A History of Crosby County 1876-1977 Page: 23
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Self County Line School, 1952.
Virgil, Wade, W. T. Scott and Eline Steele.
Eva passed away in Aug., 1937 and Scott
resides in Lubbock at the age of 91.
Other settlers who bought SMS land
were S. T. Grizzle, Jeter Robinett, J. L.
Byrd, Marshall Miller, W. E. Duke, O. M.
Havens, Henry C. Parsons, W. F. Hudson,
Arth Smith, H. R. Witt, George Bradley, C.
W. Hinson, W. H. "Bud" English, W. B.
Ford, Bruce Zinn, Walter and Luke Lyck-
man.
In early 1900's, school was first called to
order in John Self's home, also an early
settler in Kalgary. Self lived in north Garza
Co. More settlers lived in that area, so it
was necessary to have school in the most
populated area.
In 1907 Watson school was built. It was
a one-room, one-teacher school. Rae
Nichols was first teacher. He boarded with
his cousins, the J. H. Gilmore family. Some
of the first students to attend Watson
school were S. B. and Ida Mae Scott, Lon-
nie, Joe, Mellie, Elva and Tom Gilmore,
Alton and Dee Sprayberry, the Crumps,
Inez, George, Otis and Leslie.
Emma Buchannan was an early-day
teacher. She taught in 1909-10. She
remembers her students fondly and speaks
well of their behavior. She said John
Crump did not attend her school, but he
was at home and made life interesting for
the young teachers in this sparsely settled
area. Emma boarded with the R. F. Selfs.
1913, Boney Scott asked Firm Self to
draft a petition to move the school. He got
the petition signed by enough people so
the little building was moved to the present
site of the community center at Kalgary
and land was designated by SMS for the
school. The building was enlarged at the
time which approximately doubled its size,
but it was still one room. Minnie Howard,
whose family lived near Crosbyton, taught
the school. The same year her sister, Nell
Howard, taught in White River community.
The following taught at Kalgary: 1914-
15, Walter Travis; 1916-17, Marie Edgel.
1918-19 was the first year the school had
enough students for two teachers, Cleo
Price from Dublin, higher grades, and
Naomi Reed, lower grades.
Price and Reed were the last two teach-
ers in the one-room school building which
had been divided by a curtain. The school
decided to build a new building and teach-
erage. The teacherage was completed first
and Naomi Reed moved her lower grade
students into it until the school building
was completed. J. S. "Jim" Tallant and J.
R. Hill hauled lumber and supplies from
Spur to build it. Tallant also built several
homes in the early 20's - those of Cragg
Parsons, W. B. Ford and Luke Grizzle.Ivorie Ford English recalls that when she
attended Watson school they had a Liter-
ary Society. As there was only one room, a
platform or stage was built on the south
side of the school and performers came on
stage through the windows. There wasn't a
door on that side of the building. Seats
were built in front of the stage for the audi-
ence.
Lem Parsons recalls how the school
children made their baseballs out of old
socks, their bats from tree limbs or two by
fours. They also played marbles and mum-
blety peg. Those were carefree happy
days. In 1918-19 Watson school was
named Self County Line School, District 3.
Seventeen students were enrolled first
year at Self County Line School and
grades one through seven were taught six
months of each year. Money was scarce
and teachers were often paid in script.
Students were Agnes Duke, Leta Par-
sons, Myrtle Grizzle, Laura Duke, Ivorie
Ford, Ruby Smith, Mabel Robinett, Lloyd
Parsons, Gracy Drury, Lily Havens, Oliver
and Frankie Crump, Bert and Sherman
Robinett, Harvey Smith, Elmer Havens and
J. Neil Stradley.
1920-21, two more pupils were added to
the roll, Evelyn Flinn and Ida Rankin. The
teacher was S. J. Lovell.
In 1913-14 those who lived west and
north of Self County Line School decided
to build a school closer to home. Thus,
McDonald school was organized. Material
was hauled from Spur and the one-room
school was built on W. H. "Bud" English
ranch. All the neighbors participated.
