Snow Hill School
Snow Hill School #73
CR 621
Blue Ridge, Texas
The first school in the Snow Hill area was the Thompson School #73. It lasted from 1872 to 1895. There was another school called Thompson located southeast of Princeton.
A school was established on the east side of the [Snow Hill] cemetery in 1872 when Dennis Thomas sold an acre to the Collin County School Board. This was called the Thompson School House. It had a long one-room wooden building with a small side room for the smaller students. It was located across the road on the east side of the cemetery and in back of the E. S. Kemp Country Store. Inside the school building were double desks, some long benches, blackboards, a teacher’s desk, books, some long tables with buckets of water and dippers. A few of the teachers were Leburn Goforth, W. W. Jones, Mr. Cross, Myrtle Hess, Mr. and Mrs. McLarry and Harry Hatler.
In 1895 when the Thompson School District #73 was divided into Snow Hill School #73, Fayburg School #142, and Water Ridge School #141. In 1921 the old school was abandoned and a new one built a short distance to the west on the northwest corner of present-day CR 619 and CR 621. The Snow Hill School remained there until October of 1948 when it closed and the students went to either Blue Ridge or Farmersville schools.
Around 1920 a survey was being made for a hard surface road that would connect Farmersville and Blue Ridge. The citizens expressed their desire to build a new school near it. They consolidated with Fayburg School #142 on the north and Water Ridge School #141 on the southwest to form Snow Hill district #73. A three-acre tract of land was purchased from Virgil Kemp that was located one fourth of a mile northwest of the old school site. Soon construction was started on a new red brick structure. Just before completion, the contractor, J. M. Piston, had to leave for some reason, so the board members and other men of the community completed the construction. It was all ready for classes in the fall of 1921. School would be in session for seven months this year instead of six. Teachers Pay was sixty to eighty dollars a month. Some of the children had to walk two or three miles as there were no buses in that day and time.
The new building consisted of two large rooms on the south, which contained grades one through five. A wide hall extended the entire length of the building, and two rooms and a stage were on the north. These rooms were separated by folding doors that could be opened to give more seating area when there were programs or plays. The rooms were heated by large coal stoves located in a corner of each room. Grades six through ten were housed on the north side. Since eleven grades were required for graduation, the students attended Blue Ridge High School or Farmersville High School to complete grade eleven in order to graduate. The new State Highway 78 was completed about three years later.
Snow Hill School # 73 was well-known among the other rural schools for its participation in athletics. Even though an outside basketball court was the only facility available, both the boys and the girls teams often won in competition and honors. Baseball was also a very popular spring sport. The school was known as one of the finest schools in the county.
SNOW HILL SCHOOL by Opal Kemp McCarley
Snow Hill is a small cattle and farming community situated on the high lands between Pilot and Indian Creek, four miles south of Blue Ridge and seven miles north-of Farmersville.
Some of the older citizens remember the legend that this Community got Its pretty name when the original survey was n by Benjamin Bland and Joseph Matthews, that snow lay on the ground on the ridge, and the surveyors used this snow-covered hill as a base.
No one knows for sure when the first school was started in this community, but we have evidence that some of our parents were in school here during the latter half of the eighteen hundreds.
The school at that time was a long, one room wooden building with a small side room for the small students. It was located across the road on the east side of the cemetery and back of the Country Store, which is now located in "Old City Park" in Dallas. Inside the building were double desk, some long benches, black boards, a teacher's desk, some long tables with buckets of water and dippers, and some books. Some of our Senior Citizens mentioned a few teachers of the old school. Those named were: Leburn Goforth, W.W. Jones, Mr. Cross, Myrtle Hess, Mr. and Mrs. McLarry and Harry Hatler.
A survey was being made at this time for a hard surface road that would connect Farmersville and Blue Ridge. The citizens expressed their desire to build a new school near it. They got busy and consolidated with Fayburg and Water Ridge Schools. They purchased a three-acre tract of land from Virgil Kemp that was located one fourth of a mile northwest of the old site. Soon construction was started on a new red brick structure. Just before completion, the contractor, J.M. Piston, had to leave for some reason, so the board members and other men of the community busied themselves with paint brushes and it was all ready for classes in the fall of 1921. School would be in session for seven months this year instead of six. Pay for teachers was sixty to eighty dollars a month. Some of the children had to walk two or three miles as there were no busses in that day and time. The new highway 78 was completed about three years later.
The new building consisted of two large rooms on the south which contained grades one through five. A wide hail extended the entire length of the building, and two rooms and a stage were on the north. These rooms were separated by folding doors that could be opened to give more seating area when there were programs or plays. The rooms were heated by large coal stoves located in a corner of each room. Grades six through ten were housed on the north side. Since eleven grades were required for graduation, the students attended Blue Ridge or Farmersville to finish.
