War School. The first African American teacher in McKinney taught science at the East Ward School.
East Ward McKinney School
Louisiana Street and Murray Street
McKinney, Texas
The Russellville School district included all of the territory south of the Farmersville Road on the east side of the railroad tracks in McKinney. Around 1900 the Russellville district consolidated with the Petersburg District, which was located at South Tennessee and Elm Street. At that time, neither school district was inside the McKinney city limits nor a part of the McKinney school district. In 1903 the combined districts asked the city of McKinney to expand its city limits to include them.
In 1902 the citizens and trustees of the Russellville district asked Commissioners Court to separate their district from the Petersburg district because of the inconvenience of the distance involved between the schools. The petition was granted. In 1905 Russellville was listed as School District #87. In 1890 a different school has that number.
When the Petersburg and the Russellville districts became part of the McKinney school district, Russellville became the McKinney East Ward school.
Dr. E. E. King, pastor of the 1st Baptist Church of McKinney lectured at the Russellville Christian church on prohibition in February of 1902.
Teachers at East McKinney (Russellville) school include Prof. J.B. Warren in 1902; Prof. J. A. Webb in 1903; Prof. M. C. Cunningham in 1904; Mrs. Eua Cross and daughter in 1904, 1905, and 1906; Miss Atta and/or Alva Brown in 1909; Prof. T. M. Wilson and assistant Miss Zerola Bradley in 1912; and J. W. Webb in 1918. There were about 50 students in 1905; 31 males and 25 females – 56 in 1909; and 57 students in 1912.
In 1902 a petition signed by about one hundred of the citizens of Russellville and Petersburg including the trustees, asking that Petersburg school district be divided and establish a new district to be known as Russellville district, was presented and granted by the court. The M. K. & T. railroad will be the dividing line, and the Russellville Christian church will be used as a school building. This matter has been of great interest to the citizens of that part of town, and will make their school facilities much more convenient.
In June of 1903 Petersburg and Russellville residents presented questions to city council to expand the McKinney city limits. (The district) started 200 feet west of Tennessee street on the city's southern boundary line, ran south parallel to Tennessee Street (or Dallas Road) to the McKinney and Rough Road, thence east, including both the Petersburg and Russellville school houses. The Farmersville Road is the northern boundary line.
The Russellville and Petersburg school districts requested and were admitted into the McKinney school district. The Russellville district became known as East Ward.
The East Ward Building was constructed by L. M. Miller in 1916 and named the James Warren Webb Elementary School. Webb donated three acres of land where the school was built and another six acres was donated by the Confederate Union. The school was a two-story red brick building. It was built at the site of the burned Russellville school with J. W. Webb at principal.
The East Ward school district’s territory was east of the railroad, provided, that the territory between the MKT and HTC railroad would be neutral.
The part time principal in 1945 was E. T. Eddins who was also the part time principal at the South War School. The first African American teacher in McKinney taught science at the East Ward School.