Theodocia English was one of the first
teachers. Also a Mr. Clark, Alwilda Crosth-
waite, Emma Schneider and Beatrice Eng-
lish.Howard Reed's store in southeast corner of
Crosby County - 1924.1918-19, children attending McDonald
school were: Mabel, Louise, Eddythe and
Hubert Morris, Ruth, Gladys and Clifford
Woodson and Edith Groves, the Gilmore
children - Nettie, Thelma, Thomas and
Alfred; Ella and Clara Zinn, Mabel, Joe,
Sherman and Bert Robinett; Elmer and Lily
Havens; Amon and Elisha English; Minnie,
Iva, and Verner Banks, Grady and Gracy
Peters and Hulen K. Styles.
McDonald school had a different teacher
each year. It lasted a few years and was
absorbed by Self County Line School.
(McDonald school was nicknamed "Need-
more," because of so few students.)
In 1922, Self County Line had its largest
enrollment to date, 34 students. Two
teachers were employed. Grades one
through ten were taught.
Three teachers, Mr. and Mrs. CheathamEvans and Lola Miller were hired in 1923-
24, and 11 grades taught. Students
enrolled were: Geta Robinett, Louise Mor-
ris, Belle Witt, Novelle and Estell Witt, Her-
mie Duke, Marie Crump, Marie Robinett,
Mollie Hinson, Vera, Loyd and Tempie
Bolch. Doyle and Wright Hinson, Oran
Sprayberry, Frankie Crump, Melborn Mor-
ris, Colys Witt, Auby King, H. D. Crump,
Wade and Virgil Scott, Weldon Witt and
Arvie Crow.
Other teachers who taught school dur-
ing late 1920's and early 30's were Lola
Miller, Gladys Walker, Carrie Coffey, Annie
Mae Hale, Ava and L. W. Tucker, Walter
Travis, R. L. Craig, F. C. London, W. R.
Dunlap, Mr. and Mrs. H. A. Sessions, Molly
Lou Hinson, Paul Springer, Earl Ponder,
Mr. and Mrs. J. R. Brecheen. County
Superintendents at that time were D. A.
Edwards and R. H. Nowlin. During the
30's, the 10th and 11th grades began
transferring into Crosbyton High School.
In 1937-38 the school had a wind-driven
light plant and burned coal for heat.
Nov. 15, 1937 White River School Dis-
trict consolidated with Self County Line
School District and became Self County
Line Consolidated Independent School
District Number 10. Some early day settlers
of White River community and now a part
of Kalgary were: Henry Slack, Robert Can-
non, Buran Jones, Donnie Pace, Dale Wil-
liams, J. J. Rogers and Bob Hendrix.
The term was finished out at White River
School with Ruth Self, teacher.
In 1938 the school board met to con-
sider consolidation of Red Top School with
Self County Line. This was never com-
pleted.
May 1939, school board hired the Kinley
boys to dig a well on school property. They
were paid 75 per foot for digging the well
and $10 for walling it with brick. The well is
in use by Jewel O'Neal to furnish water for
Kalgary Grocery Store (1977). After the
well was dug, an overhead tank was
installed and drinking fountains at school
became a reality. Cisterns were used prior
to this time.
Jan., 1940, a meeting was called by
school board to discuss consolidating Hig-
gins and Grassburr Schools with Self
County Line and to build a high school.
Consolidation did not materialize. School
term of 1939-40, 98 students were
enrolled and four teachers were employed.
They were J. R. Brecheen, H. C. Foote,
Mrs. Herman McArthur and Mrs. C. L. Huff.
Other teachers during this period were:
Mary Springer, Opal Jo Derr, Ethel Lynn
Hays, Mrs. J. W. Grizzle, Martha Lou
McClure, Ethel Summerlin, Mr. and Mrs. J.
T. Singleton, Mrs. Henry Slack, Mrs. J. C.
Hinson, Ruth Billingsley, and Mr. and Mrs.
W. R. Dunlap.
A cafeteria was added in 1949. Sue
Winkler was hired to manage and cook for
the cafeteria. It was more-or-less self sup-
ported by the parents. All day canning ses-
sions were held during summer to provide
food for the cafeteria. During sessions
mothers would take turns preparing foods.
All kinds of money-making plans were
made to help finance the cafeteria, such as
presenting plays. Ads were sold for the
stage curtain. A few government commodi-
ties were obtained, but Kalgary was a self-
supporting community and needed little
outside help.23
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Crosby County Pioneer Museum. A History of Crosby County 1876-1977, book, 1978; Crosby County, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth91041/m1/27/: accessed March 28, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; .