Snow Hill was well-known among the other rural schools for its participation in athletics. Even though an outside basket-ball court was the only facility available, both the girls and boys teams often won in competition and honors. Baseball was also a very popular spring sport.
The students were active in various areas of Interscholastic work, such as spelling, math, picture memory, storytelling, etc. Miss Margret Grayson from Farmersville came to the school to offer private music lessons. There were so many students that the stage was converted into a classroom and the fifth teacher was added.
Electricity was made available for the community and school through. the, influence and help of our Congressman, Sam Rayburn, who later became Speaker of the House.
On the closing day of school each year, many parents would come with baskets filled with food and a community dinner was enjoyed by all. That night everyone enjoyed a program presented by the students and often a three-act Play by adults.
Some teachers that are often associated with the new school are: E. L., Gant., Roy Lucas, Shellie Nickles, Velma. Nix Kemp, Malcom Pate, Alta Hill Henslee, Merle Bourland, Fredrick and Miles Murphy, Opal Kemp McCarley, and Iona McCall Tyler. The Snow Hill School was known as one of the largest and best rural school systems in Collin County according to Captain Roy Hall's, Survey of Small Schools.
After World War II was started, many families began moving to the Metroplex Area to work in defense plants. The students became fewer and fewer until the local board arid County board decided it would be more feasible for all concerned if the district be divided between Blue Ridge and Farmersville Schools, and the students bussed to the school of their choice. According to the minutes of the Collin County School Board dated October, 1918 the Snow Hill School was closed.
The County Superintendent of Schools said this about Snow Hill in 1918: “The Snow Hill School had two teachers with an enrollment of 67. The district has a small tax and is talking some of consolidation. If this is done it will greatly improve the situation along educational lines in this community. We hope that it may be done before the next school begins. Miss Ruth Smith and Miss Vivian Moyers are the teachers.”
The Community asked for the school building to be used for Community functions, but when it was no. longer used for that purpose, it was sold at a Public Auction in 1953 to Mr. F. M. Hart of Farmersville. It was used as a hay barn for a while, but a short time later It was destroyed by fire. The teacherage was sold to Mr. and Mrs. Lee Bourand and moved away.
At the present time the school grounds house the Verona Water Sub-Station and the home of Rita Harris and Mr. and Mrs. Roy Bass.
CR 621
Blue Ridge, Texas
The first school in the Snow Hill area was the Thompson School #73. It lasted from 1872 to 1895. There was another school called Thompson located southeast of Princeton.
A school was established on the east side of the [Snow Hill] cemetery in 1872 when Dennis Thomas sold an acre to the Collin County School Board. This was called the Thompson School House. It had a long one-room wooden building with a small side room for the smaller students. It was located across the road on the east side of the cemetery and in back of the E. S. Kemp Country Store. Inside the school building were double desks, some long benches, blackboards, a teacher’s desk, books, some long tables with buckets of water and dippers. A few of the teachers were Leburn Goforth, W. W. Jones, Mr. Cross, Myrtle Hess, Mr. and Mrs. McLarry and Harry Hatler.
In 1895 when the Thompson School District #73 was divided into Snow Hill School #73, Fayburg School #142, and Water Ridge School #141. In 1921 the old school was abandoned and a new one built a short distance to the west on the northwest corner of present-day CR 619 and CR 621. The Snow Hill School remained there until October of 1948 when it closed and the students went to either Blue Ridge or Farmersville schools.
Around 1920 a survey was being made for a hard surface road that would connect Farmersville and Blue Ridge. The citizens expressed their desire to build a new school near it. They consolidated with Fayburg School #142 on the north and Water Ridge School #141 on the southwest to form Snow Hill district #73. A three-acre tract of land was purchased from Virgil Kemp that was located one fourth of a mile northwest of the old school site. Soon construction was started on a new red brick structure. Just before completion, the contractor, J. M. Piston, had to leave for some reason, so the board members and other men of the community completed the construction. It was all ready for classes in the fall of 1921. School would be in session for seven months this year instead of six. Teachers Pay was sixty to eighty dollars a month. Some of the children had to walk two or three miles as there were no buses in that day and time.
The new building consisted of two large rooms on the south, which contained grades one through five. A wide hall extended the entire length of the building, and two rooms and a stage were on the north. These rooms were separated by folding doors that could be opened to give more seating area when there were programs or plays. The rooms were heated by large coal stoves located in a corner of each room. Grades six through ten were housed on the north side. Since eleven grades were required for graduation, the students attended Blue Ridge High School or Farmersville High School to complete grade eleven in order to graduate. The new State Highway 78 was completed about three years later.
