Weston High School - Wolf Pack Yearbook (Jonesboro, LA)

Page 13 text:

A championship team: Weston girls held this title Miss Hughes 1919-1923. Left to right: Misses McBride, Pepper, Teacher 1923 Walker, Koonce, McCrary, and Shows Former teachers, left to right: Misses Gardner, W, H. McLaurin, Teacher, and pupils Richardson, Nicholson, and Fancher enjoying the play period, ' ,few K A K K is K .ixqiigi ' W Transportation to school in the early 1900's

Page 15 text:

jflsfory gf wesfon Qscfoof As the turn of the nineteenth century approached, the defeat and dev- astation of a Civil War gradually faded from the memory of southern people. Their eyes were turned toward the future with dreams and aspirations for a new generation of sons and daughters. This was reflected in the migration of pioneer families from such states as Virginia, Mississippi, and Alabama to this part of north Louisiana. The desire for land on which to build a home, to make a living, and to rear a family was the motive for migration. This section of the hill country in Jackson Parish offered agrarian families ample government land that could be had by taking advantage of the homestead laws which enabled them to purchase the land for a very small sum per acre and then on terms. The forest contained much wild game, and the region was a healthful one. The need for a school was one of the early problems of the community. In 1882 a public school was begun in a one room log cabin on the old Natchi- toches road about a mile south of the present location with Mr. R. S. Graham as principal. About thirty students attended this school, studying from Webster's Blueback Speller, McGuffey's Reader, Cornell's Geography, and University Arithmetic. In 1883 the school was moved to Rocky Springs, a mile west of the present site, and continued there until 1889 under the principalship of T. H. DeLony. About 1890 the community school was moved to the present site which was donated by Mr. Billy Walsworth. A two-story frame building was erected. The Masonic Order occupied the upper room and the one room school was housed in the lower room. Mr. A. M. Wailes and his daughter, Frankie, taught sev- eral terms here being paid fifty dollars a month by the school board. When this building became inadequate a two room structure was built. Both buildings were used for some time. In 1914 the enrollment had increased until there was need for additional housing space. A two-story frame building was erected in 1914 at a cost of 35, 000. 00. The former building was renovated and used as a domestic science cottage, with Miss Syble Lane the first domestic science teacher. In 1915 Weston School was officially made a high school. This new school plant was completely destroyed by fire after only one year of service. The insurance was applied on the three-story brick building, erected in 1916 at a cost of 311, 000. 00, which partly houses Weston High School today. The year 1918 was a thrilling one for students and patrons as it marked the first commencement. The two graduates were Molly Freeman Casey, now retired and living in St. Louis, and Webb McBride, now principal of Oak Grove High School, Oak Grove, Louisiana. With the beginning of a high school, football became a popular sport and a few years later Weston boasted a district championship team. Basketball was, at this time, as well as on through the years, of much interest to the girls. Weston is proud of all its girls' and boys' teams.