Amarillo High School - La Airosa Yearbook (Amarillo, TX)

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. el., ,r- nge 4 1 el a By Miss Gladys WalHs RACKLESS LANDS, swepf by free and ,L winds fhaf whirled across flaf sfrefches, were producfive, yesl, in fall, green grass. Now, fhe same area is producfive in fhe fulfillmenf for mind and spirif for fall, bronzed youfh, and for genfle, courageous youfh. Land, af low price, plus fanfasfic sfories of greaf profifs fo be made in ranching, broughf many families fo fhe vicinify of Amarillo from I885 fo l889. These land-hungry pioneers came from fhe Easf, from fhe Soufh, and from fhe Norfhl Yef fhey had one common inferesf. They wanfed free public schools for fheir children. No funds were available for school urposes. Thus, 'Furnishing fheir own funds was fhieir only' hope. Seeing lhe fask ahead, fhey wenf fo work: and in less 'rhan fhree years, fhey organized Poffer Counfy, locafed fhe school lands, levied a special school fax, paid 55.00 for a schoolhouse, and opened fhe firsf free public school in Amarillo. This 55.00 school building was no joke. There was no money for a building: and fhe Texas laws af fhaf fime, did nof permif fhe vofing of bonds for school buildings. Consequenfly, fhe school board purchased fhe fown's femporar courfhouse for fhe sum of 55.00 fo house fhe children. This weafher-boarded building was moved fo an area befween Harrison and Van Buren Sfreefs, and Eighfh and Ninfh Avenues. Affer being repaired, painfed, and furnished, if was ready for school use, Therefore, fhis 55.00 building, wifh S75.00 per monfh feacher, opened ifs doors fo fhe children of Amarillo in Sepfember, I889. ARLY YIELD of fhe educafional advenfure was Life in fhe new school was simple. Liffle affenfion was given fo scienfific lighfing and fo venfilafing fhe building. ln facf fhe warped boards and cracks fook care of fhe venfilafion, and fhe pof bellied sfove provided heaf in fhe win- fer. The school's drinking wafer came from a barrel fhaf was filled once or fwice a week. The only problem here came when a child leff fhe lid off fhe barrel and fhe fumble weeds had fo be fished ouf of if. The curriculum of fhe early school was defer- mined by fhe needs of fhe people. Each child used 'lhe books, his own, or hand-downs from his former home. These books were for fhe mosf parf McGuffey's READER, Ray's ARlTHMETlC, and Websfer's BLUE BACK SPELLER. Spelling was more or less fhe core of fhe curriculum. A head- mark meanf as much honor fo fhe pioneer child as fhe honor of playing firsf violin in foday's fine orchesfra means fo foday's child. Yes, 'lhey sfudied hard and fhe old-fimer will say la-do...and how we could spell. lf was fun fo spell such words as BOIS D'ARC and ASAFETIDA. Then, foo, fhey liked debafing. No, fhey didn'f debafe such subiecfs as Will fhe Rockef reach fhe moon, buf such profound subjecfs as Resolved: Thaf fhe horse is a more useful animal fhan fhe cow or Thaf fhe mind of a man is superior fo fhaf of a woman. Among fhe early school masfers were many colorful characfers. Such was fhe one who home- sfeaded while feaching. His pupils say fhaf he rarely ever gof fo school before fen o'clock in fhe morning. Anofher was a superinfendenf whose fame as a disciplinarian has persisfed fhrough fhe years. His riding quirf was respecfed by all. ln spife of fhe professor's quirl, playing hooky was nof uncom- mon. A favorife hooky spof was nof fhe Double Dip, buf fhe caffle pens along fhe Forf Worfh and Denver railroad fracks in fhe norfhwesf parf of fown. Wafching fhe caffle being puf fhrough lhe loading chufes was greaf sporf. EVERENTLY THE early generafions nur- fured fhe infellecfual process. The wind, fhe dusf, fhe droufhs, and fhe fumble weeds did nof prevenf fhe progress of educafion. By I898 fhe rains had sef in, and fhe school building was in fhe middle of a lake. To gef fhe school ouf of fhe mud and fo provide more room for fhe increasing enroll- menf was a pressing need. By I899 fhe 55.00 school building had received addifions on all sides. Even an old saloon building was sef along fhe back addifion, fo fhe soufh side, fo provide addifional room for fhe growing popu- lafion. Sfill fhere was no money for building a new school. Again pioneer resourcefulness and ingenuify solved fhis fough problem. Texas laws permiffed an incorporafed fown fo vofe bonds fo