Wichita Falls High School - Coyote Yearbook (Wichita Falls, TX)

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, 1 My 9 ,.- ireaufzeir Wichita ll-farlllls ROBABLY the first person to settle in the vicinity of Wichita Falls was IVI. Gilbert, who came here from lVIississippi in 1859. Wichita l1ad its first boom when the heirs of -Ii. A. Scott laid out the townsite in 1874 and advertised lots for sale. The late judge J. H. Barwise, the first permanent settler in Wichita I'alls, came here with his family in 18793 and from that time, this city has grown and prospered. The coming of the Fort Worth and Denver Railway, in 1882Q the discovery of gas at Petrolia, I907g the discovery of oil at Electra, IQIIQ the coming of the lVIissouri-Kansas and Texas Railway, and the building of railroads by lVIessrs. Kemp and Kell were responsible for the rapid growth of Wichita Falls during the succeeding decade. In 1907, the population was 4,5003 by 1910, it was 12,000. YVhen oil was discovered at Burkburnett in IQIS, Wichita Falls experienced one of the greatest booms in the history of the world, and by 1920, the city contained 40,079 inhabitants. During the following three years, Wichita Falls passed through the acid test to which all boom cities are subjected and further strengthened the title of The City That Faith Built. This year, the population exceeds 6o,ooo, and the rate of increase of building permits, bank clearings, and postal receipts shows that the city is growing at a rate exceeded only by the rate of boom days. On a recent visit to Wichita Falls, Fred Paro, President of the National Bank of Conrmerce of St. Louis, predicted that the 125,000 mark would be reached within the next ten years. Since o11e-half of the people in the world live by cultivating the soil, and since we all depend indirectly on the products of the soil for a living, agriculture is the most important business in the world. Wichita Falls is situated in a remarkable agricultural territory: In 1921, chiefly through the efforts of lVIr. J. A. Kemp, bonds to the extent of 54,500,000 were voted for the construction of an irrigation system which now affords practically an inexhaustible supply of W21tC1'. This project has grown from 4,000 acres irrigated in 1924 to 27,000 acres in 1927. The work of the Valley Development Department of the Chamber of Commerce in bringing expert farmers here, and the re- sults obtained on the State experiment farm near Iowa Park have been and still are great factors in the development of agriculture throughout the whole district. Within recent years, Wicliita Falls has become an important railway center, being served by six railways: the Fort Worth and Denver, the lVIissouri-Kansas and Texas, the Wicliita Valley, the Wichita Falls and Northwestern, the Wichita Falls and Southern Railway, and the Wicliitzr Falls and Southern Railroad. The rate of growth is illustrated by the following figures: From 1924 to 1925, the increase of inbound freight was 297,073,129 poundsg the increase of outbound freight was 232,157,250 pounds. In 1920, there were 5,411 pupils in the city schools, in the fifth month of the 1926-27 session, the number was 9,731, representing a hfteen per cent yearly growth. During the last four years, over 551,400,000 have been spent for buildings, building sites, and equipment. At present the city school system includes thirteen elementary schools, two junior high schools, and a high school and junior college, affording educational facilities unexcelled by any city in the South. In addition to the regular curriculum, the Red Cross and Parent-Teachers Association a1'e hiring a graduate nurse, a health inspector, and an expert dietician to care for the health of the school children. Wichita Falls is rapidly becoming an important industrial center, the number of manufacturing plants having increased 'from three to over a hundred within the last twenty yearsg and the cheap fuel supplied by the greatest gas field in the world is certain to attract many more large Eastern concerns. Of course, by far the int st important interest in or around Wichita Falls is the oil industry. In 1926, Wichita County alone produced 11,987,666 barrels of c1'ude oil, valued at iS25,773,581.90. The eleven refineries operating in Wichita Falls produced 128,408,460 gallons of the highest gravity gasoline. The total value of refinery products for 1926 was 327,867,000 Such facts as these constitute indisputable evidence that Wichita Falls has become and will continue to be a most i1nporta11t factor in Texas business and industrial history. -. -,. o H 4 l -..gif I 4 Era.- 1

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r X --1 ..7 . . X :gf , if-. LU 1' H' X717 7 77 77 wo in 'ny 11, ij,-4. Tune Wifchitm Poms Board of Education VV. B. C1-IAUNCIQY 1921-1923, President 1923-1927 I -'wzmf you lo knofw that ilu' rzafponsi- llilily for goof! srllools rmls upon rho .whool ll0Ill'll.U C. H. CLARK 19?-34927 Our .luuinr Collrgz- .rlmuld hr rndofwfd mul Ylllllll' Ihr' If-ruling follrgr in lhis par! of Ihr Slain MRS. L. R. BUCHANAN 1923-1927 Our sfhvols muxl hafuz' good rqzzijnlzwlzl 171 ordrr lo gr! Ihr hrs! r1'.vul1s. CAx'1'1: Il MCGRHGOIL 192-L' I 927 Th1'rr is ll0llIll!y lil-1' play. flu alhlwlir hrlfl ix n1'z'r'.fsary. ' ., 'N , l - ' 1 , W v ' ,4 - V A' , , . , 7 , ', . E Mas. VV. VV. SILK 1925-1927 Thr l'7l L'll'0IlllIl'lll founfs for mos! in Ihc lzfz' of ilu' fhllrlfl f , VV. L. ROBERTSON 1926-I927 Rv mrrfnl abou! rhf jfnonrf. Dfbif ' '- ' arf llard to pay. J. N. PROTHRO I 1926-1927 lff'1' must look oul for fhf' fhildrrn of Ihr fulurf. Gr! good srhool .fiifs fwhilv you ran. VV. VV. BROWN 1907-1921 ' Business Manager 1921-1927 ' Secretary to the School Board 2 - 1 .1 . ' I i f ' g 'fn ' Iilvjf V' Vlivk-L+? 2 -. uf 2 'AQ ,151 ,7 1 -431.6991 Q fmiri Hrid 9 E I 5 ??5..,.-