Stinson School
Stinson School #124
Who’d a Thought It
7600 Parker Road
Parker, Texas
The Stinson School community was located in the area where present-day Stinson Road meets Parker Road, about 1.3 miles east of the Corinth Presbyterian Church in Parker. Starting around 1915 the area became known as Halltown. Today the area is divided between Parker and Lucas with Wylie on the south.
According to Collin County deed records, J. F. Stinson purchased 3/4 acre of land from W. C. Parker and his wife Sarah in 1884. In 1886 W. C. Parker and his wife Sarah sold an additional 3/4 acre of land for $1 to a Collin County judge for educational purposes. These two pieces of land were located together on the west side of Bois d’Arc Lane along the eastern boundary line of the Squire T. Lewis survey about 15 feet south of Parker Road. They are identified in county records as school land.
The school was named Stinson School because Mr. Stinson donated land for it. It was also called Who’d a Thought It. Stories about the origin of that name vary. One story says that someone went by and saw the building under construction and said, “Who’d a Thought It.” Another story says that a dance was held in the Baptist church to raise money for the school and someone said, “Who’d a Thought It.” Another story says that they were holding a dance to raise money to build a church. They did not make enough money, so they built a school instead. Who’d a Thought that they would hold a dance to build a church.
As with most country schools, the Stinson School was a one-room building and was used as a meeting house by the whole community. In the 1890s the Stinson branch of the Collin County Alliance met there two Saturdays a month. (The County Alliance was a Democrat Voting group.)
In 1901 Stinson Schoolhouse community activities were reported in the “sociable” section in the McKinney Democrat newspaper by a reporter named “Buzz.”
Preaching was held at the school on Sunday afternoons or evenings. In 1901 J. M. Gallagher was called upon to organize a Sunday School. Forty-two enrolled the first week. Many of the inhabitants of Stinson were members of the Corinth Presbyterian Church in Parker.
In the newspaper the teachers at the school are listed as Prof. Harry P. Bell and Pros. Cosby. Male teachers were called Professor, regardless of their educational background.
In February of 1901 Prof. Harry P. Bell reported that the average daily attendance at the school was 44, with enrollment at 54. That was considered pretty good because of the inclement weather. The school had a creek on its west side and Muddy Creek on the west. When the weather was rainy, the students would spend the night at the school. Plano, Texas, The Early Years says that enrollment at Stinson School reached 90 at one time. The school term was delayed until November in 1901 so that the building could be renovated by the local inhabitants and painted white. In 1901 a Literary Society was started.
The teacher in 1908 was W. J. Ledbetter. There were 41 students. In 1914 Prof. Gilliland was the principal at the Stinson School. Miss Minna Ballew was his assistant. They were its last teachers. In 1914 the Parker Wilkins and Stinson were consolidated together as one district to create a better school with 3 teachers. The school houses were torn down and moved to a more central location and a larger and more modern school house was erected. The school land was sold in 1915 to J. A. Hall.
It would become part of the Plano School District. The area around the Stinson School became known as Halltown after J. A. Hall opened a store there.
Who’d a Thought It
7600 Parker Road
Parker, Texas
The Stinson School community was located in the area where present-day Stinson Road meets Parker Road, about 1.3 miles east of the Corinth Presbyterian Church in Parker. Starting around 1915 the area became known as Halltown. Today the area is divided between Parker and Lucas with Wylie on the south.
According to Collin County deed records, J. F. Stinson purchased 3/4 acre of land from W. C. Parker and his wife Sarah in 1884. In 1886 W. C. Parker and his wife Sarah sold an additional 3/4 acre of land for $1 to a Collin County judge for educational purposes. These two pieces of land were located together on the west side of Bois d’Arc Lane along the eastern boundary line of the Squire T. Lewis survey about 15 feet south of Parker Road. They are identified in county records as school land.
The school was named Stinson School because Mr. Stinson donated land for it. It was also called Who’d a Thought It. Stories about the origin of that name vary. One story says that someone went by and saw the building under construction and said, “Who’d a Thought It.” Another story says that a dance was held in the Baptist church to raise money for the school and someone said, “Who’d a Thought It.” Another story says that they were holding a dance to raise money to build a church. They did not make enough money, so they built a school instead. Who’d a Thought that they would hold a dance to build a church.
As with most country schools, the Stinson School was a one-room building and was used as a meeting house by the whole community. In the 1890s the Stinson branch of the Collin County Alliance met there two Saturdays a month. (The County Alliance was a Democrat Voting group.)
In 1901 Stinson Schoolhouse community activities were reported in the “sociable” section in the McKinney Democrat newspaper by a reporter named “Buzz.”
Preaching was held at the school on Sunday afternoons or evenings. In 1901 J. M. Gallagher was called upon to organize a Sunday School. Forty-two enrolled the first week. Many of the inhabitants of Stinson were members of the Corinth Presbyterian Church in Parker.
In the newspaper the teachers at the school are listed as Prof. Harry P. Bell and Pros. Cosby. Male teachers were called Professor, regardless of their educational background.
In February of 1901 Prof. Harry P. Bell reported that the average daily attendance at the school was 44, with enrollment at 54. That was considered pretty good because of the inclement weather. The school had a creek on its west side and Muddy Creek on the west. When the weather was rainy, the students would spend the night at the school. Plano, Texas, The Early Years says that enrollment at Stinson School reached 90 at one time. The school term was delayed until November in 1901 so that the building could be renovated by the local inhabitants and painted white. In 1901 a Literary Society was started.
The teacher in 1908 was W. J. Ledbetter. There were 41 students. In 1914 Prof. Gilliland was the principal at the Stinson School. Miss Minna Ballew was his assistant. They were its last teachers. In 1914 the Parker Wilkins and Stinson were consolidated together as one district to create a better school with 3 teachers. The school houses were torn down and moved to a more central location and a larger and more modern school house was erected. The school land was sold in 1915 to J. A. Hall.
It would become part of the Plano School District. The area around the Stinson School became known as Halltown after J. A. Hall opened a store there.