Snow Hill School # 73 was well-known among the other rural schools for its participation in athletics. Even though an outside basketball court was the only facility available, both the boys and the girls teams often won in competition and honors. Baseball was also a very popular spring sport. The school was known as one of the finest schools in the county.
SNOW HILL SCHOOL by Opal Kemp McCarley
Snow Hill is a small cattle and farming community situated on the high lands between Pilot and Indian Creek, four miles south of Blue Ridge and seven miles north-of Farmersville.
Some of the older citizens remember the legend that this Community got Its pretty name when the original survey was n by Benjamin Bland and Joseph Matthews, that snow lay on the ground on the ridge, and the surveyors used this snow-covered hill as a base.
No one knows for sure when the first school was started in this community, but we have evidence that some of our parents were in school here during the latter half of the eighteen hundreds.
The school at that time was a long, one room wooden building with a small side room for the small students. It was located across the road on the east side of the cemetery and back of the Country Store, which is now located in "Old City Park" in Dallas. Inside the building were double desk, some long benches, black boards, a teacher's desk, some long tables with buckets of water and dippers, and some books. Some of our Senior Citizens mentioned a few teachers of the old school. Those named were: Leburn Goforth, W.W. Jones, Mr. Cross, Myrtle Hess, Mr. and Mrs. McLarry and Harry Hatler.
A survey was being made at this time for a hard surface road that would connect Farmersville and Blue Ridge. The citizens expressed their desire to build a new school near it. They got busy and consolidated with Fayburg and Water Ridge Schools. They purchased a three-acre tract of land from Virgil Kemp that was located one fourth of a mile northwest of the old site. Soon construction was started on a new red brick structure. Just before completion, the contractor, J.M. Piston, had to leave for some reason, so the board members and other men of the community busied themselves with paint brushes and it was all ready for classes in the fall of 1921. School would be in session for seven months this year instead of six. Pay for teachers was sixty to eighty dollars a month. Some of the children had to walk two or three miles as there were no busses in that day and time. The new highway 78 was completed about three years later.
The new building consisted of two large rooms on the south which contained grades one through five. A wide hail extended the entire length of the building, and two rooms and a stage were on the north. These rooms were separated by folding doors that could be opened to give more seating area when there were programs or plays. The rooms were heated by large coal stoves located in a corner of each room. Grades six through ten were housed on the north side. Since eleven grades were required for graduation, the students attended Blue Ridge or Farmersville to finish.
Snow Hill was well-known among the other rural schools for its participation in athletics. Even though an outside basket-ball court was the only facility available, both the girls and boys teams often won in competition and honors. Baseball was also a very popular spring sport.
The students were active in various areas of Interscholastic work, such as spelling, math, picture memory, storytelling, etc. Miss Margret Grayson from Farmersville came to the school to offer private music lessons. There were so many students that the stage was converted into a classroom and the fifth teacher was added.
Electricity was made available for the community and school through. the, influence and help of our Congressman, Sam Rayburn, who later became Speaker of the House.
On the closing day of school each year, many parents would come with baskets filled with food and a community dinner was enjoyed by all. That night everyone enjoyed a program presented by the students and often a three-act Play by adults.
Some teachers that are often associated with the new school are: E. L., Gant., Roy Lucas, Shellie Nickles, Velma. Nix Kemp, Malcom Pate, Alta Hill Henslee, Merle Bourland, Fredrick and Miles Murphy, Opal Kemp McCarley, and Iona McCall Tyler. The Snow Hill School was known as one of the largest and best rural school systems in Collin County according to Captain Roy Hall's, Survey of Small Schools.
After World War II was started, many families began moving to the Metroplex Area to work in defense plants. The students became fewer and fewer until the local board arid County board decided it would be more feasible for all concerned if the district be divided between Blue Ridge and Farmersville Schools, and the students bussed to the school of their choice. According to the minutes of the Collin County School Board dated October, 1918 the Snow Hill School was closed.
The County Superintendent of Schools said this about Snow Hill in 1918: “The Snow Hill School had two teachers with an enrollment of 67. The district has a small tax and is talking some of consolidation. If this is done it will greatly improve the situation along educational lines in this community. We hope that it may be done before the next school begins. Miss Ruth Smith and Miss Vivian Moyers are the teachers.”
The Community asked for the school building to be used for Community functions, but when it was no. longer used for that purpose, it was sold at a Public Auction in 1953 to Mr. F. M. Hart of Farmersville. It was used as a hay barn for a while, but a short time later It was destroyed by fire. The teacherage was sold to Mr. and Mrs. Lee Bourand and moved away.
At the present time the school grounds house the Verona Water Sub-Station and the home of Rita Harris and Mr. and Mrs. Roy Bass.
